YA – Page 68 – Down the Rabbit Hole

A bit late but better now than never, right? I hope you all had a great 2017 year and that the new one has started off well! To kick off 2018, I’m giving you my top 5 favourites from last year and the top 5 books I most look forward to reading 🙂 Let’s see how many are similarly on YOUR list.

Top 5 favourites in 2017

5) Geekerella by Ashley Poston

I absolutely adore Cinderella (Disney version, of course, since the Grimm’s Brothers were just a bit TOO grim for me) – whether it be the movie or any retelling based on the story. Having a sci-fi geeky version was like a dream come true. There’ve been some retellings in the past set in some contemporary world that just didn’t live up to expectations so I was nervous going into Geekerella, but I was pleasantly surprised. If you haven’t read this book yet, I very much encourage you to!

4) Walk the Edge / Long Way Home by Katie McGarry

Very rarely do I love the middle and final book more than the initial book in a series, but Katie McGarry has a way of hooking me further into her stories as she goes along. Although I didn’t have the greatest opinion on Nowhere but Here, the following books far surpassed my expectations and I adored these badass biker guys who found girls who loved them for who they were but encouraged them to be the best that they could be at the same time. If you haven’t read any of Katie’s books before, honestly, you need to run to a store now and get your hands on one. She’s one of my go-to contemporary novelists and I would automatically read anything she writes these days. No matter if biker dudes aren’t really my thing.

3) Lord of Shadows / Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

I don’t even know if I have to say anything about these books. Come on, it’s Cassandra Clare. While I admit I didn’t love her first series that propelled her to fame and fandom, I recognize her amazing talent in writing stories that immerses the readers wholly while maintaining a pace that never bores. I adored her second series, and so it’s no surprise that I love The Dark Artifices series as well. Plus, forbidden love between badass partners who can kick butt? Where do I automatically sign up? It’s like it has my name written on it in invisible ink.

2) Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

I’m not the hugest fan of contemporaries but Kasie West is one of my only contemporary authors that is on auto-buy. The interactions between her characters and the very realistic situations they face are easy to read with heartwarming messages as they learn to become more of who they are meant to be. I’m picky when it comes to contemporaries, but she has never disappointed me yet, especially with her latest release that just came out at the very end of 2017. It is SO worth it to go out and find one of these bad boys and pick it up for a quiet weekend/weeknight evening of reading. TRUST ME.

1) The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Just because this was one of the very last books that I finished in 2017 doesn’t mean that’s why it’s at the very top of my list. Yes, it’s been on my mind since I’ve finished but the book was honestly a very solid historical fantasy that had my heart racing in ways that very few books have elicited from me lately. I adore a good fantasy filled with action, magic and loveable characters, but placed in a some world that completely engulfs me like I AM one of these characters is a sure mark of an excellent author. I don’t know what makes YOUR heart race like this, but this is what makes me happy so yes, The Last Magician has stolen my heart and very well deserves the top spot of my 2017 list.

Top 5 most anticipated in 2018

5) The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth

the fates divide -veronica roth In the second book of the Carve the Mark duology, globally bestselling Divergent author Veronica Roth reveals how Cyra and Akos fulfill their fates. The Fates Divide is a richly imagined tale of hope and resilience told in four stunning perspectives.

Fate brought them together. Now it will divide them.

The lives of Cyra Noavek and Akos Kereseth are ruled by their fates, spoken by the oracles at their births. The fates, once determined, are inescapable.

Akos is in love with Cyra, in spite of his fate: He will die in service to Cyra’s family. And when Cyra’s father, Lazmet Noavek—a soulless tyrant, thought to be dead—reclaims the Shotet throne, Akos believes his end is closer than ever.

As Lazmet ignites a barbaric war, Cyra and Akos are desperate to stop him at any cost. For Cyra, that could mean taking the life of the man who may—or may not—be her father. For Akos, it could mean giving his own. In a stunning twist, the two will discover how fate defines their lives in ways most unexpected.

Honestly, after what happened in Carve the Mark, I wanted a bit more to the story. I wasn’t as impressed by book 1 as I had initially hoped, but after all this time, I am really geared up for what’s to happen in book 2 (that would hopefully by far surpass the slowness in book 1 preparing for this). April 2018, you better come sooner!

4) Legendary by Stephanie Garber

legendary -stephanie garber The sequel to the New York Times bestselling and #1 IndieNext Pick Caraval, following Scarlett’s younger sister, Tella, on a journey to the empire’s capital to fulfill a dangerous bargain.

Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to her New York Times bestselling debut novel Caraval.

This year’s Caraval has concluded. Tella is alive—and safe, to her older sister’s relief. But Tella has secrets she has been keeping from Scarlett. Secrets like what Tella promised in exchange for the sisters’ invitations to Caraval in the first place. Secrets about the person to whom these promises were made. And secrets about Julian, the Caraval player who won Scarlett’s heart.

Afraid of revealing the truth to the person who loves her most, Tella runs away to Valenda, the capital of the Empire, to find the mysterious correspondent whom Tella owes. But in the nights leading up to Elantine’s Day, a cross between a masquerade ball, a jubilee, and Caraval, no one is to be trusted . . .

I have no idea how any of you can stand the longer than a year wait for book 2 since Caraval. I loved Scarlett and Julian together, but I’m very excited to see a bit more into Tella’s secrets that started it all. And I sure hope there’s only better things in store for Julian and Scarlett or I may very well implode with frustrated impatience. Stephanie Garber has taken us all by storm with her debut novel and May 2018 can’t honestly come soon enough!

3) Allied by Amy Tintera

allied -amy tintera In the final book in the New York Times bestselling Ruined series, the romance of The Selection and the epic stakes of Red Queen come together in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love.

Emelina Flores and her sister, Olivia, were determined to bring peace to the people of Ruina. But as the war for liberation raged on, what triumph and freedom meant to Em and Olivia slowly changed. As Olivia’s violence and thirst for vengeance became her only ambition, Em was left to pick up the pieces.

But it’s not only Em who is upset by Olivia’s increased violence. Other members of the Ruined army are beginning to see the cracks, and soon a small group of them defects from Olivia’s army and joins Em instead. The two sisters are soon pitted against each other in an epic battle for the kingdom and the future, and only one will win.

I was so saddened to hear that Amy won’t be giving out ARCs for this final novel in the Ruined series! I don’t know why all the amazing books always come out in May, but I need time to speed up so I can get my hands on this novel. Aside from pitting sisters against each other (quite a common theme post-Kendare Blake), I am dying for resolution for Em and Cas since day 1. I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for romantic tensions that keep apart people who love each other. Ugh, totally dying here waiting for May 2018 to arrive. I need this book to LIVE up to my expectations.

2) Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

queen of air and darkness -cassandra clare Dark secrets and forbidden love threaten the very survival of the Shadowhunters in Cassandra Clare’s Queen of Air and Darkness, the final novel in the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling The Dark Artifices trilogy.

What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

Forbidden romance, anyone? I was terrified that it was only a joke that this book went up for its publication date as it once said 2019. Like, 2019?? That’s WAYYY too far off to have to wait for this conclusion. I absolutely need this book right now. And you can never go wrong with Cassandra’s books in this beautiful world she’s created beneath our very own. The Dark Artifices series has only lived up to the hype these books have been given after all these years. Is it wrong to hope that December 2018 isn’t too far off either? I mean, we’ve just made it into the year 2018 but the struggle is real.

1) Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

obsidio -amie kaufman & jay kristoff Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.

I’m scared from reading this synopsis, but I want this. Badly. It’s been over a year since Gemina and I’m ready for this high-octane space adventure to come to its explosive conclusion. I need resolution for these characters! And as my most-anticipated book of the year, it’s thankfully coming out earlier than the rest in March 2018. I am positive it’ll live up to my expectations and more. Obsidio, I am waiting for you. No pressure or anything.

So, now that we’re in 2018, what did YOU love most in 2017 and what do you look forward to?

5 star, YA

Review: The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

December 31, 2017December 30, 2017 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: The Last Magician #1

Stop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.

In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

5 Drink Me Potions

If you want action, excitement, mystery, intrigue and plot twists, then The Last Magician is completely for you!

First off, I need to say that Lisa Maxwell is absolutely phenomenal in her storytelling. I fell in love with this 1900s version of New York and I never wanted to leave it. It’s so very hard to write a good historical fantasy that stays true to the time and location that was chosen. I absolutely loved this, and felt completely immersed in this land as much as Esta did.

Mystery and intrigue are high up there as we follow Esta back to the past to stop this elusive man known only as The Magician from destroying a book of magic that held secrets to protecting all those born with magical abilities in the future. What a tall order that was, but this girl was courageous – if not a bit too reckless at times. She was an amazing protagonist to follow as she navigated a world that wasn’t completely her own yet felt somewhat familiar at the same time.

