Book Review Tuesday – Page 25 – The Bookish Mutant

Book Review Tuesday (3/2/20)–Sky Without Stars

Posted on March 3, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

I’ve gone back and forth between buying this book or not for the last few times I’ve been to the bookstore, but I finally gave in about a month ago. Even with just about zero knowledge of Les Misérables (which this series is a retelling of), it was a thoroughly enjoyable and well-thought-out novel packed with action, political intrigue, and romance.

Enjoy this week’s review!

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Sky Without Stars (System Divine, #1)

Long ago, humanity fled a dying Earth to seek a habitable solar system to carry on their legacy. What they found was System Divine, twelve planets that were then split amongst the remainders of the population.

500 years later, the planet Laterre is in turmoil. The elite First and Second Estates fill their stomachs to gorging as they continually leave the poor Third Estate to starve in the wreckage of the ships that transported them to the stars. But all the classes can be certain of one thing: rebellion is brewing, and the day of reckoning will soon be upon the rich. And three unseemly teens may be at the heart of the revolution.

The fates of Chatine, an expert Third Estate pickpocket, Marcellus, a Second Estate officer harboring a dark truth, and Alouette, an underground rebel and the guardian of a sacred library, all intertwine as they must reconcile their pasts and join forces to bring about peace to their tumultuous world.

Clocking in at almost 600 pages, Sky Without Stars isn’t quite for the faint of heart, in that respect. In fact, it’s part of the reason why my reading progress lagged a bit last week. But if I’m being honest, it was worth all that, and whatever it cost.

Whether or not you’ve read Hugo’s original work, Sky Without Stars is no doubt a daring and action-packed novel. Brody and Rendell deftly delve into the history and complex societal and political structures in place on Laterre without excessive info-dumping. The writing was incredibly vivid, making you feel as though you were transported to the slums of the Frets or the glimmering palaces of the Second Estate.

Bouncing off of that point, my favorite aspect of Sky Without Stars Granted, other than the fact that there were cyborgs, droids, and interplanetary travel, it wasn’t as sci-fi as I would’ve liked it to be, but hey, I recognize that my standards are astronomically high.

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Most of the main cast I thought to be decent. The writing made their strifes understandable, but I didn’t truly get attached to any of them, save for Alouette. I suppose I’ve got a soft spot for her since she’s the guardian of a library and has a great appreciation for literature, so no surprises there. And you know how much I despise love triangles, so the one that exists between the main cast took a little bit out of my enjoyment. Not as painful as others I’ve read, but not quite necessary. I could’ve lived without it.

Overall, a fascinating and action-packed reimagining of a classic. 3.75 stars for me, rounded up to 4.

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Sky Without Stars is the first in the System Divine series. I’m unsure if it’ll be a duology, a trilogy, or have 4+ books, but I can say that the sequel, Between Burning Worlds, comes out on March 24! A MATTER OF WEEKS! YAY!

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Today’s song:

(This one decided to lodge itself in my head at around lunchtime without warning…I’m good with that.)

That’s it for this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday (2/25/20)–The Order of Odd-Fish

Posted on February 25, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Hello, fellow bibliophiles!

YIKES, this one’s been on my TBR for ages. Another artifact from my January-ish early TBR cleaning and scouring of Prospector, The Order of Odd-Fish was just about as I expected it to be, and how the reviews promised it would be. And that’s a perfectly good thing, because what The Order of Odd-Fish delivered was a bundle of absolutely madcap fun.

Enjoy this week’s review!

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The Order of Odd-Fish

This is Jo. Please take care of her. But beware. This is a dangerous baby.

Thus went the inscription that was delivered along with baby Jo to Lily Larouche, an aging veteran of old Hollywood. For 13 years, she has raised Jo in a remote desert in California, throwing parties for the masses and not knowing exactly what made Jo so dangerous. But after an unfortunate series of incidents at one of Lily’s famed Christmas parties, Jo is swept into the fantastical world of Eldritch City, and into the Order of the Odd-Fish, an organization of knights dedicated to the study of functionally useless knowledge. Aided by the Order (and a certain bipedal cockroach), it finally occurs to Jo why she is so dangerous–and this unrevealed secret could spell her death.

It’s difficult to compare The Order of Odd-Fish to any recent MG or YA literature; that’s just how absolutely bizarre it is. Bursting with creativity and absurdity (and decidedly British humor), it’s such a fun ride from start to finish. Everything, down to the most inconsequential details, is peppered with something strange and unheard of. Even when the twists grow a little darker, Kennedy handles them with deft humor and ingenuity. Verging from the corny to the positively mind-boggling, The Order of Odd-Fish pulls out all the stops as a sci-fi/fantasy-comedy.

