Waiting on Wednesday

Every week Breaking the Spine hosts the bookish meme for book bloggers to share what books they are waiting on to be released!  This week I’m waiting on: 

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother. Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways. 

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

Waiting on Wednesday

Every week Breaking the Spine hosts the bookish meme for book bloggers to share what books they are waiting on to be released!  This week I’m waiting on: 

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race. 

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong. 

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy. 

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

I admit that I am a bit of a noob when it comes to Neil Gaiman.  Other than having read Neverwhere and Stardust, the only other exposure I’ve had to him is through the episodes of Doctor Who that he has written (‘The Doctor’s Wife’ is still one of the best episodes ever). 

So when a librarian friend of mine (Thanks, Genna!) told me that she had read The Ocean at the End of the Lane shortly after it was released, I knew that it was something I had to pick up.  I mean, everyone should trust the opinion of their librarian on what books are good and which ones to avoid. 

Anyway, I was surprised by how short this novel was when I picked up a copy, but after reading it I completely understand that the story could be no more and no less. Gaiman has an impeccable way of doing that.  Initially, I was put off by the middle aged nameless narrator since I was expecting more of a children’s novel based on what I had been told.  However, this narrator serves as the framework for the story that is told through the point of view of a young boy. 

The reader is quickly introduced to the sleepy, small town in Suffolk that serves as the setting.  For some reason all the countryside really reminded me of the use of the Moors in Wuthering Heights; especially when the narrator is running toward the Hempstock farm in the dark. In addition, Gaiman quickly involves us in the story world with the suicide of the man and the wonderful inclusion of Lettie, who serves as a guiding light for the narrator and his only friend. 


I want to encourage everyone to read this novel.  While Gaiman never truly explains where the Hempstocks are from or how long they have truly been a part of our world, he does include enough information for the reader to be satisfied and still be on the verge of asking a billion questions. 

Gaiman, you have sufficiently pleased me again. 

4 Bards. 

Waiting on Wednesday

Every week Breaking the Spine hosts the bookish meme for book bloggers to share what books they are waiting on to be released!  This week I’m waiting on: 

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. 

But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. 

Nobody fights the Epics… nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. 

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

In Which Jessica Finally Reads…

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Haven’t read any of my other “In Which Jessica Finally Reads” posts?  Check them out: Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire.

Where to start on Order of the Phoenix?  Oh yeah, this was a super long book!  870 pages?  I’m amazed and pleasantly impressed by the fact that so many younger children and adults are willing to hitch a ride to such a large novel with such heavy subject matter! 

Heavy subject matter indeed: Death, Treachery, Belief, Slander, Student Punishment, and Yellow Journalism. 

FINALLY, Harry was able to let loose his anger and annoyance at the fact that he continued to be left out of the loop and seemingly punished for his bravery by being sent to stay with his terrible aunt and uncle, and then attacked by dementors and doubted by the entire magic community! 

Sorry, I was a tad wound up for him as well.  I will say that I appreciated Rowling’s use of the Daily Prophet in the novel to explain how and why the entire magical world had seemingly turned against Harry and believed that he was a “nutter.”  As a huge history nerd, I really enjoyed this because it reminded me of the unit on Yellow Journalism that we studied during the Spanish-American war. Definition of Yellow Journalism: “Journalism that is based upon sensationalism and crude exaggeration.”  Kudos, JK on using this. 

Now, as much as I am supposed to hate Professor Dolores Umbridge because of her anti-half blood agenda and how much she prefers to live in denial of the return of Voldemort, I can’t help but love her as a character.  She has everything a psuedo-villian needs when being introduced into a narrative towards the middle.  She has a clear agenda, she targets the main character, she reduces the most important subject to these students in order to gain control, and she has the looks of a non-threatening person.  How could you not love her as complete a character as she is? Plus, if it weren’t for Umbridge, Dumbledore’s Army would never have been formed. 

See? Do you see how I’m slowly being converted?  Despite my disdain for the first two books based on the slow pace, I have become invested in Harry’s story.  

