madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Book Review Tuesday (7/16/19)-Wild Beauty

Posted on July 16, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

Before I found it at the library, I’d been wanting to read this for a short while–I feel like it was either a Goodreads recommendation or a gushing review from another blogger. Either way, I am so glad I found this book. Poetic, impactful, and as lush as the flower gardens in La Pradera. A truly unforgettable read.

Enjoy this week’s review!

Wild Beauty

A strange sort of magic runs in the women in the Nomeolvides family, both a blessing and a curse. They can make flowers grow–each woman has an individual flower–with just a thought, and with this gift, their duty, for the last century, has been to tend to the gardens of the La Pradera estate. But if a Nomeolvides woman falls in love, their curse also gurantees that their partner will die.

When Estrella, one of the youngest Nomeolvides girls, finds a strange boy in the gardens, she’s shocked; now, after the garden has taken so many of their lovers, it has given one back to them…possibly. The boy has no idea who he is and where he came from, other than three letters scrawled on his sleeve: “Fel”. Estrella seeks to find out who Fel really is, but discovers that beneath the enchanting gardens of La Pradera lies a deadly secret, buried for over a century. Is the truth meant to be uncovered?

I haven’t read anything quite like Wild Beauty in a long time. Maybe not ever, period.

I’m serious. The writing was rich and enchanting, each and every character had a unique personality and a key role to play, the story was absolutely intriguing, pulling me along every twist and turn up until the last page. It was, for lack of better words, like nothing I’ve ever seen. Highly recommend it. Stunning.

Wild Beauty is a standalone, and…well, it’s probably a good thing. As beautiful as it was, it’s probably good that we don’t have another, unnecessary installment to bog down the first book. Anna-Marie McLemore does have multiple other novels out, some of which I’ve been wanting to read for a considerably long time, but haven’t yet. Library, don’t fail me…

Thank you so much for reading this review! Have a fantastic day, and take care of yourself! 🙂

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (7/9/19)-Summer of Salt

Posted on July 9, 2019July 9, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

This was (yet another) library find. I’d had it on my to-read shelf for a while, but I saw it on the shelf in the teen section of my local library, so I figured that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Magical realism, for me, is often hit-or-miss for me. The ‘miss’ category usually falls into more middle grade books, from what I remember, but if done well, it’s absolutely spectacular. Luckily, Summer of Salt is no exception. Beautiful and atmospheric prose, combined with a plethora of characters to root for and a rich, small-town mythology made Summer of Salt a truly unique read.

Enjoy the review!

Summer of Salt

All her life, Georgina Fernweh has known nothing beyond the tiny island that she calls home. The only residents that aren’t regular are the ornithologists that flock there every summer, looking to see if Annabella, the island’s revered and supposedly three hundred year old bird, will rear her eggs.

But all that’s on Georgina’s mind are two things: her unmanifested powers, which are passed down through the females of the Fernweh family and normally appear early, and college, the first years that she’ll ever be away from the island. For her, these two things are her entire world–but that world is quickly shattered into chaos when Annabella is found dead, miles from her ordinary nesting site. With the help of Prue, the sister of a budding ornithologist, and Mary, her enigmatic twin sister, Georgina sets out to find out the killer of the island’s most well known attraction.

WOOOOOOOOOW. Now that was incredible.

Summer of Salt boasted a distinct brand of magic–rich, intriguing lore, an unforgettable cast of determined and quirky characters, LGBTQ+ representation that felt completely natural, and a plot that had me on my toes…and close to tears in some places. Though this book is a standalone, I didn’t end the book wanting more; the ending was satisfying enough, and wrapped everything up in a way that made sense. All in all, a perfect summer read that I’d recommend to…well, pretty much everyone.

Oh, and did I mention that…I really want Prue in my life? Like, right now? Please?

Thank you so much for reading this review! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and have a wonderful summer!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (7/2/19)-Song of the Dead

Posted on July 2, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to the first Book Review Tuesday of July 2019!

*pulls out stopwatch* *whispers* How much longer until I’m a human puddle of sweat?

