Tag: rating 4 star

Books, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

you can find the book at:

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Website

goodreads summary:

Located in a nameless desert somewhere in the great American Southwest, Night Vale is a small town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all common parts of everyday life. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge.

Nineteen-year-old Night Vale pawn shop owner Jackie Fierro is given a paper marked “King City” by a mysterious man in a tan jacket holding a deerskin suitcase. Everything about him and his paper unsettles her, especially the fact that she can’t seem to get the paper to leave her hand, and that no one who meets this man can remember anything about him. Jackie is determined to uncover the mystery of King City and the man in the tan jacket before she herself unravels.

Night Vale PTA treasurer Diane Crayton’s son, Josh, is moody and also a shape shifter. And lately Diane’s started to see her son’s father everywhere she goes, looking the same as the day he left years earlier, when they were both teenagers. Josh, looking different every time Diane sees him, shows a stronger and stronger interest in his estranged father, leading to a disaster Diane can see coming, even as she is helpless to prevent it.

Diane’s search to reconnect with her son and Jackie’s search for her former routine life collide as they find themselves coming back to two words: “King City”. It is King City that holds the key to both of their mysteries, and their futures…if they can ever find it.

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

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

Welcome to Night Vale holds up as a beautiful read, and when taken out of context of the podcast can be a little confusing (maybe more for newer readers), but I still think that the universe is such a mystery and compellingly written. Older fans will get the references and enjoy the what they fell in love with, plus some answers to other questions. A great mix of dark humour, horror and science fiction and really great to read despite its failings as it comes to a close.

The writing of this book was so excellent and very conversational. I think the audiobook for this novel would be so fantastic, especially if they had the voice of Cecil for the audiobook. The characters within the book are so diverse and, of course, so weird. Not only are they distinct, but brimming with charm and the authors do a great job of crafting two complex main female characters.

My main fault with the novel is that the book felt like it lost tension and excitement towards the end. It’s difficult to decide what felt was so incredibly disappointing, but it may be that some fascinating things were introduced toward the end of the book that is never explored, a painfully missed opportunity. Also, I wasn’t satisfied with any of the explanations surrounding Troy, or the man in the tan jacket. Given that I’m really invested in the podcast, I walked away from the book feeling slightly let down.

Overall, a strange yet weirdly charming novel that leaves you delightfully bewildered.

Books, Indie, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy

BOOK REVIEW: The Mine (Northwest Passage #1) by John A. Heldt

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: The Mine (Northwest Passage #1) by John A. Heldt

You Can Find the Book At:

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Amazon
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Author Website

GoodReads Summary:

In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can’t use, money he can’t spend, and little but his wits to guide his way.

Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever.

My Review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review~

For twenty-four hours, beginning about noon Eastern Daylight Time, six planets from our solar system will fall into a rough alignment with the sun

Joel Smith is a brash college senior who enters an abandoned mine shaft at the same time as a rare alignment is taking place. He enters the mine in the year 2000, and leaves in the year 1941.The summer before December 7, 1941, and Joel Smith is the only one who knows what’s to come.

Joel has no choice but to adapt to life in the 40s. With nothing more than the clothes on his back, and the item in his pockets that shouldn’t exist, Joel has a keen wit and warm heart that allows him to embark on a journey to his hometown Seattle where he manages to befriend his grandmother and embarks on an adventure that could change the course of his life.

Joel is a likeable main character, who is resourceful but is constantly burdened with guilt when he has to hide his knowledge of upcoming tragedies. Despite his best efforts, he grows to love the life of the 40s. Heldt has created a cast of interesting character and a plot that wasn’t confusing which made it easier to read and understand. The side characters were deep in detail and very likeable. Heldt did a great job and made this book a quick, and delightful read.

My only complaint about this story is how easily Joel adapted to life and how he had taken it quite easily when he learnt that he was in the 1940s. I wanted a little more action and suspense within the novel but, overall, Heldt has created a time travel novel was interesting and enjoyable to read.

Books, Contemporary, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble (unavailable)
Author Bio

goodreads summary:

Iris’s father, Ernest, is at the end of his life and she hasn’t even met him. Her best friend, Thurston, is somewhere on the other side of the world. Everything she thought she knew is up in flames.

Now her mother has declared war and means to get her hands on Ernest’s priceless art collection. But Ernest has other ideas. There are things he wants Iris to know after he’s gone. And the truth has more than one way of coming to light.

my review:

Rating:★★★★☆

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

The title, Fire Colour One,  refers to the Yves Klein painting FC1, I googled it- it looks cool, but the book is Iris who lives with her mother, Hannah, and stepfather in America until Hannah announces one day that they are returning to the UK to see Iris’s father, Ernest, who is dying. Hannah is desperate to get her hands on Ernest’s art collection. Iris has no recollections of her Dad other than what her mother has told her. She has grown up with the knowledge her father wanted nothing to do with her. Gradually, Iris and Ernest start to bond and Iris hears Ernest’s side of the story, and the life he has lived ever since her mother left him years ago.

