Review: Stolen

Title: Stolen

Author: Marlena Frank

Date of Publication: January 22nd, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

It’s difficult taking care of a delusional father by yourself. Sixteen-year-old Shaleigh Mallet would rather explore and photograph dilapidated buildings than cater to her father’s dark episodes. But when she’s kidnapped by a creature who carries her atop a flying bicycle into another world, she realizes this wasn’t the escape she wanted.

In a kingdom known as the Garden, where minotaurs pull carriages and parties are held in hot air balloons, Madam Cloom and her faerie servant, Teagan, rule over the land with incredible but terrifying magic. Shaleigh must prove that she is the reincarnation of a long-dead ruler, not because she believes it, but because it’s her only chance to survive. With the help of a trespassing faerie, a stoatling, and a living statue, Shaleigh hopes to outwit everyone. She aims to break the bonds of servitude and finally make her way home. What she doesn’t realize, however, is that she’s playing right into the hands of a far worse enemy…

My Review:

First, I’ll start by saying what a cool and unique book! I mean, you get stone lions, flying bicycles, and a world like no other. This story takes me back to the time when there were actually good fantasy movies: Return to Oz, Labyrinth, Legend. You know what? Probably just go ahead and make this one a movie to bring some creativity back to the world!

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Shaleigh was a very strong protagonist. I felt she didn’t let getting sent to another strange world break her. In this new place, she grows as a character, figures herself out, and becomes a strong MC. Oh, and the side characters are equally amazing with distinct personalities to make them extremely fleshed out!

Beautiful writing, beautiful description, beautiful cover, and a beautiful story! Also it does end on a cliffhanger that leaves me holding out my hands saying, “give me book two.”

What would you do if you woke up in a flying bicycle?

 

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Review: The Wicked King

Title: The Wicked King

Author: Holly Black

Date of Publication: January 8th, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

My Review:

First, I want to that say I love Holly Black so, so much! This book had me frustrated, it had me swooning, it had me pissed, it had me anxious, and, oh, did I mention frustrated?

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This series just needs to be filled with all things Cardan! I need a novella or something from his perspective because like book one, he’s not in here enough! From page one, I had a battle with how I felt for Jude. I hate, hate, HATE when characters try to keep all these secrets for no reason and make mistakes that have me shaking my head! Spill the dang beans!!! Honesty is always the best policy, I say!

I still don’t get Taryn, like she needs to go away! Vivi is probably one of the cutest characters ever along with Oak. Roiben, my man, I love every time you’re on the page! Just such a unique and interesting world!

Black’s writing  was on point, and she described everything perfectly as usual! And yes, we get a cliffhanger, and I will be desperate this whole year patiently, or not patiently, waiting for it!

Have you started this series yet?

Review: Ironside

Title: Ironside

Author: Holly Black

Goodreads Summary:

In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben’s coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing — her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can’t see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows doesn’t exist: a faerie who can tell a lie.

Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth — that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother’s shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye finds herself a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben’s throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it. In this game of wits and weapons, can a pixie outplay a queen?

My Review:

I loved this one just as much as Tithe! I like how we get a sort of collision with Luis from book two and get to learn more about him. Also, loved him and Corny!

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Kaye has really grown as a character. She is strong and brave and fierce, and I love her, too! I wish there would have been more of Roiben, but the scenes that he was in were awesome!

Again, Holly Black has created such a magnificent world where character’s feel real because they may not be a hundred percent likeable yet are! Highly recommend this series.

Have you started this series?

Review: Valiant

Title: Valiant

Author: Holly Black

Goodreads Summary:

When seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, she’s trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city’s labyrinthine subway system.

But there’s something eerily beguiling about Val’s new friends. And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature with whom they are all involved, Val finds herself torn between her newfound affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

My Review:

So I didn’t like this one as much as the first book, but I still loved it! I liked that the characters aren’t your typical characters. Like you may not really like them, but you still totally do!

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Also, can I just say the troll love was freaking awesome! I liked that Holly Black made the character fall for a troll and not a “hot” troll either! Although, I’m sure he’s super adorable because his personality was lovely!

I felt for Valerie a lot, and yes she did some stupid things, yet I still wanted to give her a big hug! This world has sucked me in and I can’t wait to start book three right away!!

Have you read this series?

Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest

Author: Holly Black

Date of Publication: January 13th, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

My Review:

At first it took me a minute to get into this, and I wasn’t sure… But! Once I was in, I was in! Also, can I just say that I totally envisioned the Horned Boy looking like Daniel Radcliffe in Horns!

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Loved Hazel and Ben! Teens acting like teens is always a plus! Can I also just say I want to carry around Jack in my pocket. He was so adorable and I felt for the guy! The book definitely is NOT creepy, but it’s hard for me to find anything dark or creepy in general when you’ve been watching horror stuff since like age 2. However, I appreciated all the lovely atmospheric visualization! I found it more intriguing and beautiful vs haunting!

So far I’ve only read this and The Cruel Prince, and I must say that I liked this one more! I’ll be reading Tithe here soon, so I’ll get to see how that one is. I know I’m behind, but Holly Black is moving up on my fave author list!

Review: Tithe

Title: Tithe

Author: Holly Black

Goodreads Summary:

Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries!

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms – a struggle that could very well mean her death.

My Review:

I’m mad at myself for not reading this book a long time ago! It was so good and reminded me of when I was in high school before cell phones and social media consumed our entire lives!

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I liked Kaye! I felt she was relatable. Yes, she may be a high school drop out, drink, curse and smoke, but not every teen in the world is a perfect angel. And Roiben! Loved, loved, loved him!!!

This world that Holly Black has created is amazing! I love her writing and her descriptions and that everything isn’t perfect but can be! Can’t wait to read the next one!

Have you read this series?

Review: The Lost Sisters

Title: The Lost Sisters

Author: Holly Black

Date of Publication: October 2nd, 2018

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes . . . 

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke.

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

My Review:

This was a pretty good read to get into Taryn’s head about things. However, I still don’t like her. But I mean, you don’t really have to to like the book.

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I also was not a fan of the second person POV—it’s always an odd feeling. Like as soon as the word “you” is used, I look down at myself, and point to my chest like “who, me?”

But I will say I seriously love Holly’s writing, and this was a great novella to get a little more of the world in between the books, along with a different character’s POV! Definitely recommend if you love the series!

 

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