I really didn’t like the lack of Dumbledore in this novel, especially since I’ve seen the next movie and I am aware of his fate.  However, I know I still have the sixth book to look forward to in regards to the headmaster.  

I also think that the battle inside the Department of Mysteries was much more intriguing and fast paced in the novel than in the movie.  However, when it came to Sirius’ death scene, I was just surprised at how quickly it happened in the novel.  Yes, it was still really sad, but there wasn’t a whole lot of description of it…just that it happened. I still think that Harry’s response was appropriately written, but I think that the acting in this scene in the movie really moved me more than in the novel.  But again, this is probably because I had seen the movie first. 

Overall, I am still really enjoying reading Harry Potter and I’m giving Order of the Phoenix 4.5 Bards. 

Waiting on Wednesday

Every week Breaking the Spine hosts the bookish meme for book bloggers to share what books they are waiting on to be released!  This week I’m waiting on:

Release Date: March 12, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Book Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power–brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished–and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past–and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword… The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Release Date: December 11, 2012

After reading such high fantasy young adult novels like Finnikin of the Rock and Seraphina, I wasn’t expecting another one from this year to really take my breath away with characters and a plot that kept me on my toes.

Even though the synopsis alludes to the possibility of multiple point of views/narrators, I was not expecting an entire CAST list at the beginning of Falling Kingdoms similar to the cast lists at the beginning of a Shakespearian play.  This intimidated me, because let’s face it, I’ve been overwhelmed with the number of characters in novels before.  However, I’m not sure why some of the characters are even mentioned in the cast because they are so minute. 

But anyway, if you are not a fan of shifting point of views, then Falling Kingdoms might be difficult for you.  The shifts are easily distinguished since each chapter is heralded by a third person limited POV that is labeled with the location of the character: one of four places: Auranos, Paelsia, Limeros, or The Sanctuary.  I’ll break it down for you:

Auranos POVs: Cleo, Theon
Paelsia POVs: Jonas
Limeros POVs: Lucia, Magnus
The Santuary POVs: Ioannes

So we do get a number of different angles in this story of three kingdoms at odds, but it definitely helps the reader understand the plight of each nation…and it took me all the way until the end until I definitely decided which character I would want to join forces with.

Now, some will say that the shifting POVs restricts the amount of character development that can occur for each character, but the main four, Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus, were all very well developed, in my opinion.  Is there room for more growth and depiction of character in the coming sequels? Of course, but there always is.  For a very plot heavy novel, the character development was supurb.

World building, on the other hand, could have used some improvement.  While we do get some descriptions of the land…Rhodes leaves the majority of the details out and leaves the reader with basic descriptions of color and weather.  The religious component of the novel was a bit convoluted, but I feel that these “prophecies” and “legends” will be explained clearly later on. 

The purpose of Falling Kingdoms was to introduce us to a world at odds, four characters whose lives would have never been linked….forced together in destiny, and set up for larger turmoil to come.

There is a touch of romance in Falling Kingdoms, but not enough to trump the amount of action that occurs.  While I appreciate Rhodes’ adhereance to the royal need to select mates, I still abhor that entire practice.  I think Cleo and Emilia would agree, but I will let you make your own asssumptions. At first, I had trouble separating THIS Magnus from Cassandra Clare’s super flamboyant Magnus, but it was clear that Rhodes’ Magnus was suffering from secrets of his own.  I feel for him, because as a reader we know the truth, and he does not.  I found myself trying to reassure him throughout the novel.

I’m not going to tell you whose side I eventually took, because I’d love to hear who you sympathize with.  I read this book in under 24 hours and can’t wait until I get the chance *cough,cough* TIME to re-read it.

4.5 Bards

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. 


 Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 


Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 


Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.