Though I didn’t relate to or particularly care about all of the characters, most of them ended up eliciting at least a snicker from me–everyone from the various Knights to the Belgian Prankster, the character who ends up going from a running joke in the background to a major villain. Every detail comes back to bite the characters eventually, and in the most surprising and unexpected ways.

Alright, I *sort of* take back what I said about not being able to compare The Order of Odd-Fish to anything. Though I find no comparisons in any literature I can remember, it absolutely reeks of Monty Python. (Hence, British humor.) And I absolutely adored that quality.

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All in all, The Order of Odd-Fish was an absolutely bizarre comedy–and not one that I’ll forget anytime soon. Four stars for me.

Today’s song:

(Guess what’s been stuck in my head all day…)

That just about wraps up this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (2/18/20)–One Giant Leap (Dare Mighty Things, #2)

Posted on February 18, 2020March 20, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

Ever since I finished up Dare Mighty Things about a year ago, I’ve been absolutely ITCHING to read the sequel. I’m excited to say that One Giant Leap was almost better than its predecessor, delving deeper into complex themes while still retaining everything that made book 1 so spectacular.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for Dare Mighty Things, so if you haven’t read it (and plan to), I suggest you turn away right now. In the meantime, click here for my review of book 1!

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Enjoy this week’s review!

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One Giant Leap (Dare Mighty Things, #2)

The competition that landed Cassandra Gupta on an exclusive mission into the vast reaches of space is finally behind her. But before her is an extensive mass of trouble.

What appeared to be a mission to explore extraterrestrial life on other worlds turns out to be humanity’s entrance into an intergalactic war. Luka, the one other cadet chosen to accompany the more experienced astronauts on the mission, is not who he seems: he is one of the few, extraterrestrial survivors of an unprecedented, near-extinction attack on his species. Now, Cassandra and the others must grapple with their newfound truths, and take action against the vrag, the perpetrators of this intergalactic war. But is it all so black and white?

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After the absolute whopper of a cliffhanger that Dare Mighty Things left us on, One Giant Leap was a smooth transition into an entirely new novel. Kaczynski dealt with a wildly different subject matter, and her storytelling proved to be just as deft–if not more so–that the previous novel.

Cassandra and Luka had the best chemistry, and I immensely enjoyed spending more time with them. Plus, I’m all for male-female friendships that don’t automatically end in romance. Cassandra’s asexual, anyway, and though they only touched on this in book 1, I’m still giddy about that representation. 🏳️‍🌈

Kaczynski’s handling with the aliens was equally deft. I was worried at first, because we’ve stumbled onto yet another trope that I positively despise in YA sci-fi…aliens that look exactly like humans, but with a few minor changes in eye color/powers that make them oh-so-special.

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I was so afraid that One Giant Leap had fallen into this trap, but Kaczynski explains it an inventive way: Luka’s species (I forget what they’re called, though I believe it started with an ‘M’…oops…) gave themselves genetic modifications in order to blend in with humans on Earth, and therefore look just like them. (Permanently.) So thank you for that reprieve, Mrs. Kaczynski! The vrag as well were very well designed, making for some stunning and gorgeous imagery that I might just want to draw. I’ll get back to you all on that one.

Beyond that, One Giant Leap explored the theme of the gray areas that exist during war; in this instance, both species had their reasons for going to war with one another, and one had trouble grappling with who was the “hero” and who was the “villain”. And truly, that’s how things are in real life; as my teachers have said countless times during my various history classes, history is written by the victors of these wars, and therefore, they’re painted as heroes. The losers might have equally reasonable motives, and have gone to similar lengths to get their way. And in reality, there are no clear heroes and villains. So kudos to Kaczynski for tackling this subject matter.

If nothing else, come for the POC/LGBTQ+ representation, stay for the aliens in book 2. All in all, an incredibly satisfying end to a masterful duology. 4.5 stars for this one.

Today’s song:

I watched The Life of Brian on Sunday night, and it was an absolute RIOT. This song’s been stuck in my head ever since. Easily the best end to a film in cinematic history.

That just about wraps up this review! Have a lovely day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (2/11/20)–Anya’s Ghost

Posted on February 11, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

In my recent scouring of my early TBR (which also included Zenn Scarlett), I came upon this little graphic novel and decided to give it a go. Though my expectations were just above average, I was pleasantly surprised at how clever, sarcastic, and spooky it turned out to be!

