Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Review: Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett

June 6, 2018June 5, 2018 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Rime Chronicles #1

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.

The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.

3 Drink Me Potions

A copy was provided by Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review

I will admit, coming into this fantasy book, I thought it wouldn’t be able to surprise me much. I mean, a competition between brothers for the crown. A mysterious death of the previous king. Monstrous creatures coming out at night. A protagonist with secret magical abilities that may come in handy more than she could know. And enemies lurking in the shadows with ulterior motives. All sounds a little familiar, right?

How about the part of wild magic versus the controlled form of magic that was legal to use? Or the fact that the romance centred on an old flame who broke her heart? And only these two could right the wrongs that were occurring in their lands?

Yet, something about Onyx and Ivory didn’t let me put it down and give up completely. While the major concepts are things that very well are found in other books, I really enjoyed a couple of things that still felt unique.

The concept of uror and the competition the princes had to face went beyond a simple duel of who was a better fit to be king. It boiled down to the heart of each boy and what mattered to them the most, and getting to see this side of Corwin won me over a lot more than just the generic princely character in such stories.

Kate was also an intriguing protagonist in some ways. Yes, she held forbidden wild magic in her blood but it wasn’t completely evident if there was any applicable use of her abilities in the beginning. She wasn’t the most memorable girl (the whole powerful girl who can save the day thing, you know?) but I liked her courage to stand for what was important to her, including the people she loved.

As far as fantasies go, the pacing was all right and the story wasn’t completely predictable in every way, but it may not stand out very well in the sea of amazing YA fantasies out there already.

Overall Recommendation:
Onyx and Ivory features a plot that may not be 100% original yet it still delivers a nice story of courage, heart and fighting for what’s right. In a world where wild magic is forbidden, Kate has a lot going against her. Reunited with the boy who broke her heart, a conspiracy within the kingdom must be brought to light as old mysteries resurface. Although I liked this novel well enough, it just missed a certain element to propel it into the spotlight that’s been so overcrowded by a lot greater novels in the YA world.

3 star, YA

Review: Eden Conquered by Joelle Charbonneau

June 5, 2018 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Dividing Eden #2

The electrifying conclusion to the Dividing Eden series by the New York Times bestselling author of the Testing trilogy, Joelle Charbonneau..

The Trials of Virtuous Succession have ended. Prince Andreus is king—and Princess Carys is dead.

But even as he’s haunted by what he did to win the throne, Andreus discovers that his dream of ruling only brings new problems. The people love his twin even more in death than they did when she was alive. The Elders treat him as a figurehead. And worst of all, the winds of Eden are faltering.

But despite what everyone believes, Carys is alive. Exiled to the wilderness, Carys struggles to control the powers that have broken free inside her. And as she grows stronger, so does her conviction that she must return to the Palace of Winds, face her twin and root out the treachery that began long before the first Trials started.

The Kingdom of Eden is growing darker with each passing day. Brother and sister, former foes, must decide whether some betrayals cut too deep to be forgiven—and whether one will wear the crown or both will lose everything.

3 Drink Me Potions

**Eden Conquered comes out June 5, 2018**

Thank you Edelweiss and HarperCollins for this copy in exchange for an honest review

A princess on the run. Unknown assailants and spies lurking in the shadows of the court. Who to trust? And who will save Eden?

This sequel to Dividing Eden in ways did it justice, but likewise could have been better. Carys is terrified of the power she’s uncovered within her. Andreus wants to prove himself as king, yet there’s a nagging feeling that not all is right within the walls of his kingdom – let alone within his castle.

While the pacing lagged at times, the story alternates between Carys and Andreus for each chapter. Both the twins have no idea who they can fully trust in the aftermath of the Trials they were forced to take. Their storylines tried to develop their individual journey towards placing trust in the right people, and even taking steps to right wrongs that were done by their hand. Carys had escaped with two men with questionable pasts while Andreus almost had no one in the castle that may not have ulterior motives to setting him on the throne. Charbonneau did well in writing their fears, desires and other emotions into their POVs, yet at times this really slowed down the plot.

I can’t say that action wasn’t a pivotal component of the story. An imminent attack on Eden from their rival country was coming, and different groups had different agendas for who should be put on the throne. There was always an underlying sense of urgency – whether in Carys’ return to the castle or Andreus’ ability to outwit his shadowy enemies – but the action only packed the greatest punch in the last 25% or so of the novel.

And oh boy, was that something. Like a wind hurtling full force, all of a sudden a bunch of things were coming into play. Vague predictions/messages from the seers, monsters coming at full force out of the darkness, and the threat of war just amassed on these twins.

Unseen twists caught me by surprise, though I’m not sure in hindsight why I didn’t see that coming. Yet now in hindsight, I can’t help but feel somewhat cheated in the ending to this duology. Don’t get me wrong, it was exciting in a way but it all happened so fast. Each “obstacle” was resolved in a way that didn’t take the time to fully appreciate the climax of the story. Even the twins’ reunion after the rocky way they left each other in book 1 all occurred so fast.