*ahem* Aaaaaaaanyway, I FINALLY got around to reading the conclusion to the Reign of the Fallen series not long ago! This installment was EVEN BETTER than book one, almost a full star more so! A riveting conclusion to a fantasy series like no other.

(If you haven’t read book 1 yet, I advise that you do not read this review yet. For my review of Reign of the Fallen, see 9/18/18.)

Enjoy this week’s review!

Song of the Dead (Reign of the Fallen, #2)

After the volley of Shade attacks, Karthia has recovered, and seeks to be better than ever before. Under the rule of Queen Valoria, the borders are opened for the first time in centuries, and necromancy is against the law. For Odessa, this means endless opportunities to explore the world beyond her homeland, but still having to hide her gift of necromancy. She sets off with Meredy to seek adventure beyond Karthia, but soon learns of a new threat to her home, and is forced to return. Will she be able to save her queendom in time–and save her relationship?

WOOOHOO!

Even though it’s sad to know that this is last of the series, Song of the Dead was a beautiful conclusion. The descriptive, gripping prose, combined with unforgettable worldbuilding and…oh, another runner-up for Fictional Couple of the Year (ODESSA AND MEREDY ARE…JUST SO CUTE OH MY GOOOOOOOD), made for a series that truly went off with a magical bang.

With the Reign of the Fallen series finished, I’m not sure what’s next for Marsh. I’m hoping she’ll write some more, because I just ADORE her creepy brand of fantasy. The world needs more of that.

Thanks so much for reading this review! Have a wonderful rest of your day, take care of yourself, and hopefully beat the heat! 😉

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (6/25/19)-The Pioneer

Posted on June 25, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, fellow bookworms, and welcome to the last Book Review Tuesday of June 2019!

(WHOOOOA, are we really already halfway through the year? Sheesh…)

Anyway, this book was one of three books that I bought on my Kindle for Canada. Let me tell you a quick tale of Madeline and the three books…

The first two were just right. The third one was absolute trash. And I wouldn’t be reviewing this book on here if it was trash.

In fact, The Pioneer is easily one of the best books that I’ve read this year! An intricate world, edge-of-your-seat action and suspense, and a twisty-turny plot that had me guessing through all 368 pages.

Enjoy the review!

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The Pioneer

Jo Watson has been preparing her entire life to colonize another planet, along with her family and a tight group of close friends and colleagues. When she and the others land on Tau Ceti E, it seems like the ideal place to settle down–a picturesque, Earthlike landscape, with an abundance of bizarre and fascinating flora and fauna. But when Jo and her friends find the abandoned camp of another scouting mission, they soon discover that their planet isn’t quite so idyllic as it seems. Whoever settled here before them left in a hurry, and left behind evidence that there’s a darker side to Tau Ceti E, and it’s more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

OH.

MY.

[censored].

GOD.

This book was an absolute sci-fi gem. The world-building is like nothing I’ve ever seen, the writing is lush and detailed, and the twists are as unpredictable as the new planet that Tyler created. Tau Ceti E is a place that I could get lost in and enjoy every minute of it…but only for about the first quarter. Then it gets pretty freaky. Even so, some of those descriptions were absolutely stunning. And no spoilers, but…THE ENDING. I’m SO excited to see what the sequel brings. 4.75 on Goodreads, a solid 9.5/10 on my personal scale, and a big A+ all around. Thank you so much, Ms. Tyler.

According to EpicReads, the sequel, The Survivor, is slated to come out on March 10, 2020-MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The cover has been revealed (gORGEOUS, AAH), but it’s still marked coverless/untitled on Goodreads (???). I am absolutely HERE FOR IT, LET’S START COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS! WOO!

Thank you so much for reading this review! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! 🙂

Vacations

Adventures in Canada

Posted on June 21, 2019June 21, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone! I’m back!

…weeeeell, technically, I flew back on Tuesday night, but I neglected making a post until today. So. It’s been a day or so.

Anyway, Canada was absolutely MAGICAL. I’m so excited to share my stories and pictures with you guys!