Enjoy this week’s review!

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Anya’s Ghost

As far as Anya is concerned, her life is decidedly the opposite of perfect; alienated from her Russian immigrant family, and all but friendless in high school, there’s little that interests her anymore. To make things worse, she falls down a well on her way to school one morning, and is trapped there for the whole night. But what she finds at the bottom of it may be the key to changing her life.

For residing in the well is the neglected ghost of a girl named Emily. With one of Emily’s tiniest bones with her at all times, Anya can confide in Emily at any time she wants, whether it be to cheat on a test or get secret intel on her longtime crush. But the more time she spends with Emily, both she and the ghostly girl begin to change. The ghost is hiding far more than Anya knows, and if they continue on as they are, it may cost Anya her very life.

Anya’s Ghost was an absolute joy to read!

First off, let me just say, this had the perfect balance of paranormal spookiness and teenage angst–similar to comics like Courtney Crumrin (which I highly recommend, if you haven’t read it). The art style is very stylized, but not so much in a way that it distracts from the writing or the plot–perfectly cute, if you ask me. 🙂

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Beyond that, the story spoke partially to some of my own experiences. As someone who’s fallen into the trap of manipulative relationships, Brosgol’s use of an arguably parasitic ghost as a sort of metaphor for these sorts of friends was a masterfully executed move. She perfectly captures what it feels to be a teenager, both in writing and in art style, and the feeling of being an outsider vying for clarity and friendship in an environment that feels so unkind. Though I wouldn’t quite award it the full five stars, Anya’s Ghost was a graphic novel that undoubtedly spoke to me, and perfectly balanced paranormal fantasy with the drama of high school. Four stars for me!

Today’s song:

Alright, sorry, I know I pummel you with David Bowie and Radiohead, but I personally think this is a masterpiece. Plus, it managed to lodge itself in my head all morning, so there’s that.

That just about wraps up this post! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (2/4/20)–Zenn Scarlett

Posted on February 4, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

For the past few weeks, I’ve been attempting to scour the older reaches of my TBR. Zenn Scarlett has been on my TBR for ages, and I’d forgotten about it for a year or two before deciding to pick it up, in hopes of an inventive new twist on a sci-fi book. In theory, it had loads of potential, and while it delivered in some aspects, a select few flaws unfortunately dragged the rest of the book down with them. Quite entertaining, at the end of the day.

Enjoy this week’s review!

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Zenn Scarlett

For as long as she can remember, 17-year-old Zenn Scarlett has made her home on the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars, a veterinary clinic that specializes in alien life forms. In her rigorous training to become a professional exovet, Zenn must wrangle all manner of bizarre creatures. But strangest of all may be the unusual occurrences that have been popping up all over the clinic–several animals, many of them potentially dangerous to Mars’ human population, have been found outside of their enclosures under mysterious circumstances. And with growing unrest from Mars’ towners about the off-world wildlife, Zenn, with the help of her uncle, Hamish, the clinic’s insectoid sexton, and Liam, a towner boy who can’t hide his feelings for her, must convince the populace that these animals are worth saving.

Despite the lowish rating on Goodreads (currently at a 3.44), I was immediately hooked on the premise.

Let’s start out with the positive aspects of the book. It’s pretty clear that Schoon is a biology nerd, and it shows in the best way possible. He’s taken so much care into creating a plethora of fascinating alien life forms, even going so far to dish off some Latin names for them. Kind of unnecessary, but it did make the circumstances seem a little more real. And while I loved all of the critters, I had one major problem with them: almost all of them were described as mammalian or mammal-like.

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Okay, don’t get me wrong, mammals are cool, but to have almost all of the alien species be mammalian sounds preeeeetty preposterous. At least there were a few creatures that were reptilian, or outside of the animal kingdom altogether, but that took away from my excitement.

Beyond that, Zenn Scarlett as a whole felt unrefined. The writing was rather choppy, and often times clunky and unpleasant to read. The plot twists were predictable from the start, and while I liked the possible connotations of commentary on xenophobia, it felt far too easy to figure out. It might have been a bit more tolerable if this was geared towards a younger audience, but Zenn Scarlett is branded as young adult, as opposed to middle grade.