Release Date: August 7, 2012

Even though I know that Maas has been working on variations of this novel for years (although I’m not going to pretend that I followed her progress, but I do think it is an admirable idea), I can’t help but think that maybe it wasn’t necessarily Maas’ readiness to produce a strong heroine…but that in a time where young adults look up to Katniss, Hermoine, and many other strong female leads….the readership wasn’t necessarily ready for a female assassin as capable as Celaena.

I’ve seen reviews calling Throne of Glass “fantasy light,” which I don’t necessarily think is a bad thing, but there are very well developed elements of modern life interspersed throughout the narrative.  First, Celaena herself has endured a lot of hardship in her life, but she does manage to find time to read and enjoy frivolous novels (even though she does read more serious literature), admire fashions, and play the coy game of “back and forth” with those around her. Hell, she is even somewhat vindictive to other girls that encroach on what Celaena would consider “her turf.”  What high school aged girl DOESN’T think of these things?  Not only does this make Celaena more relatable, but she seems more realistic.  As for those who have found Celaena “shallow,” I just challenge you to look through the eyes of a young assassin who was forced into the profession, and how would you choose to “escape” from the hard work of killing?

I do agree that the world building was somewhat lackluster in this novel, but since the majority of the narrative takes place in either Endovier or the Castle it is completely understandable.  I expect that in the subsequent follow ups there will be extensive detail concerning the kingdom.

Yes, there is a love triangle, but I wouldn’t say it is an equilateral triangle like Tessa, Will, and Jem in Cassandra Clare’s wonderful Infernal Devices trilogy.  This relationship between Westfall, Dorian, and Celaena is more like an obtuse triangle…two entities are much closer throughout this story.  And the third developed much slower.

Overall I found Throne of Glass to be exceedingly enjoyable and I couldn’t put it down.  In fact, when I finished the novel (a day after I started it) my mother immediately scooped it up and read it. (She liked it a lot too).

Four Bards.

Author Spotlight: Jennifer Nielsen

Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a naughty puppy. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. She is a former speech teacher, theater director, and enjoyed a brief but disastrous career as a door-to-door pollster. In her spare time, Jennifer tends to panic, wondering what she has forgotten to do that has allowed her any spare time.

A Midsummer Night’s Read (MSNR):  All of us here at A Midsummer Night’s Read would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to interview you and for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us!

First and foremost, we want to congratulate you on the success of The False Prince and tell you again how much we enjoyed it! So the first question here is how did you come up with Sage’s story?
Jennifer Nielsen (JN):  Thank you very much for having me here. I’d actually had the seeds for this story in mind for some time, but never could get the right protagonist. One day I was listening to the song, Guaranteed, by the amazing Eddie Vedder. A line in that song, “I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me, guaranteed” caught my ear, and my imagination. Sage was born in that line, and once I had him, I had his story.

MSNR: Was his story essentially the same when you first started writing it? Or did certain aspects change through the writing and editing process?
JN: Minor things changed, as always will happen in a story. But The False Prince was actually the most linear, quick manuscript I’ve ever written. Sage came to me complete, so writing this book wasn’t really about creating his story, but rather it was about getting the words down to let the story unfold.

MSNR: Is there any real life inspiration for Carthya and the situation concerning Sage and the other orphans?  Was it hard to create your own world rather than use other historical events?
JN: Sage is a completely unique character, but I do confess this: many years ago when I was a high school debate teacher, I had a student who was popular, brilliant, and talented…and also a bit of a thief. He used to steal wristwatches from our bus drivers before tournaments. Luckily, he always returned them at the end of the ride, usually with the bus driver thanking him for his honesty. I did think of this student a few times when Sage was stealing something.

About the world creation, I love the freedom of basing my settings on actual history but then adding in original details that give it a fantasy feel. I do a lot of research to ground the story in events or traditions that could have happened, though of course, much of it never did.

MSNR: Speaking of which, do you know if the purchase of orphans as servants happened in reality? I was wondering that the entire time!
JN: From my understanding, there were many instances of the wealthy purchasing people as indentured servants (my great-grandmother actually came to this country after buying her freedom as an indentured servant), but I think in most cases, both parties entered willingly into the contract. In my research, I never found an example of servants being taken against their will. So what happened to Sage is a sort of combination between indentured servitude and slavery.

