Category: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Books, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: The Bone Season (The Bone Season, #1) by Samantha Shannon

you can find the book at:

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Amazon
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Author Website

goodreads summary:

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

my review:

Rating:★★★☆☆

 

The novel follows Paige, a dreamwalker in 2059, her ability alone makes her a criminal. But when she accidentally kills someone, she is sent to a prison-like place which is controlled by creatures called Rephaim who want to use the voyants abilities for their own gain. She is assigned to a keeper called simply “Warden”, a mysterious man who takes a deep interest in her. (lmao you can already tell can’t you?)

I know this sounds stupid, but I feel really guilty for not liking this book as much as I should have. For the past two years, in every trip to the bookstore, I always saw this on the shelves and really wanted to read it.

The author creates a fantasy novel that is already familiar and fundamentally over complicates it by throwing in new words for things that already existed making it such a long-winded read that’s so overly descriptive, it all sounds original. The book, primarily, is a massive info dump, making it difficult to read. The novel prioritises action over a plot that makes more sense and better character development.

The characters were too dull in my opinion. You could probably kill them all off, and I wouldn’t care at all. They lacked any sort of personality or development that was built gradually. It felt as if the author only included such moments at the time it felt appropriate and useful to the plot.

Despite all the cons in this book for me, what really dragged it down to three stars was the romance. So forced and completely unnecessary, with no decent development at all. It literally comes out of nowhere. Paige gets captured by the Rephaim and is told that she is part of Bone Season XX. The Rephaite catches people and saves them for every 10 years to compete in this unique contest to see who gets to be their exclusive servant. Paige is then picked by the Warden to be his individual slave. And their romance is literally stretched throughout the novel, the gradual development just didn’t feel realistic because of the situation. It is a master/slave type of a relationship, which felt so disbelieving and was slightly uncomfortable to read.

Paige as a character was completely weak. People hail her as such a strong woman, but the author has literally only created a character with one good quality, the power everyone is using her for, and even she doesn’t realise it fully. She just felt too predictable. Also, I did like her growing relationship with Seb. His character was interesting since he was the only one of the leading group with no ability, but it’s a shame it didn’t last long.

I will probably read the next book in the series. Hopefully, the info dump had lessened, but the prospect of an eight-book series does not excite me at all, maybe the sheer number of books is what made it felt stretched out.

Overall, I think the writing is well done, and the action scenes were exciting and thrilling, but the plot and characters were all over the place, and the flashbacks which tried to give insight just took too long, and some scenes felt non-contributing to the book or could have been shortened.

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: ZOM-B (ZOM-B #1) by Darren Shan

by Zaheerah1 Comment on BOOK REVIEW: ZOM-B (ZOM-B #1) by Darren Shan

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

Zom-B is a radical new series about a zombie apocalypse, told in the first person by one of its victims. The series combines classic Shan action with a fiendishly twisting plot and hard-hitting and thought-provoking moral questions dealing with racism, abuse of power and more. This is challenging material, which will captivate existing Shan fans and bring in many new ones.

my review:

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

“Trust no one. Always question what you’re told. Don’t believe the lies that people feed you, even if they’re your teachers or parents. At the end of the day you have to work out for yourself what’s right or wrong.”

I would just like to disclose that I love Darren Shan’s books. The Saga of Darren Shan inspired me to become an author and is one of my favourite vampire series ever. But I’m just so disappointed with this entire book, and I’m not sure if I want to continue the series.

The summary says it’s ‘a hard-hitting and thought-provoking moral questions dealing with racism.’ But honestly, it was all bullshit. As a Muslim, who has grown up in the UK, I am so thankful I’ve never faced people like B in my life. I don’t tolerate racism in real life, and nor will I tolerate it in fiction unless it educates the readers. I felt like Shan should have written those scenes differently

B is literally a TSTL character with no redeeming quality. With a non-existent moral compass, B literally has no sense of right or wrong. They pretend not to be racist, but really was, and was extremely cruel to anyone. There’s a scene where they tried to buy alcohol but is denied because they are underage, so they made fun of the Arab man when he denied the sale. A teacher makes a comment about their racist dad, so they slashed the teachers’ tires?

B is also a huge bully. I had really hoped B would grow up and realised their racist behaviour, and hopefully, stop acting in that way. But they don’t, and blames it all on their dad and is weirdly hellbent on pleasing their dad. Later, when the zombies are overtaking their group, B‘s dad tells them to sacrifice the black boy to save themselves, and B actually did it. Then blames their dad, despite the fact that it was their action.

‘He turned me into a killer. He made me throw [….] to the zombies.’ Ummm, B, your dad didn’t make you do shit. B easily had the choice to say no, but they didn’t. And once they come to the realisation that everything they had done was wrong. It was too late, and honestly, B got what they deserved.

The novel does show what influence poor role models can have on children’s behaviours, but honestly, B’s character was too inconsistent, and the likeability in this character was way too low. The art in the book was actually really great, and I liked them. Overall, the zombie scenes were few but were good, it’s just damn shame than B’s is so unlikeable that I’m not sure if I want to continue this series.

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Concentr8 by William Sutcliffe

by Zaheerah1 Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Concentr8 by William Sutcliffe


you can find the book at:

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Author Bio

goodreads summary:

In a future London, Concentr8 is a prescription drug intended to help kids with ADD.

Soon every troubled teen is on it. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Keep the undesirable elements in line. Keep people like us safe from people like them. What’s good for society is good for everyone.

