Book Review Tuesday – Page 32 – The Bookish Mutant

Book Review Tuesday (7/10/18)-One Dark Throne

Posted on July 10, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to this week’s BRT!

Now, before I begin, I’m sorry that BRTs are pretty much all I’ve been posting lately. At some point, I’ll definitely post more fan arts once more have amassed, and a few other noteworthy-ish events should be coming up pretty soon. So, I apologize. I hope you like the book reviews.

Anyway, as I hinted to a few posts ago (see 6/26/18), this week’s review is One Dark Throne, the extraordinary sequel to Three Dark Crowns! I didn’t expect to enjoy this series as much as I did, but it exceeded all expectations. One Dark Throne was even better than book one, and it got me itching for even more! Unfortunately, the sequel won’t come out until early September, I believe…so in the meantime, have some fun, psych yourself up, and enjoy this review!

One Dark Throne

Katharine, Arsinoe, and Mirabella are now locked in a fierce clash for the crown of Fennbirn. The bets have been placed, and everything the people once thought of the three princesses has been shattered. Katharine, who was once the weakling of the triplets, has proved herself to be a deadly, formidable poisoner. Arsinoe’s Naturalist prowess has been revealed to be a sham; she is a poisoner, and will soon need to master her hidden power before times runs out. Mirabella struggles with her powers and protecting the lives of those around her. Alliances between the sisters break and reform, and it is uncertain who will rise victorious. Who will wear the crown of Fennbirn?

OH MY GOD. OH. MY. GOD.

One Dark Throne was a truly mind blowing and wonderful sequel. Three Dark Crowns was action-packed and full of intrigue, but One Dark Throne took everything that was good about it and RAN with it. The entire book was filled with incredible twists and turns, and the ending had me absolutely speechless. SPEECHLESS.

Like, THE GOOD KIND OF MARVEL POST-CREDITS-SPEECHLESS. GAH.

Yes, Marvel Post-Credits-Scene. You heard me right. It really did feel like that.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s review! Have a great rest of your day, and don’t turn into a steaming puddle like I have! (THE HIGH IS ALMOST 90 DEGREES…*sweats profusely*)

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (7/3/18)-Shadow and Bone

Posted on July 3, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, fellow bookworms, and welcome to the first BRT of July 2018!

*static* We interrupt the promised review of One Dark Throne (I’ll do it soon, I promise) with a review of something even better.

I heard about the Shadow and Bone series via EpicReads (super fun site for all you YA book nerds out there 😊), and decided to give it a try. My expectations were for it to be a typical, YA fantasy novel-cliched and annoying at worst, fun and captivating at best. When I actually read it, however, I knew I had discovered something truly wonderful.

Shadow and Bone isn’t just magical fun and romance. It’s an intricately crafted gem of a novel, and an absolute must-read for all diehard YA fantasy fans.

Now for the review. Enjoy!

Shadow and Bone

In the nation of Ravka, there is more than one kind of sea. There is the True Sea, which is like any other you’ll see in your lifetime. And then there is the Shadow Fold, or the UnSea, an ever expanding sea of darkness, crawling with foul creatures that will swallow you whole. Normal humans are virtually powerless against it. Until now, that’s how Alina Starkov, an orphan mapmaker, thought of herself. But after a tragic accident, she reveals that she has unimaginable abilities. Soon, she is sought after by the Grisha, a group of humans with all sorts of magical powers. Leading the Grisha is the Darkling, a secretive man with unimaginable power. The Darkling has taken a special interest in Alina, hoping that their powers combined could destroy the Shadow Fold forever. But are his intentions really what they seem?

WOOOOOOOOOO! I’M OBSESSED WITH THIS SERIES NOW!!!

Leigh Bardugo has done an excellent job crafting this novel. Even the smallest details are given a wonderful, creative spin, making for a world like no other. Such an intricate, compelling book in every way. Alina, the Darkling (GOD, I LOVE HIM), Genya…everyone! Awesome! YAAAAAH!

I’ve been looking for a good excuse to put an X-Men gif somewhere…Thanks, Eric. And thank you, Leigh Bardugo, for making a series that is very nearly…perfection.

I’ve just finished the sequel, Siege and Storm, which I will MOST DEFINITELY review later on!

Have a great rest of your day, everyone! See you soon!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (6/26/18)-Three Dark Crowns

Posted on June 26, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, everyone, and welcome to the last BRT of June 2018!