What I will say about the ending that redeemed this entire book for me was that it didn’t wrap itself up in a very nice bow. Not completely at least. It’s not a sad ending, but things are left somewhat open to the happiness and future of the protagonists. And while this entire series, including this sequel, only supplemented the story with romance, I felt it was the perfect amount to support the plot instead of overwhelm it. The highlight was kept on the twins’ character development and unearthing the subterfuge amidst them.

Would I rather the novel was extended a bit more to really flesh out the climax, and maybe added to the plot a bit more? For sure. But as it stands, Eden Conquered managed to deliver an ending that I think was worthwhile in some way still.

Overall Recommendation:
Eden Conquered may not have packed as heavy of a punch as a final installment to this duology, but it made up for its lack of plot and sometimes slow pacing with a beautiful focus on character development. Both Carys and Andreus are flawed protagonists with their own inner demons, or curses, they had to face. With a kingdom depending on them working together instead of against one another, this sequel placed emphasis on all the right aspects that made it a worthy conclusion in the end. A surprise twist here and there, a touch of feels and an ending that was somewhat open to interpretation, I at least leave Eden with a smile on my face.

4 star, adult

She Felt Like Feeling Nothing by R.H. Sin

May 1, 2018April 30, 2018 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

This is not a traditional review either. It seems that only poetry books can draw this out of me as I’m normally not a poetry reader.

I came across this wonderful book by random, flipping through these pages. And in an instant, my heart was hooked. Painfully. For there on the first page were words that wholly described me. Even after 5 years.

Have you ever been in a relationship where the one you loved just never seemed to love you back? No matter how hard you tried, no matter how much you gave of yourself, it was like you were never enough.

This is exactly what she felt like feeling nothing was. And the sad thing is? Having these words still resonate so deeply within me suggested that maybe I hadn’t let go of all that I thought was in my past.

As we move through the stanzas that I’ve selectively chosen from this short but encouraging book, I’m leaving behind on this page a bit of honesty of who I was and where I hope to be one day. To all you women out there who understand this as well, know that you’re not alone. To all of you who may not fully understand it, I’m happy that you didn’t need to go through such an ordeal and I hope you’ll hold onto those who unfortunately have.

what happened to your soul

i see the bruises and the scars

he never deserved to touch your canvas

how’d you forget that you are art

i know it fucking hurts

but i’ll just say this because it’s true

any man who hurts your heart

is incapable of falling for you

This was the first poem in the book that drew me in. A part of me still wonders after all these years if those bruises and scars on my heart have fully healed or if I just cauterized them and pretended that it was good enough. And if only the younger, more naive version of me could’ve understood that someone who made me cry for 3 years would never be able to say yes in the end.

i think there are times

where you miss the version of yourself

who never knew

what it meant to feel betrayed

Looking back, I wouldn’t necessarily undo the pain I’ve been in. It’s changed me into who I am today. But there are times when I find myself wondering who I could’ve been without this hanging over my past. Would I have made better choices later? Would I have been a better person?

a man who is unsure about

the way he feels for you

is unworthy of a space

in your heart

If only the 17 year old in me would’ve believed such words. If only I could’ve learned to let go in my heart.

you are something

that someone

has been waiting

their entire life for

And yet, maybe I have never believed that since. Is there a way back to such a belief?

you’ve hidden so much

of what you’ve felt

in the corners of your heart

refusing to open up

out of fear of being hurt again

To risk one’s heart for something that could be great, but could also bring a world of pain? To feel worthy to be loved? Am I still capable of that? If he was staring right in front of my face, would I be brave enough to reach out and open up my heart?

to love and not be loved in return

is the most destructive kind of love

that type of love is a love

that causes us to lose love for ourselves

In other words, unrequited love. If you thought that sounded romantic, it falls very far from that…

i think you’re just

this beautiful misfit

nothing wrong with being different

in search of something real

in search of someone who will listen

someone who will care

someone who will stay

a love that brings you closer

a love that never strays

I was once a romantic, but now I’m not sure what that even sounds like. Yet I see the stars and the flowers in the spring and find myself wishing the grand stories of love could be true for a mere misfit like me.

it’s hard to forget someone

who used to make your soul smile

but it’s even harder to remember

everything they used to be

Reading this whole book has dredged up a lot of memories for me. Maybe they’re things I should’ve dealt with a long time ago. Maybe it’s a good thing to finally air it out, no matter how hard it is to remember how it once was. The way he made me smile. The way it felt as easy as breathing once upon a time. Until it didn’t.

If it’s anything, taking this trip down memory lane has opened up the floodgates for me. And I’m not saying this book may be for everyone, but it surely was for this still-healing girl here.

Maybe it’ll bring healing. Maybe it’ll hurt worse before it gets better. As I look at who I am now, yes, I’ve made mistakes and I took down with me people who didn’t deserve that. But I’ve grown stronger and I’ve gained perspective and I’m no longer that 17 year old girl.

Maybe someday soon, I will learn to love myself more. And believe that I am worth loving by someone I took a risk for.

But that day just isn’t today.