So, here’s the run-down:

DAY 1

On our first full day, we stayed in Banff (not Bamf, haha) National Park. The morning consisted mostly of some scenic driving. The pictures came out surprisingly well, considering they were almost all taken out of the car window.

MAN, it was absolutely STUNNING. Even though I’ve grown used to being surrounded by mountains, these mountains were a different experience entirely. Even we were at a lower elevation than back in Colorado, the Canadian Rockies felt…bigger, more jagged, more foreboding, in an odd way. Beautiful experience, in or outside of a car.

That afternoon, we took a gondola up to Sulphur Mountain. Despite the wind, the views were even more stunning in person, out in nature. Absolutely unforgettable.

It was also around this time that we discovered the delicacy of maple creme cookies. I’m addicted.

DAY 2

This day was easily my favorite day of the whole trip, despite having to wake up early. We drove out to Lake Louise, and went canoeing on the lake for about an hour, and hiked around afterwards. It’s easily one of my favorite places on the planet now.

The water itself seemed to glow, and canoeing over it felt like gliding over turquoise glass. That early in the morning, it was a different kind of peaceful, with only the lapping of the water against the canoe, the chirping of birds, the breeze against the mountains, and the occasional calving of the nearby glacier (fREAKY) to be heard. The color of Lake Louise is probably my favorite color–though it’s an almost identical shade of turquoise to the one I painted my room with last summer, Lake Louise has an ethereal sort of glow from within. Absolutely stunning.

DAY 3

In the morning, we hiked around Lake Moraine, which was pretty close to Lake Louise. Moraine was almost equally beautiful, with the same sparkling, mesmerizing turquoise hue of its waters. The hike around Lake Moraine was heavenly, with a sort of fairytale forest spanning the length of it.

The rest of the day wasn’t quite so eventful. We drove from Banff to Drumheller, which, though sketchy (and home to its fair share of cursed, fake dinosaurs, which I’ll show later), housed something amazing…

DAY 4

…the Royal Tyrell Museum!

The Royal Tyrell housed one of the most impressive (if not the most impressive) collection of fossils that I’ve ever seen. It was there that I remember how much I enjoy learning about the Paleozoic era, before the dinosaurs evolved. (Pics 2-4 are all Paleozoic fossils.) It’s like nature was just experimenting, just saying, “hey, let’s give this critter 15 horns and 65 tentacles and let it run wild!” Gotta love it.

This took up most of the day. But, these weren’t the only dinosaurs we witnessed…

Behold, the Cursed Dinosaurs of Drumheller.

The Royal Tyrell is the biggest attraction in Drumheller, so they pretty much milked the whole dinosaur thing in every way possible. So, we had these freaky dudes on pretty much every street corner. The first one is actually the world’s largest fake dinosaur. Somehow they’ve got a world record for that. (*promptly flashes back to Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure)

DAY 4

We hightailed it out of Drumheller and drove through seemingly endless miles (*ahem* kilometers) of farmland until we arrived at Dinosaur Provincial Park. The Badlands there are a beautiful, austere landscape, something that I never would’ve expected to see in the middle of nowhere.

We walked around there for a bit, and took one too many panoramas on our phones. (Who wouldn’t?) Other than that, not much else took up our day. But there was still one more crazy event that happened on our last full day…

DAY 5

On out last full day, we went on a guided tour into the Badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park, on the Centrosaurus Quarry hike. Though the skies were gray and gloomy, the hike was truly something else. Beautiful badlands, combined with the myriad of fossils sticking out of the ground at the very end of the hike. Most of them were from Centrosaurus, and paleontologists speculate that the sheer amount of fossils in the area was because there was a massive herd of them in the area. I scraped my elbow trying to get a good look at a fossil, but honestly? Completely worth it.

The hard rain that came upon us shortly after the hike concluded prevented us from doing anything else that day, but that hike was truly unforgettable.

We flew out of Canada the next day. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this phenomenal trip. Experiencing the beautiful nature-alive and dead-was something I’ll never forget and always treasure.