I first heard about this book a few months ago. Something like that. It was recommended to me on Goodreads a while back, and all of the hype convinced me to borrow it at the library last week. After reading a ridiculously horrible book (Red Queen. Please, guys, for your sanity and mine, avoid it at all costs), I was pleased to discover how wonderful this book was! A must-read for all fans of the YA fantasy genre!

Enjoy this review!

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Three Dark Crowns

On the island of Fennbirn, there is a good chance you will be born with magical powers. There are the Naturalists, who can control flora and fauna, the Poisoners, who can survive ingesting the most potent of toxins, the Elementals, who can command fire, water, and wind alike, the Warriors, who can control weaponry with their minds, and Oracles, who can see into the future. Ruling over the island is one Queen. Each Queen gives birth to triplets, and only one can be the next heir to the throne of Fennbirn. To determine the winner, the triplets battle to the death.

Katharine, a Poisoner, Arsinoe, a Naturalist, and Mirabella, an Elemental, are next in line for the throne. Once they turn sixteen, they will be pitted against on another in an epic battle for the crown. Katharine appears to be weak, and seems to be destined for death. Arsinoe may be the cleverest of the three, but her Naturalist powers aren’t arriving in the way they should be. Mirabella has already proven herself to be a formidable Elemental, and the odds are turning out in her favor. But who is truly destined for the throne of Fennbirn?

WOW.

This might just be some of the best fantasy I’ve read all year.

Not only is it a creative and well-written book, it is nothing short of thrilling. Action-packed, fast-paced, and gripping, with twists and turns around every corner. No spoilers, but I’ll just say that the ending basically had me staring at the book like:

Oh dear....gif

I just finished the sequel, One Dark Throne, so I’ll probably be reviewing it in the next few weeks or so. And now I have to wait until September for Book 3…

Welp…*sighs* I hope you have a great rest of your day!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (6/5/18)-Firebug

Posted on June 5, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone, and welcome to the first BRT of June 2018! Also, happy summer!

My summer’s been pretty low key so far, but I’ve already gotten a lot of reading in. I just stopped by the library yesterday, so hopefully that will produce some more material for these reviews. This particular book was one I got at the library a few weeks ago. It was recommended to my by Goodreads, and I was instantly hooked. One of the first books that I’ve really LOVE loved (not counting sequels) since…wow, maybe since Daughter of the Pirate King or Caraval. And I read those in April. Christ.

I hope you enjoy the review!

Firebug

The humans had the Mafia. But what about the others, those with supernatural powers or magical lineage? For them, there’s the Coterie. Led by Venus, the Coterie is responsible for killing others in the magical community who they deem dangerous or that threaten them. One of their best hitmen is Ava, who has the ability to start and control fires with her mind. And she’s only seventeen. After the death of her mother, Venus took Ava under her dangerous wing, and since then, the Coterie is all she’s ever known. And she hates it.

So when she receives her latest assignment-to kill a man who’s been a family friend for years-Ava knows she must rebel. Together with Lock, a half-dryad, and Ezra, a were-fox, Ava sets off on a journey to evade the Coterie once and for all, and put Venus in her place if they can.

My first thoughts before I read this book were that, OH MY GOD, IT’S TEEN LIZ SHERMAN!!!!

And upon reading the book, I found a lot more similarities between her and Ava beyond their powers. They shared a fierce loyalty to their friends (Ezra and Lock reminded me a little of Hellboy and Abe Sapien), a bit of stubbornness, and a desperation to feel like they belonged somewhere.

Now, the book itself blew me out of the water! I haven’t read something as witty, funny, and action packed as this book in a long time. I really enjoyed all of the characters (Besides Ava, Lock, and Ezra, I really enjoyed Cade and a few others), their clever banter, and the interesting set of powers many of them had. Also, the chapter names need some serious recognition, guys. These are, like, Rick Riordan-level chapter titles. (My personal favorite was “Ain’t no party like a Coterie party, ‘cause a Coterie party’s got a body count”.)

There is a sequel, which I will probably review later, but all I’ll say is that it was just as good as book 1.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and keep on reading!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (5/22/18)-Defy the Worlds

Posted on May 22, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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

A few weeks ago, my mom took me to Barnes and Noble. We both meandered about the YA section, and in about thirty seconds flat, I saw this and immediately started cradling it like a baby. The rest of the time spent in the YA section went as follows:

“You sure you want that?”

“YUP.”

