Category: 4 star

4 star, YA

Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Talon #1

talon -julie kagawaTHE DRAGONS OF TALON: Once hunted nearly to extinction, they are now poised to take over the world. 

THE ORDER OF ST. GEORGE: The legendary dragonslayers will stop at nothing to wipe dragons from the face of the earth. 

These mortal enemies are locked in secret and deadly combat, with humanity none the wiser. 

To take her rightful place in the Talon organization, young dragon Ember Hill must prove she can hide her true nature and blend in with humans. Her delight at the prospect of a summer of “normal” teen experiences is short-lived, however, once she discovers that she’s also expected to train for her destined career in Talon. But a chance meeting with a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught.

As Ember struggles to accept her future, St. George soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian is tasked with hunting her down. But when faced with Ember’s bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything the Order has ingrained in him—and what he might be willing to give up to uncover the truth about dragons.

4 Drink Me Potions

There’s just something about dragons. Although there aren’t too many books out there that stand out in my memory featuring dragons, I’ve always loved them.

These fearsome, deadly creatures. Both agile and cunning. They can be depicted as good or as evil as they come (think The Hobbit!).

Now combining one of my favorite authors, Julie Kagawa, and a whole series/lore on dragons, and it’s like a recipe meant for me.

Filled with action and brimming with imaginative detail about the world of Talon and their dragonslaying counterpart, the Order of St. George, Talon is one novel that continues to surprise you and sets the stage for a remarkable series.

Twins Ember and Dante are dragon hatchlings, just learning to fit into human society. That’s a huge criteria for dragons to survive and adapt while keeping the humans oblivious. The world of Talon and how it’s run are masterfully crafted to the fine details. Different roles for different types of dragons, how it functions even with humans, and the process of training a hatchling.

Then there’re the rogue dragons! Every strict exclusive society has got to have some of those. We don’t get too much detail yet into how these dragons fit into the picture, but dang the rogue Riley sure makes a whomping presence. You just know something’s gonna go down with him.

And while this story is very much dragon vs human, the ultimate plot arc is one of my favourites. A forbidden romance blooming between a dragon girl and her enemy St. George soldier. Makes me wonder how anything could come of it, especially once they figure out who each other really is.

Now, why didn’t I read this book/series earlier if it’s so up my alley? The answer’s simple. I hate love triangles. I never know who to cheer for and if I’m setting myself up for disappointment.

Well, what I’m telling you now is that both boys are pretty great in different ways. Though I’m definitely partial to the soldier, Garret. While Kagawa spent a lot of time describing how Talon operates with regards to hatchling assimilation and training, there’s equally dedicated space for the Order of St. George and how they operate and the brotherhood among the soldiers. It’s enough detail to get me wanting to know more!

Even if you’re not the hugest dragon lover, I think just maybe, this book may change your mind about it. Talon is the story about a boy meeting a dragon girl, first as enemies but possibly becoming more, and maybe the only thing to resolve the centuries old war between them.

Overall Recommendation:

Talon should be any dragon lover’s go-to story. With those exciting fire breathing creatures portrayed as intricately as humans, the dragon world of Talon and their long sworn enemies, the Order of St. George, are creatively crafted by Julie Kagawa into a masterful story about understanding those who are different from us and standing for what is right, even against all that we once believed in. Julie’s done it again and Talon is the perfect foundation for this saga on dragons and dragonslayers. I highly recommend you give it a try!

4 star, YA

Review: Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Chaotic Good Comps14.inddCameron’s cosplay–dressing like a fictional character–is finally starting to earn her attention–attention she hopes to use to get into the CalTech costume department for college. But when she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans.

When Cameron’s family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town–her main destination for character reference–is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop.

At her twin brother’s suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes and uses her costuming expertise to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she’s shocked at how easily she’s accepted into the nerd inner sanctum. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign alongside the jerky shop-owner Brody, friendly (almost flirtatiously so) clerk Wyatt, handsome Lincoln, and her bro Cooper, dragged along for good measure.

But as her “secret identity” gets more and more entrenched, Cameron’s portfolio falls by the wayside–and her feelings for Lincoln threaten to make a complicated situation even more precarious.

4 Drink Me Potions

Everyone, be prepared to get your nerdiness on! And be proud of it! ‘Cause Chaotic Good brings out the inner geeks for a wild celebration of cosplay, D&D and superhero fandoms.

While I can’t say the main subjects covered in the book may be something relevant to all readers – (like I’ve never tried sewing my own costumes before!), the themes embodied by Chaotic Good are universal that should tug at our empathy. How many of us have been bullied – or at least teased – for the things we love that may not be fully mainstream or “cool”? How many can say that we wanted to try something new that others thought wasn’t fitting for us?