Thank you so much for reading this post! I’ll be back next week with a Book Review Tuesday! I did happen to read two A-MAY-ZING books on the trip, so it’ll probably be about one of them. Have a great rest of your day, and enjoy the first day of summer! 🙂

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (6/11/19)-Defy the Fates

Posted on June 11, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

And yes, that’s right…

IT’S HERE.

The conclusion to the Constellation trilogy is HERE! (*ahem* okay technically it came out in April but I just got around to reading it a few weeks ago)

And man, it’s STUNNING. A beautiful conclusion to an unforgettable series.

Before reading this review, though, I suggest you read my other reviews for the previous books in the trilogy, Defy the Stars (see 5/15/18) and Defy the Worlds (see 5/22/18), if you haven’t a) caught up with some of the books or b) haven’t read the series yet. (If the answer if ‘b’ for you, then WHAT ARE YOU DOING? READ. THIS. TRILOGY.)

Enjoy this week’s review!

Defy the Fates (Constellation, #3)

After the disaster that left Noemi Vidal close to death, Abel’s final goal is to save the life of the one he loves. But it won’t be easy–the only way that she could be saved is to replace some of her body parts and organs with robotic material. And the one person in the galaxy that could pull off this procedure is the person who Abel has desperately been trying to run from: none other than Gillian Shearer, daughter of Burton Mansfield, his notorious creator. Shearer is his only chance, but her intentions are more than Abel can see–she wants Abel for herself, as a vessel for Mansfield’s now detached consciousness. Can Abel save Noemi–and himself–from a fate worse than death?

Defy the Fates was a satisfying, beautiful ending to a phenomal series. Though it wasn’t quite on par with Defy the Worlds (basically The Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy), Defy the Fates still retained the intricate writing, intriguing plot, and raw emotion that was so characteristic of the trilogy. The ending perfectly wrapped things up, and didn’t leave me wanting anything more, for what we had was just right. Thank you, Mrs. Gray, for this unforgettable gem of a trilogy. ❤️ Abel and Noemi forever!

Also…something about Abel on this cover–not the other ones, mind you, weird–looks a teensy bit like Dan Stevens. Dunno why, dunno how, it’s just this one cover. Gettin’ some David Haller vibes, guys…

Thank you so much for reading this week’s review! Have a great rest of your day, take care of yourselves, keep on reading, and most of all…enjoy your summer!

Geeky Stuff, Movies

The Phoenix has Risen…and it was Worth the Wait! (Dark Phoenix review)

Posted on June 10, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Let me start off by saying that this was probably the movie that I’ve most anticipated in my entire life.

Since I discovered that it was happening about a year ago, I was absolutely over the moon excited. I counted down the days, I squealed every time I saw the poster by the movie theater, I made my parents take a picture of me next to said movie poster(s), set all my wallpapers to the various posters (which all belong in the MoMA, honestly)…you get the idea. I was a very, very excited little mutant.

As the reviews started pouring in, I got a little worried. I told myself, time and time again, not to listen to the critics. I also tried to tell myself not to expect another First Class or X2, but…I couldn’t really help myself up until the end.

Then, I saw it on Saturday night. I haven’t felt such a surge of joy in a long, long time, not like I did when the “feature presentation” screen finally came up.

And?

It didn’t deserve such hate-filled reviews from the critics. Nor did it deserve as high praise as some of the other films. But even still, an incredible film, and a beautiful ending to a masterful franchise.

*SOME SPOILERS AHEAD–I ADVISE THAT YOU DON’T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN DARK PHOENIX*

“I Want All of These Posters Framed in a Museum” and other stories, part one. This one gives off some wonderfully *Stranger Things* vibes.

Dark Phoenix has always been one of the most revered stories in the whole of the X-Men universe. Full of raw emotion not usually seen in a superhero story (at the time, at least), it was a groundbreaking series that changed the X-Men forever. I doubt any film will ever come close to portraying it perfectly, but Dark Phoenix sure came close. Some alterations were made to the plot, but they made enough sense that they worked with the story. (ex. instead of Jean consuming the mother star of the D’Bari and wiping the entire race out, they nearly went extinct in another way and sought Jean’s Phoenix Force to resurrect what was left of them. A bit cliche, but again, it worked.)