*My mom walks away to find something else*

*I briefly consider getting something else* nah I’m keeping this

I’m keeping this

I read it after finishing my (then) current library book haul. And MAN, IT WAS ALMOST BETTER THAN BOOK ONE! (See 5/15/18-Defy the Stars) AAAAH! THE FEELS…

Enjoy the review!

Defy the Worlds (Defy the Stars, #2)

After their previous adventures throughout the galaxy, Noemi and Abel are separated. Noemi has been rejected by her former crew and peers, and is an outcast from her planet. Abel struggles to escape his creator, Burton Mansfield, and believes he may never see Noemi again. But a sudden plague on Genesis and a ransom on their heads brings them back together, and soon, they are reunited, and now the fate of the galaxy lies in their hands. The clock is ticking, and it’s only a matter of time before they are captured…

(The following vine is a visual representation of me buying, reading, and finishing this book.)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA indeed.

OH MY GOD

No spoilers, but not only was this book twice as beautiful, action-packed, and just flat-out wonderful, the cliffhanger at the end was just…GAAAAH!

AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT OVER A YEAR FOR BOOK THREE TO COME OUT

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I hope you tolerated my battery screams and enjoyed my review! Thank you for reading, see you soon!

Book Review Tuesday, Uncategorized

Book Review Tuesday (5/15/18)-Defy the Stars

Posted on May 16, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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

Before I begin, I apologize for posting nothing but BRTs for weeks. I’ve got some fan arts that I’ll probably post this weekend. I also saw Avengers: Infinity War over the weekend, and honestly? I have no tears left to cry. I thought of reviewing it, but I probably wouldn’t get through it without spoiling, like, everything. I know how horrible it feels to have things like that spoiled for me, so I’ll save you the pain. All I’ll say is that I emerged from the theater sobbing.

Now, for the weather.

I’m surprised that I didn’t post a review of this book earlier. I got it at the library a few months ago, and I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED IT. And the sequel (Defy the Worlds) is just as good, if not better, and I’ll probably review it some time after this. Enjoy your review!

Defy the Stars

Since the human race has colonized other planets, tensions have been growing higher and higher. Years ago, Earth would have been the home planet of Noemi Vidal. But now, she is a soldier fighting against Earth, for the planet Genesis. When a mission goes terribly wrong, Noemi becomes trapped on an abandoned enemy ship, the Daedalus. There, she discovers Abel, the most advanced mech ever created, who has been on this ship alone for over thirty years. Despite their previous allegiances, Noemi and Abel know that in order to save their homes, they must join forces. As they venture through the known universe, they discover things that make them question what they previously believed, and uncover secrets that could be fatal in the wrong hands…

AAAAAH!

I’m naturally a sucker for fast-paced, sci-fi adventures in space, but this exceeded all expectations. Not only was the world building and plot spectacular, but I LOOOVED the characters. Abel, especially. In this series so far, he’s probably the closest thing I have to a fictional crush. Not quite hot or anything, but he’s just kind of overall lovable, and every scene with him is heartwarming.

Also, I won’t spoil who, but there’s a character that reminds me of Professor Bruttenholm from Hellboy. Just sayin’.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my review, and have a great rest of your day!

Book Review Tuesday, Uncategorized

Book Review Tuesday (5/7/18)-Exo

Posted on May 8, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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

This book was another that I had obtained from the OH SO SACRED LIBRARY (I eternally bow down to thee). My expectations were average (about a six-ish out of ten on my scale). The first quarter or so met my expectations, but then it really picked up, and my rating shot up to about an 8. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who loves sci-fi dystopia…and ALIENS!

Enjoy the review!

Exo

One hundred years ago, we discovered that we weren’t alone. The zhree, a peaceful alien race, chose Earth as an off-world colony, and have helped mankind make many technological advances since their arrival. Though most of the human race is tolerant of the aliens, a terrorist group called the Sapience is still intent of removing their mark from the face of the planet.

Donovan Reyes is the son of the Prime Liaison for the zhree, and he works for the government. But after a mission gets sorely out of hand, he lands in the hands of the Sapience, who see him as a vital pawn against the Prime Liaison. Donovan knows that there’s no chance that his father will ever listen to the terrorists, so he must try to escape…and gather as much information as possible about them before they resort to drastic measures…

As I mentioned before, I found Exo to be a joy to read! Clever and believable world-building, very realistic characters (to the point that I imagined one of them exactly like Laura Dern*), and a plot that successfully kept me on my toes for much of the book.