Going off of that, I really did feel like this could have passed for middle grade–and I don’t say that in a degrading way, but the characters and plot seemed easy enough for that age range to swallow. Zenn herself could have been anywhere from 12-15, from the way she acted and spoke, but I had a bit of trouble believing that she was 17. But if I can stretch my imagination for aliens, I can try to suspend my belief for that. Either way, I didn’t feel attached to her, or any of the other characters. I suppose they were a bit cliched, but it almost seemed intentional. Even Hamish, who was the only one of the bunch that I liked (I guess I have a soft spot for bumbling alien sidekicks), was a little tropey, at worst.

Finally, I felt that this novel could have been cut by about 30 pages. The storyline came to a satisfying conclusion, but abruptly transitioned into another plotline that could have been saved for book 2. A cliffhanger would have actually been a good thing, in this situation.

All in all, a premise that lost some of its potential along the way, but entertaining all the same. Three stars for me.

Zenn Scarlett is a part of a duology, followed by Under Nameless Stars. I’m unsure if it was meant to be longer or not, but that’s where the series has stopped as of now. I don’t think I’ll read book 2, but it’s got a higher rating than book 1, so I suppose that might count for something.

Today’s song:

(You ever just have the urge to…go into a parking garage and have a dance-off with a bunch of your clones?)

(LADIES NIGHT!!!)

That just about wraps up this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a lovely rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books, Music

Book Review Tuesday (1/28/20)-Stranger in a Strange Land

Posted on January 28, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, earthlings!

After Ray Bradbury opened my eyes to the vast world that is older sci-fi, I began receiving more and more similar recommendations on Goodreads. This one, in particular, caught my eye–mostly because of the beautiful cover art, not gonna lie, but what I found inside its pages was so much more. Though dense at times, and not without its flaws, but an incredible feat of literature nonetheless.

Enjoy this week’s review!

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Stranger in a Strange Land

Valentine Michael Smith is a newcomer to planet Earth, the famed Man from Mars that has recently captured the public imagination. Curious–and a bit afraid–of what this strange planet has in store for him, he ventures out into the vast world, with the help of Jill, the nurse who broke him out of the hospital. The more Valentine learns, the more he realizes how different he truly is–though he looks like a human on the outside, he possesses powers far beyond human ability. Powers that could put his life–and the lives of those he holds dear–in jeopardy.

WHEW. Man, what a unique book!

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The further you read, the more you realize the level of care that Heinlein put into this piece. Every detail, from the political ramifications of Valentine’s existence, to his native Martian customs, is so wonderfully complex. Of course, that did lend itself to an impressive amount of info-dumping, which made reading some portions of the book a bit of a headache, but hey, at least the guy’s taking the time to think all of this out.

Even almost 60 years on, much of the book still holds up. Definitely not all of it–we’ve still got a heady dose of problematic sexism and such peppered in, but hey, I wouldn’t exactly expect a white guy in the early sixties to be the wokest author on the market, not by a long shot. Not that this makes it okay, but I wasn’t exactly expecting a feminist work from this. But other than that, the writing, the lovely imagery, and the startlingly realistic public backlash to the very existence of the Man from Mars speaks to many of our issues regarding xenophobia today. Even the absolutely scathing commentary on organized religion found within the pages–I mean, the main branch of Christianity that’s evolved in this future world sounds like a religious version of a high school assembly–doesn’t seem far off from what could evolve in the near future.

And beyond that, I’ve always empathized with alien characters. I’ve felt like something of an outsider my whole life, and part of me felt such pain for poor Valentine. Mostly in the first half of the book, at any rate, but nonetheless.

All in all, a solid four and a half stars for me.

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Before I go, here’s a fun fact: according to John O’Connell’s Bowie’s Bookshelf: The Hundred Books that Changed David Bowie’s Life, there was almost an adaptation of Stranger in a Strange Land in the early seventies, with David Bowie as Valentine Michael Smith. And by Bowie, I mean ZIGGY ERA BOWIE.

ZIGGY ERA.

I WOULD’VE WATCHED THE EVER-LOVING HECK OUTTA THAT, LET ME TELL YOU…

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aaaAAAaAAAaAAAAaaAAAAAAAA

Today’s song:

4:49–4:54: TURN YOUR VOLUME DOWN A BIT JUST A WORD OF ADVICE

That just about wraps up this post! Have a lovely rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (1/21/20)-Half Bad

Posted on January 21, 2020January 21, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

After reading what’s been released of Green’s Smoke Thieves trilogy, I figured I’d delve farther into her works: namely, the Half Bad series, which I’ve seen get a lot of praise over the years. However, I personally found it a bit of a slog to get through. Green’s signature world-building and attention to detail was still present, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to save the book.