Here, we follow Cameron, a girl who loves to sew cosplay costumes and buy comics. A world dominated by “true” fans of mostly the male variety. While I’m always for girl power, I loved how the author doesn’t quickly lump every guy as all bad or every girl without her own flaws. We see cool guys who do like Cameron the way she is, and her hobbies to boot. And girl besties who may not be fully sympathetic to her predicament.

Aside from the themes, each character was fun and unique. The inner boy sanctum of Dungeons & Dragons players were filled with people I absolutely adored. From easygoing Why and Cameron’s writer twin to not-always-likeable Brody, they made a ragtag group that felt like everyday people you’d meet or want to meet.

And this also features a story within a story! For those who haven’t played D&D before, it’s definitely a huge role playing kinda game and my, the storytelling for their game characters was just as unique and adorable. Including the beautiful comic drawings inside. Imaginative and wildly creative, I flew through these pages not just for the main story with Cameron, but for the unfolding plot within their game.

For those who also love a cute romance, this book’s got you. While I’m not fawning madly over the love interest, I still enjoyed this element as it added more than subtracted from the story. It also helps that this book features the girl-dressed-as-a-boy trope that makes the romance more fun!

So yes, my inner nerdiness was awakened as Chaotic Good brought out the best of all that is geeky. Whether you also love to cosplay, read superhero comics, play D&D or just love a good contemporary, this novel was both fun and endearing. And the ending was the perfect cherry on top!

Overall Recommendation:

Chaotic Good represents the best of geekiness, featuring a relatable protagonist who loves cosplaying, reading comics and playing D&D. Balancing between the serious issues such as the internet bullying Cameron was facing and the fun aspect of D&D role playing, this book has a little something for everyone. Imaginative and empathetic, there’s no other contemporary I can think of that meshes the realistic mess of everyday life with the fantastical of other imaginary worlds we wish to live in as well as this one. Please do yourself a favour and give this book a shot!

Have you heard of this YA book before? Are you as excited as I am about the premise of the story?

4 star, adult

The Witch Elm by Tana French

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Image result for the witch elm

Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life: he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family’s ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden – and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed.

The Witch Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are.


4 Drink Me Potions

‘I’ve always considered myself to be, basically, a lucky person.’

Going into this book, I had expected some sort of existential, philosophical discovery kind of journey, but that is really not what I got. Instead, it was a murder mystery sort of novel (my favourite!) with a large twist. In The Witch Elm, Toby is a well-rounded, generally deemed good person, who suffers a life-changing event and is seemingly never the same after. Struggling with his head injury, Toby rapidly finds himself in a state of constant confusion, with muddled memories adding to his paranoia.

Having escaped to the Ivy House for refuge with his dying uncle, things quickly turn around when a skull is discovered inside a large elm tree in the garden. Again Toby’s life is plunged into mystery, with detectives and police at every corner. Who around him can he trust, when he can’t even trust his own memories and character?

The Witch Elm follows the main protagonist, Toby, who starts off high and mighty (though not too haughty) but quickly falls to rock bottom. Even we ourselves as readers are not sure if we can trust Toby with his disjointed memories. This made for a very interesting read as usually a whodunnit novel doesn’t involve yourself as a prime suspect. Everyone appears suspicious, but we also can’t rule out ourselves as a possible suspect either, making this story an exciting journey from the beginning all the way to the dramatic climax and denouement.

I really enjoyed that this book explored a lot of aspects of identity and self-awareness. How much does who you are as a character really play into your actions? Also, how strongly do people judge your actions by how closely it matches your perceived character? There is a very interesting exploration of this whole reality versus perception of character and actions that is a motif found throughout the whole book.

The beginning did start off a little bit slow for me, and the lucky nature of Toby was a little bit irritating. But as I got to about half-way through the book, I actually found myself really entranced in the whole scenario, not unlike how Toby must have been feeling in the book himself. Each persona in the book was well thought out and developed in such a way that even though everyone’s character was clear as day, it was difficult to pin down any incriminating evidence. Just when you think that things are about to be resolved, things take another tumble and whirl around until the very final resolution. It was definitely an exciting roller coaster of a journey that was gripping all the way to the very end.

Overall Recommendation:
A haunting story of rediscovering yourself on the backdrop of a murder mystery. Toby is a classically lucky guy up until he slides right to the very bottom. The story follows him as he struggles to remember what might or might not have been, and who he can trust when a human skull is found in his garden. The Witch Elm is a gripping tale that explores how the perceived reality versus the actual truth might differ. What we discover about our true selves might sometimes be better left unknown. If you enjoy a thrilling murder mystery where literally everyone is a suspect, you will probably enjoy this book. If you like that idea with the addition of a self-(re)discovery journey layered on top, then I would definitely recommend this book.