Also, on the subject of the zhree, I kind of imagined them a little bit like the Arsians in The Search for WondLa series. Albeit Arsians with more eyes (except for in Loroc’s case), and more advanced technology. *stifles a sob*

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, and stay cool! (Or warm…depending on the weather. I happened to have made the mistake of wearing a dark blue shirt in 70 degree weather…oof.)

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (5/1/18)-Caraval

Posted on May 1, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello there, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to the first Book Review Tuesday of May 2018! Also, happy May Day, Labor Day, or whatever festivities are occuring where you are!

This book was another library borrow that I got a thrill out of. Fast-paced, clever, elaborate, and filled with love and magic! Also, according to Goodreads, you might like it if you’ve read Daughter of the Pirate King (see 4/10/18), Defy the Stars, (loved, but haven’t reviewed thusfar), Bound by Blood and Sand (bought on my Kindle, fairly decent), and a bunch of other books that have landed on my current to-read list. So I guess this was meant to be.

Enjoy my review!

Caraval

Scarlett and Donatella Dragna have lived their whole lives on a tiny island, in the shadow of their domineering father. Their only escape was the tales of the legendary Caraval, a magical show where the audience can take part, told to them by their grandmother. For years, Scarlett has been writing letters to Legend, the master of Caraval, and has not received a single response.

Until now.

Scarlett is now seventeen, and facing an arranged marriage to a boy she hasn’t even met. But she suddenly receives an invitation and tickets to Caraval, and with the help of a mysterious sailor, reaches Caraval’s location. But now, the stakes are even higher. This year’s show is like a game…and the object? Find Tella, who has been kidnapped by Legend. Can Scarlett save her younger sister before Caraval ends?

The main reason I enjoyed Caraval so much was probably the intricacy of it all. Each twist and turn was filled with another creative, and surprising twice. I could imagine the setting and characters as though I was looking at them through a movie screen. All in all, spectacular book!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of your day!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (4/24/18)-Daughter of the Siren Queen

Posted on April 25, 2018April 25, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi there, everyone, and welcome to the last BRT of April 2018!

This book review will be on the spectacular sequel to Daughter of the Pirate King (see 4/10/18). If Daughter of the Pirate King was amazing, this book was downright spectacular-all of the wit, action, and fun, but with the volume turned up. Kind of a similar situation to the one I had with the Arc of a Scythe series so far, except that Daughter of the Siren Queen didn’t leave me speechless (or slightly dead inside), and it didn’t quite merit a five-star rating. But I’d say it came pretty close.

Enjoy the review!

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King, #2)

Alosa has now recovered all of the pieces to the ancient treasure map, reclaimed her status as the captain of her own ship, the Ava-lee, and gotten her revenge on her kidnappers.But after one of her old foes reveals a well-kept secret about her father, the Pirate King Kalligan, she is now back in danger. Now locked a deadly race against her father, Alosa and her faithful crew must recover the famed treasure…before it’s too late.

(NOTE: If I could only find a gif or YouTube clip, I would most definitely insert the “Huzzah, I’m the pirate king!” thing from MST3K right here. Sigh…)

In short, what an oustanding book! Not only was Alosa just as witty as always, but I loved getting to know her crew even more. I’m so sad that this is the end, for now…Tricia Levenseller announced on Goodreads that this series is, in fact, a duology.

*single tear trickles down cheek*

Well anyway, have a great rest of your day, everyone!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (4/17/18)-Arclight

Posted on April 17, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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

I just recently returned this book to the library (*sniffle*). My expectations were a little low (I forget why), but this book surprised me with its intricate plot, compelling characters, and plentiful twists and turns! I hope you like Arclight as much as I did. Enjoy the review!

Arclight

In a dystopian, future Earth, the world is divided into three sections. First is the Arclight, mankind’s only defense from a dangerous outside world. Then there is the Gray, the uninhabitable wasteland, and beyond that, the Dark, where dangerous monsters, called the Fade, dwell. No one goes beyond the Arclight, and nobody comes back from the Dark alive…

…all except for Marina.

Marina has no idea of who she is, what her previous life was like, or how she is still alive. And now, the Fade want her back in their realm. Will she be the savior of mankind, or instigate a new era?

Incredibly fast-paced, gripping, and powerful, Arclight exceeded all of my expectations. Such an exciting read! I won’t spoil anything, but I’ll just tell you that your mind will probably be blown by the twist at the end. In short, I enjoyed this book immensely.

Have a great rest of your day, and stay warm…or cool…whatever the weather. You never know, at this point. (For me, it was nice and warm in the morning, but it just started snowing…)