Continue reading “BOOK REVIEW: Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine” →

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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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: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

by Zaheerah2 Comments on BOOK REVIEW: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

you can find the book at:

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Author Website

 

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.”

 

Laia is one of the Scholars – now ruled over by the Martial Empire – many of whom are poor and illiterate. When her brother is arrested by the Masks, she seeks out the Resistance for help. However, they demand that in return she must enter Blackcliff Military Academy as a slave to spy on the Commandant. Elias – the son of the Commandant – makes up the other perspective in this book.

The two main characters each have their own point of view, which I loved and was captivated by both. Laia and Elias have some major internal struggles going on. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt strongly for the characters, and the plot kept me going and I couldn’t put this book down! Both are unsure of the person that they are and what kind of person they want to be. It was beautiful to see them find the strength within themselves to survive in the very different but equally challenging positions they are in. It was lovely seeing their stories intertwine and seeing these similarities come to light. I was engrossed in the story, while it was slow-paced and the action not present throughout, I never felt the lack of it. A right balance was offered.

However, this isn’t really a complete story. The beginning doesn’t spend any time at all fleshing out the characters before everything changes for them. Rather than laying a foundation, Tahir pushes us right into the action. While this would annoy me for most books, but with Embers, it worked, and I was sped through this. It’s getting a sequel, and I’m glad because this is in no way a functional standalone, that some people thought it would be, since so many storylines were left unresolved. I thought it was well-paced and remained engaging throughout. There are a lot of flaws to point out, and a lot could have been improved.

Another aspect that had room for improvement was the romance. I’ll give Tahir credit, as I didn’t find it as bad, but I had a hard time buying some of the attractions between characters because they rarely interact. Overall, I had a fun time reading this, it’s an alright starter for a promising YA fantasy series. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book 2!

Books, Historical Fiction, Mythology

BOOK REVIEW: Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella

by Zaheerah1 Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella

you can find the book at:

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goodreads summary:

Long before she ran away with Paris to Troy, Helen of Sparta was haunted by nightmares of a burning city under siege. These dreams foretold impending war—a war that only Helen has the power to avert. To do so, she must defy her family and betray her betrothed by fleeing the palace in the dead of night. In need of protection, she finds shelter and comfort in the arms of Theseus, son of Poseidon. With Theseus at her side, she believes she can escape her destiny. But at every turn, new dangers—violence, betrayal, extortion, threat of war—thwart Helen’s plans and bar her path. Still, she refuses to bend to the will of the gods.

A new take on an ancient myth, Helen of Sparta is the story of one woman determined to decide her own fate.

my review:

Rating:
★★★★☆

Helen of Sparta begins long before the infamous Trojan War, this novel details the supposed abduction of Helen by Theseus, King of Athens, with Helen as a willing participant.
Helen carries a heavy weigh on her shoulder. A princess to Sparta, but also a daughter of Zeus. Hated by her mother but also an heir to inherit the throne. Helen’s gifts from Zeus not only give her beauty but dreams that foresee the future. In a recurring nightmare, she envisions the Trojan war and the death of her family when she is married to a childhood friend. Determined to escape her fate, Helen makes plans to flee to Athens with King Theseus. Finally feeling freedom, the gods continue to punish Helen for her actions; however, Helen still continues to forge her own future.
Carosella offers a fresh take on Greek mythology from Helen’s point of view. I was captivated by the mix of historical fictions and mythology, along with Helen fiery determination to not be the damsel in distress. Helen’s world is brought to light with the power of the gods and the brutality of the history. Overall, Helen’s story is packed with well-developed emotions and an intense plot. With a somewhat abrupt ending, I am hoping there is a second one in the making.
However, while some characters are well written, some are very flat, and I find myself questioning the irrationality of some of their actions. For example, I struggled to understand why a princess was so often alone or wandering the palace unescorted especially when many men were lusting after her. More than once she is told off for it yet she keeps doing it. She has maids and servants, and there’s no reason she wouldn’t have one with her to see her back to her room.

Although I did feel sorry for  Theseus, I didn’t find him inspiring. Theseus has little depth and serves only as a protector. The most prominent criticism I’m reading from other reviews is that the ending is a cliffhanger, but I didn’t feel this to be the case. The conclusion was supposed to show the reader why Helen later makes the choice she does, igniting the Trojan War. But a sequel would be excellent. [EDIT 29/01/2018: I’m a legit fool and didn’t realise there would be a sequel to this. ]

So there’s definitely some right elements to the story since I was compelled read to the end, and it’s well written, but unfortunately, some of the characters let it down.