God, I sound like a Chopped judge…

Image result for chopped food network gif — Sheesh, I haven’t watched this show in ages…

Enjoy this week’s review!

Half Bad (The Half Bad trilogy, #1)

In a modern, magical London, witches rule the streets. White witches watch over the populace, delivering justice with their healing magic, while the dark Black witches cause chaos.

For as long as he can remember, Nathan has been divided between two worlds. Born of a White witch mother and a Black witch father–and a notorious serial killer, at that–he is on the run from both sides, hunted for his divided identity. Perpetually on the run, he must grapple with his half-and-half identity–and stay alive.

Let’s start with the pros. As always, Green excels with her world-building, creating an intricate society and culture of Witches. The history was thoughtfully explained without much info-dumping. Unfortunately, that’s the one aspect of this novel that I truly liked, other than the descriptive (perhaps a bit too descriptive?) writing.

The plot was largely character-driven. While that isn’t always a negative thing, I wasn’t very attached to Nathan as he grew older. Sure, I felt a great deal of sympathy for the brutal abuse he suffers throughout the novel (that’s what I meant by “too descriptive”), but he didn’t have much of a personality, and I didn’t quite “feel” for him, and I didn’t feel for any of the characters. The side characters, speaking of which, were overtly expendable; they seemed to pass by in a blur, and you only saw them in groups for a good 100 pages or so before they disappeared completely.

But hey. Half Bad is Green’s debut novel. Everyone makes mistakes. Good thing is, she’s come so much closer to mastering her craft since then, producing such gems as the Smoke Thieves trilogy. All in all, I’d give Half Bad two stars. (DNF at about 76%.)

Half Bad is part of a trilogy, followed by Half Wild and Half Lost. There’s also two prequel spin-offs in the Half Bad universe, Half Lies and Half Truths.

Today’s song:

I couldn’t care less about this movie, but I must say, there’s some great stuff on this soundtrack! This, Soccer Mommy (“Feed”), and The Aubreys (“Getting Better [otherwise]”, Finn Wolfhard’s new band)…[happy indie rock noises]

That just about wraps up this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (1/14/20)–Sanctuary

Posted on January 14, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

I found this one whilst digging through my TBR recently. The premise–a mash-up of both the superpowered/trapped on a ship plagued with murderous, extraterrestrial who-knows-what intrigued me, and so I decided to give it a go. (Now that I think about it, Sanctuary is kind of an X-Men meets Aliens kind of deal.) My thoughts? Not amazing, but certainly a fast-paced and multilayered plot!

Enjoy this week’s review!

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Sanctuary (Sanctuary, #1)

All her life, Kenzie has known nothing but the Omnistellar Corps, the organization that keeps Earth safe from harm–and keeps those with superpowers at bay. At 17, she’s already in training to be a prison guard on one of Omnistellar’s many orbiting prisons, this one for delinquent, superpowered teenagers. But when she isn’t watching her back, she’s taken hostage by the ship’s prisoners, and witnesses an entirely new side to the superpower story. Before she can escape, however, the ship faces a threat–prison guards and prisoners alike are being picked off unawares.

Some are reduced to corpses in the hall.

Others simply disappear.

Can Kenzie and the prisoners find the source of the mysterious killings–or will the killings come to them instead?

First of all, hats off to Lix for a successful and well-executed mash-up of these sci-fi subgenres! Though wildly different, they worked well together, creating a cohesive, original story.

Beyond that, there was loads of attention put into the world-building, as well as the state of Earth in the near future. I’ll try not to spoil *much*, but the *things* that are going bump in the night aboard the prison ship were fascinating to delve into. My only complaint (half-complaint?) is the characters. There was such a wide range of them, and at times, there were a handful that seemed interchangeable, and didn’t contribute as much to the story. However, I did love seeing Kenzie’s arc come into play, from being sheltered and naïve to realizing that the world around her was built on lies.

Overall, a fascinating and creative twisting of common sci-fi tropes. Solid 3.5 stars for me!

Sanctuary is part of a trilogy, which consists of Containment (2019), and the forthcoming conclusion Salvation (2020). I think I like it enough to continue with the trilogy, though I know that I might forget about it…as I do with…every trilogy that I come across…

Today’s song:

(Is it just me, or does this just…transcend music?)