MSNR: What can you tell us about the upcoming sequel?
JN: I can tell you the title, The Runaway King, and that it should be out next spring. I can tell you that for Sage, things will get worse. And um, I can’t say anything else.

MSNR: Will readers see Imogen and the betrothed battle for his attentions and his affections?
JN: There is a definite chance of this possibly happening. Or not. (Cheeky grin)

MSNR: Will Connor be returning as a foe in the future? Or will Sage be facing new enemies?
JN: See my snarky, unhelpful answer above.

MSNR: Will we find out who really killed the royal family?
JN: Other than what is revealed in The False Prince? Hmm, that’s a great question!

MSNR: We could keep asking questions about this wonderful book all day, but we know you need to keep some secrets for the upcoming installments! So just a few standard questions for our readers.  What made you want to become a writer?
JN: When I was choosing a career, I never actually gave any serious consideration to becoming an author. I’d never met any authors, and so it never felt like a real career choice. (This is where I pause to give a plug for schools bringing in authors, or for parents taking their children to local book signings – it’s invaluable to young writers!) Then one day I was reading a book by an author I had always loved. All of a sudden, it wasn’t enough to live in someone else’s fictional world. I wanted to create my own. That was when I knew I wanted to turn my hobby into a career.

MSNR: Do you have any advice or suggestions for readers who are interested in becoming authors?
JN: My advice comes from a quote by Winston Churchill: “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.” There are so many talented people who abandon their dreams because they become discouraged too soon. Success may not happen on your first or second or third manuscript. It may not happen in the way you expected, or as quickly as you’d hoped. But if you keep writing, keep improving, and keep submitting, you will one day find success.

MSNR: Thank you so much again, Jennifer, for stepping away from Sage and his friends to discuss their trials with us!  We can’t tell you enough how much we enjoyed The False Prince and how invested we are in Sage’s future.  We will try to wait patiently to find out what happens!
JN: Thank you. It’s been an honor to visit here, and I very much hope you’ll find that The Runaway King was well worth the wait!

Check out our review of The False Prince
Buy The False Prince

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.


Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.


Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.


I said in my review of Seraphina that it had been a long time since I read a really well developed fantasy novel, and now I’ve read two within the course of a few months. 


Shadow and Bone was unexpectedly engaging, beautiful, powerful, and a number of other synonyms of those words.  I have to say that the story world of Shadow and Bone was exquisitely created by Bardugo and I have to say that Ravka sounds like a terrifying place to live surrounded by an incredible amount of turmoil.  Thrust into the middle of it, Alina has accepted her role as a map maker in the army and is constantly watching her best friend and crush, Mal wine and dine random girls.  


What happens next is terrifying, the army goes directly into the heart of Ravka’s problem, the Shadow Fold, to try and reach the other side.  One of Alina’s friends falls victim to a horrible creature in the Fold and a secret power deep inside her is released.  Through Alina’s initiation into the secret world of the Grisha the reader is introduced to a caste system similar to that of the castle nobility in Europe during the past centuries. Here we learn that there are a number of special powers inherited by certain people in Ravka, and that they are honored and revered more than any other citizen (except maybe the drunk of a King). 


After this, adventure and love ensue.  Not only does Alina capture the attention of the elusive Darkling (much to her classmates and fellow Grisha’s chagrin), but she finally becomes the woman she was meant to be.  Her transformation reminded me a little bit of She’s All That…you know, the dorky skinny girl becomes beautiful and radiant after a makeover from a really pretty girl.  


The only part of the story that I found somewhat predictable was the situation with Mal…I knew it would happen from the first chapter.  However, I was NOT expecting anything else that happened in the novel…especially anything with the Darkling.  I have to commend Bardugo for writing such an elaborate and gorgeous fantasy story.  


I await eagerly for the next installment! 


4.5 Bards.