Perfectly paced, stunning FX (especially when it came to Jean), and a plethora of fun Easter Eggs that…yeah, I had a bunch of Chris Pratt-esque, gaping moments in the theater. FOR EXAMPLE…

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–Dazzler. DAAAZZZZZZLEERRRRRR!!! I mean…okay, she’s not my favorite, but it was pretty cool to see her show up briefly after all these X-Men films. Plus, she was originally introduced in the Dark Phoenix Saga, so…nice touch.

–GENOSHA. Such a beautiful set. I really liked the approach they took with it–instead of being super high-tech, the structures and buildings were largely made up of scrap parts. Magneto’s house was also really pretty. (I mean, who wouldn’t put it past him to have a matching tea set?)

Another little Easter egg was the addition of Red Lotus (behind Storm) and Selene (in front of Nightcrawler). Though I can see why they were added in, they didn’t have much screen time at all, and seemed almost unneccesary, other than being throwaway allies of Magneto. Selene does look pretty cool, though. I’ll give them that.

What truly made this film, as it did in the comics, was the emotion and the themes of family. Dark Phoenix masterfully captured the raw, unfettered feelings of each of the mutants, showing their conflicts, their sorrow, their anger. Most prominent of all was Jean herself, and her internal struggle with her newfound abilities. I got choked up at the end–no spoilers, but it’s bittersweet, with a heartbreaking loss, followed by something more hopeful. A fitting farewell for the 20th Century Fox X-Men.

And to top it all off, there’s always the classic fun that comes along with watching an X-Men movie. The battle scenes are over-the-top, but in the best way possible. The final one was one of my favorite X-Men battle scenes, period.

No spoilers for this portion, but I’ll tell you one thing–

The context for that scene is…darkly hilarious.

Of course, every movie has it’s flaws. Dark Phoenix was in no way perfect, and I wished we’d had these aspects in it at some point:

–Quicksilver never told Magneto that he was his son. It ALMOST happened in Apocalypse, but alas…nada.

–On the subject of estranged relatives, there was a similar problem with Mystique and Nightcrawler. The only hint we get of their mother-son relationship is also in Apocalypse--she gives him some degree of special treatment, but not much beyond the rescue from the mutant fight ring.

–In the other films, there was lots of care taken to make the time period believable. Dark Phoenix is set in 1992, but if we weren’t told that, I’m not sure that I would’ve figured it out. Not even a band shirt or a running soundtrack for Quicksilver. *single tear slides down cheek*

But, all in all, Dark Phoenix was worth the long wait. Solid 8.5/10 from me. Go see it, X-Fans–you won’t regret it. Mutant and proud. 😉

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (6/4/19)-Aurora Rising (+ a few quick updates and explanations)

Posted on June 4, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

It is I, fellow bibliophiles, back from the dead at last!

Again, so sorry for going M.I.A. for about a month there. AP exams and finals were weighing me down a little bit, and I was a little *busy* about a week ago (by “busy” I mean “converting some of my friends to X-Men before Dark Phoenix comes out”). But hey, I’m back now, and I’ve got a positively INCREDIBLE book to review!

(Oh, and HAPPY HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! 🏳️‍🌈)

Everyone’s got their dream book. For all bibliophiles, there’s always that one book that we sorely wish that we’d written, that we re-read endlessly without getting tired of it. There’s a few books for me that I feel that way about. Think…Heart of Iron, and a few years back, the Search for WondLa series. Now, Aurora Rising has stolen the title of dream book…yes, surpassing Heart of Iron.

And I thought that was the best book in the universe. MAN.

Aurora Rising is, in short, everything that I could possibly want in a book–downright lovable characters, a fast-paced, intricate plot, and some classic, high-stakes space adventure.