That just about wraps up this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (1/7/20)–Supernova (Renegades, #3)

Posted on January 7, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Hey there, fellow bibliophiles!

I’ve mentioned this one several times before, as it was one of my most anticipated 2019 releases. And man, am I glad to say that this book was not only my first read of 2020, but an incredible conclusion to an unforgettable, action-packed series.

WARNING: This post may contain some spoilers for the previous two Renegades books. For my reviews/Goodreads reviews for books 1 and 2, click here:

Renegades (Renegades, #1)

Archenemies (Renegades, #2)

Enjoy this week’s review!

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Supernova (Renegades, #3)

Nova and Adrian. Both battling their forbidden romance and their inner demons. Both with double lives, days from being exposed and shattering each other’s relationships.

As an old enemy resurfaces in Gatlon City, the two Prodigies must reconcile their pasts and save their beloved city from the brink–even if it means exposing themselves and those who they love. And the further Nova and Adrian entrench themselves in their webs of lies, the more they realize…is the line between heroes and villains as clear as it is made out to be?

…

Marissa Meyer truly outdid herself in this final installment to the Renegades. With such a wide cast of characters, I’m still astounded by the way that they were all intertwined so seamlessly, without muddying or confusing the story. (Though, I suppose the very high body count thinned the cast out a bit, but mostly for character development. Mostly.) The theme of the moral gray area between good and evil was stronger than ever, and Meyer’s clever writing and world building truly shined in this novel. Clocking in at 548 pages, I was worried for the last 100 or so that the rest of the plot would be filler, but boy, we almost had not one, but two incredibly climactic battles that served the plot well and furthered the story in a satisfying way.

My only qualm, is, I’ll admit, pretty nit-picky. One thing that bothered me a little bit was the dialogue; some of the characters (Nova, etc.) seemed a bit…too eloquent in the way that they spoke. I get it, she and some of the others are intelligent characters, but their lines read like they were reading from a ghostwritten speech. It made for a bit of discordance in some of the more climactic scenes, but I’m glad to say that it didn’t take away too much of my enjoyment.

Overall, a simultaneously shocking and satisfying conclusion to a YA superhero series that may well become the benchmark for the sub-genre to come.

Solid 4.5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Supernova is the end of the Renegades trilogy, but I’m almost certain that Marissa Meyer has another whopper up her sleeve, though nothing’s been confirmed yet. I just have a gut feeling. 😉

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Today’s song:

[heart eyes] SOOOOOPPPHHHHIIIIIIIEEEEE

That just about wraps up this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Stay tuned for more content later in the week! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (12/31/19)–The Gilded Wolves

Posted on December 31, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles, and happy New Year’s Eve!

I have this book to thank for (partially) getting me through finals, so that’s an automatic three stars right there. Just kidding, but seriously.

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Though I had mediocre expectations for it, The Gilded Wolves was ripe with intricate world-building, unique characters, and lavish and unforgettable writing. Unfortunately, that made for a bit of confusion and convolution, but for the most part, that was overshadowed by all of its other aspects.

Enjoy this week’s review!

The Gilded Wolves

In an alternate, 19th century Paris, trouble–and magic–is brewing.

Séverin has been harboring a deep grudge ever since the line of his House was deemed dead, and his power stripped away. He now ekes out a living as a hunter of artifacts, stealing from Paris’ magical elite. But his reputation hasn’t gone unnoticed: the Order of Babel, an all-seeing organization that oversees all the world’s magical elite, soon hunts Séverin down, and forces him into finding an artifact more famed than anything he’s ever hunted. His reward? The resurrection of his House, and the reclamation of his birthright. Calling on a band of unlikely misfits, he must scour all of Paris to uncover this artifact, before time runs out.

The only thing that irked me about The Gilded Wolves was that I often found myself having to second-guess myself and try to remember wait, why are they doing this? Maybe it’s more of my fault than the book’s, but the plot did feel rather convoluted at times.

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Other than that, The Gilded Wolves was most definitely a success! The world-building was so intricate and lush, and I loved exploring the alternate, magical Paris that Chokshi dreamed up. The characters worked so well together, and the prose was flowery, but not so much that it was unenjoyable. Overall, The Gilded Wolves was a hit with me! Solid four stars.

The Gilded Wolves is the first in a trilogy; the sequel, The Silvered Serpents, is slated for 2020 (!!!), and there is currently no information about the third and final installment, other than the fact that it’s likely to be published in 2021.

That’s it for this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a great rest of your day, and enjoy your New Year’s Eve!

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