Troy, Femi, Lee, Karen and Blaze have been taking Concentr8 as long as they can remember. They’re not exactly a gang, but Blaze is their leader, and Troy has always been his quiet, watchful sidekick – the only one Blaze really trusts. They’re not looking for trouble, but one hot summer day, when riots break out across the city, they find it.

What makes five kids pick a man seemingly at random – a nobody, he works in the housing department, doesn’t even have a good phone – hold a knife to his side, take him to a warehouse and chain him to a radiator?

They’ve got a hostage, but don’t really know what they want, or why they’ve done it. And across the course of five tense days, with a journalist, a floppy-haired mayor, a police negotiator, and the sinister face of the pharmaceutical industry, they – and we – begin to understand why …

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

Concentr8 takes us into London, where the increase of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents have reached epidemic levels. Concentr8 has been used by the government as a form of social control until the use of Concentr8 was abolished, wiping out the availability of its supply to the public. A group of teens kidnap a random worker from the Mayor’s office for hostage although it is clear that they don’t know why they did it or what they actually want by doing it.

Personally, Concentr8 had the potential to be so great, but it really wasn’t a readable novel. The multiple POV change too quickly for my liking, and at some points, I didn’t know if it was really that necessary to capture the perspective of every other character in the story. I hoped it would give a clearer picture, but it just didn’t work.  The narrative voices all sounded alike and would have been better off with one or two POVs rather than the mashup we got.

However, this book does have some strong points that are interesting to read in a YA novel. The psychology of nature versus nurture is a longstanding debate and this novel really work with the issues of ADHD and Ritalin. It’s a quick read, with an intriguing premise and well-imagined story, but it could have been executed better for me. Still worth a read though, for anyone interested.
Books, LGBTQIA, Science Fiction & Fantasy

BOOK REVIEW: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

by Zaheerah1 Comment on BOOK REVIEW: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

you can find the book at:

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Amazon
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Author Website

goodreads summary:

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn’t expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that’s seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.

[..] Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They’ll earn enough money to live comfortably for years… if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful.

But Rosemary isn’t the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

To begin with, I honestly never thought I would ever get emotional over an AI system.

Long Way is an absolutely beautiful debut novel by Chambers. Using a vast variety of human and alien characters, mixed with interesting and exciting cultures, Chambers tells an extraordinary story about what makes us human.

Rosemary, a young Martian woman, running from her past, joins the crew of Wayfarer, a ship that drills wormholes for intergalactic travel. The team takes a job on the other side of the galaxy which could make them rich, but on the way, they face the challenges and dangers of the multicultural universe. Chambers pulls you in the life of her characters (humans, aliens and AIs alike) and builds a whole galaxy through the lives of her characters, dealing with struggles that are all too human, even when the character is alien.

However, there could have been a more significant conflict but considering this is a debut –  The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet was something new and refreshing. I definitely recommend.

Books, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

you can find the book at:

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Author Website

goodreads summary:

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn’t want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

I’m so disappointed with this book because it had the potential to be brilliant. Like other Cinderellas, Nicolette is at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and sisters. She’s treated like dirt and forced to work as a servant in her own family home. Unknown to her stepfamily, Nicolette has a talent for engineering and hides her mother’s old inventions away in her workroom. She plans to sell her designs to make enough money to leave and, hopefully, repurchase her family home from her stepmother’s clutches.

The concept is fantastic. Nicolette wants to save herself, remove herself from her toxic environment but on her own terms. The emphasis is not on romance but on the importance of friendship. And the importance of loving yourself rather than loving the prince. But there is no climax. The story flows quick and easy, but there’s nothing that fuels excitement, no internal conflict that was satisfying to read.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. How likely I would recommend this book will be varying, depends on my mood I think. But the ending was was cute, and honestly one of my favourite for a fairy tale retelling.

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Miss Mabel’s School for Girls (The Network Series #1) by Katie Cross

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Miss Mabel’s School for Girls (The Network Series #1) by Katie Cross

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

GoodReads summary:

Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.

Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrols in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.

Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

Bianca Monroe is a witch, stuck with a dominant Inheritance curse has been placed on her mother and grandmother. The witch behind the curse is none other than Miss Mabel of Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. The school is the most prestigious one in the Witches’ Network and every year, it hosts a Student Competition, the prize of which is private lessons with the school’s High Witch. Within the first few hours of arriving at the school, Bianca volunteers for the Competition – the first first-year volunteer in centuries. But what she doesn’t realise, and what she has been warned about, is that winning the Competition was the easiest part – Miss Mabel is cunning and ruthless, for which Bianca could be the perfect weapon.

For a debut author, the world of The Networks is good – I read a lot of fantasy and paranormal books, and witches are amongst my least favourite premises. I love the concept, but the stories aren’t executed well enough. Katie Cross did manage to make it work for me. The writing is decent and sets the fast pace quite nicely.

Bianca was a good protagonist. For once, I’m glad I wasn’t irritated continuously at the action of the main character. She’s determined but doubtful, and the lengths she was willing to go for her family are commendable. Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is about young women growing up and taking on responsibilities of adulthood, witching, and the good of the witch networks. There were no love triangles! (I’m pretty sure there are only three male speaking characters) It was refreshing to see female characters that don’t revolve around the male character.

However, I felt like the development between Bianca’s relationships with her family should have been emphasised more. They are an essential aspect of the events that occur, and the stakes are high against them, yet I felt no sympathy towards them because I didn’t feel Bianca’s love for them. Also, I know Bianca quickly masters particular skills for the sake of the story, but it still felt too convenient. Despite her years of training, there are some forces too powerful for Bianca to have performed as she did.