Without further ado, here’s the first Book Review Tuesday in…like, a month? Wow, I’m really in rare form…

Aurora Rising

Tyler Jones thinks he has it made–he’s about to graduate at the top of his class from the Aurora Academy, a school that trains humans and aliens alike for interstellar humanitarian missions. But on the day of his graduation, he finds a defunct ship drifting out in space. In it, he finds Auri O’Malley, a girl who has been frozen in a cryogenic pod for 220 years.

After rescuing Auri, Tyler is late to graduation, and ends up with a ragtag crew of misfits and delinquents, all of which will accompany him on his missions: Scarlett, his twin sister, Cat, his childhood friend, Finian, Zila, Kal, and now Auri. Though the unlikely group seems destined for anything but greatness, they soon find themselves embedded in a mystery involving the mysterious planet that Auri and many other human colonists were set to settle. And Auri herself is an enigma–with each passing day, new powers wake within her, putting a target on her back that everyone in the Milky Way Galaxy can see from miles away.

Now, presenting the reactions of my last brain cells, upon finishing this book:

AAAAAAH!!!

Aurora Rising truly has it all–aside from the factors that I stated above (incredible world-building, characters TO DIE FOR, and ✨SPACE FUN✨), there’s also:

-Not only do we have great characters, but the chemistry between them is FANTASTIC

-BEAUTIFUL writing. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff are honestly gods…

-No spoilers, but MY DREAM SHIP IS *squeezes two fingers almost completely together* THIS CLOSE TO BECOMING A REALITY

-DIVERSITY! Let me elaborate–Zila is African-American (or British? I dunno, they didn’t specify, but she’s definitely poc), Auri is mixed race (half Irish, half Chinese), and Finian is definitely LGBTQ+ (again, no explicit explanations, but I think he’s either bisexual or pansexual), and also has a disability that requires him to wear a special suit for mobility. (MAN, and I didn’t think you could get such good representation with an alien, for God’s sakes, and here we are…and I’m HAPPY FOR IT)

I’ll say it once, and I’ll say it again. DREAM. BOOK. AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. PLEASE, GO READ IT. I’d rate it a solid…however many stars there are in the known universe out of 10. I kid you not. 😉

Kaufman and Kristoff have confirmed that this is going to be a trilogy, but as this book only came out about a month ago, we have no information other than that. (*cries while re-reading it and waiting for 2020*)

I hope you enjoyed this week’s review! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Oh, and don’t forget…DARK PHOENIX COMES OUT ON FRIDAY!!! I’m seeing it on Saturday, so I’ll DEFINITELY get to a review at some point…AAAH!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (4/23/19)-Once and Future

Posted on April 23, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

First things first. Happy World Book Day to all you bibliophiles, first of all!

Second, Happy Birthday (and…death day too, poor guy) to the Bard, William Shakespeare!

Can’t not mention that. We’ve read Romeo and Juliet and Othello in my English class this year, which I ADORED, and I look forward to getting into even more.

Now, onto this week’s review.

I went to my favorite bookstore the other day, and as soon as I saw Once and Future on the shelf, I knew that I HAD to buy it. I’d heard SO many good things about it, and what’s not exciting about a retelling of the tale of King Arthur that a) features a poc, LGBTQ+ girl as King (Queen?) Arthur, and b) is set in SPACE? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Already, this is one of the best books that I’ve read this year, and even though it’s only April, definitely one of the best YA books of 2019. (Or should I say…20-BI-TEEN???) (Sorry, low-hanging fruit there.)

Enjoy the review!

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Once and Future

For all of her life, Ari has known nothing but being on the run. She remembers little of her homeworld, and now lives on a space station with her older brother, trying to evade the clutches of the Mercer Corporation, who control nearly everything they can get their hands on in the galaxy. In a desperate attempt to escape the station and find their kidnapped parents. Ari crash lands her brother’s ship on a place called Earth. Upon arriving, she discovers a sword embedded deep within a stone…

…and pulls it out with little effort.

Ari is the 42nd reincarnation of King Arthur, and she is now tasked with saving her galaxy from the iron grip of the Mercer Corporation. With the help of a backwards-aging Merlin, her brother and friends, Ari must rise to the challenge, and bring peace and unity to a galaxy that desperately needs it.

Well…this is pretty much how my last two brain cells acted while I read this book…

I laughed, I cried, I internally AWWWWW’d SO much…all the feels are present here. A fresh, inventive retelling of a classic tale, with a well-executed twist. I loved seeing each and every element pop up in its new form, everything from the Knights of the Round Table to Merlin (God, Merlin…he’s probably my favorite). The characters were lovable in every possible way, the plot kept me at the edge of my seat, and the writing was simultaneously witty and heartwarming. Plus, fabulous representation (poc, LGBTQ+, etc.) in most aspects. 5 stars on Goodreads, and I’d say about 9-9.5 on my rating scale. SOLID A.

I believe this is going to be a duology, and the next installment, The Sword in the Stars, is set to be released next year. *excited squealing*

Thank you so much for reading this, and have an excellent day!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (4/9/19)-Last of Her Name

Posted on April 10, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

I’ve begun to notice that I’m a bit of a sucker for retellings. Most of my library “hauls” include at least one retelling them. Sometimes I read them consciously, sometimes I don’t know that they’re retellings until I read somebody’s review on Goodreads. Some I absolutely adore, some I loathe with a passion. Some are very well executed, and some fall embarassingly flat. You get the idea.

I’ve also begun to notice that I’m immediately attracted to sci-fi retellings of the story of Anastasia. (*coughcough*HEART OF IRON*coughcough*) As far as retellings go, these ones are few and far between, but when they’re good, they’re good. Heart of Iron might just be my favorite book of all time (coming close with Frankenstein, Carry On, A Monster Calls, Neverwhere, To Kill a Mockingbird, and a few others), and Last of Her Name was no exception. Beautifully crafted and action packed, this one left me on the edge of my seat, grinning from ear to ear.

Enjoy the review!

Last of Her Name

Stacia has heard the stories many times over; sixteen years ago, the ruling family of the Belt of Jewels were all assassinated, and from the ashes rose the tyrannical government that still stands to this day. Stacia has led a quiet, peaceful life in her parent’s vineyard, with her two childhood friends, Pol and Clio. But that quiet life is soon disrupted when the director of the cruel Union government arrives on her planet, intending to snuff out the loyalists-those who still support the murdered empire. What’s more is that the director claims that the princess of the empire is still alive, and she has gone by Stacia ever since.

Now on the run from the Union, Stacia and Pol mount a daring mission across the galaxy to save Clio–and to discover Stacia’s true identity.

Oh, where do I begin?

First off, I ADORED the world-building. The Belt of Jewels is such an intricately-crafted galaxy, with a rich history, and…alright, not quite aliens, but we’ve got a pretty fantastic myriad of “adapted humans”. Although I wish that we’d gotten a more in-depth look at the various species, I loved seeing their individual cultures, planets, and how they fit into the grand scheme of the Belt of Jewels.

Plus, there’s an aquatic species of adapted humans that…okay, yeah, I imagined them all looking like Abe Sapien.

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The characters were all so lovable, and I found myself nearly crying for them-on multiple occasions. I didn’t love some of them at first, but almost every one of them grew on me quickly. The plot was wonderfully fast-paced, intricate, and engaging, with a perfect ending that tied everything together quite nicely, I’ll say. All in all, a solid 4.25/5, which lands at about an 8.5 to a 9 on my book rating scale. Highly recommend it!

Last of Her Name is a standalone (*single tear slides down cheek*), but I think that the ending is satisfying enough. It’s a shame that the galaxy probably won’t be explained in more detail, but I’m happy with what we’ve got.

Thanks so much for reading this review, and have a great rest of your day! And for those of you in the path of winter storm Wesley…please stay warm and take care of yourselves.

And for those of you who want another retelling and haven’t read this book/review, check out my review for Heart of Iron (see 8/14/18)!