If that wasn’t enough, the pacing of the book always felt just right. Yes, it could get a little slower in some places, but this gave room for introducing new characters and building relationships. Although a good romance is always forefront on my mind whenever I read a book, I enjoyed the friendships made along the way in this past time. And the book wasn’t completely devoid of romance!

The Magician, as it turns out, was no other than Harte Darrigan, an intriguing guy to follow in the book as well. Although it wasn’t always clear what his intentions and plans were, he’s a character that you can totally put your faith in and support no matter how sketchy others may have viewed him at times. And his chemistry with Esta was tangible, especially when they were at odds with each other. No matter that she’s supposedly his enemy and would have to betray him at some point to get the book, there was so much anticipation for what could be between them. And let me just say, it was enough to satisfy, although I honestly can’t wait for book 2 to come out already.

Even if none of the above has gotten your heart pumping by now, how about this? At the heart of the story, it’s a complicated con and heist that the crew Esta joins would need to pull off in order to steal from the horrendous Order that is hunting all magical people. Who doesn’t love a good villain, first of all? What’s better than some elusive and secretive group chasing the good guys? Honestly, this book HAS IT ALL.

Whether you’re looking for romance, action, suspense, plot twists, good world building or character development, The Last Magician really does have it all . It’s been a long time since I felt this way for a new author, but this feeling Lisa Maxwell induced in me is akin to reading some of Cassandra Clare, J.K. Rowling and Julie Kagawa’s books. No matter what you love more, or if you aren’t the biggest fan of historical books, trust me, you have GOT to give this a try.

It just may change your entire perspective. Or engulf a good portion of your time as you escape into New York, 1902.

Overall Recommendation:
Words are no match to the strong feelings that The Last Magician has invoked in me. Full of intrigue, suspense, action, character development and romance, Esta’s mission into the past to steal back a book that could save other magical people is both daring and more complex than it initially seems. Along the way, you’ll fall in love with the people she meets there, from a magical crew who becomes like family and a certain Magician who is more than meets the eye. And if not the people, you’ll come to love New York as it was in 1902, with magic as normal as your average person. Lisa Maxwell has created a world that I fell completely into and never wanted to leave. Book 2 is on my most anticipated list for 2018!

4 star, YA

Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

December 31, 2017December 30, 2017 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Arc of a Scythe #1

Two teens are forced to murder—maybe each other—in the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

Thou shalt kill.

In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (“gleaned”) by professional reapers (“scythes”). Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythe’s apprentices, and—despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation—they must learn the art of killing and come to understand the necessity of what they do.

Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe’s apprentice. And when it becomes clear that the winning apprentice’s first task will be to glean the loser, Citra and Rowan are pitted against one another in a fight for their lives.

4 Drink Me Potions

What can I say about Scythe?

Honestly? After taking a couple of days to think about it since finishing this book, I’m not sure I can put it into any better words. But here IS what I would say.

Scythe is deeply thought-provoking and makes you question bigger things such as morality and good and evil. Who is allowed to take a life? At what cost would this come? How does human nature tie into it all? Can you maintain your own soul when you are charged to take lives as a duty, over and over again?

All these things swirled in my mind as I was reading this book. And this book could be read pretty quickly but I had to take my time with it.

Citra and Rowan were both ordinary individuals living out their boring day-to-day lives. Very rarely do people around them die – otherwise known as being gleaned in this somewhat far off society on Earth. But then they both encounter a scythe and life as they know it becomes completely different.

I loved reading their stories from both their perspectives. It may not have been first person, but it was still really descriptive about their thoughts and feelings as they trained as apprentices to a Scythe Master. I loved the snippets at the end of each chapter that took insight into certain Scythe Masters’ thoughts about what they did and why they did it. Although they may seem random at first, everything tied together well in the end.

I felt that Neal Shusterman did an amazing job building this world that seems plausible as technology and data grows. But the most amazing feat he accomplished was the ability to capture complexity of human conscience and the in-between gray areas behind people’s intentions and actions. That is what kept me going throughout this book.

The only reason I couldn’t give this a full 5 star rating was my annoyance with Rowan at times. I’m not sure what to make of him nearer to the end, although I do hold out some hope that things are going to more than what they seem. Yes, I know that sounds vague but let’s not give away anything too much, right?

As for romance, I was so sure that there’d be more between Rowan and Citra but they weren’t together all that much in the story to truly develop anything stronger than attraction in my mind. I’m not sure what the ending implied but I look forward to seeing what’s to come for the both of them and the whole Scythedom as some crazy things really shake up its workings then.

Overall Recommendation:
Scythe provided a wonderful platform for a story about morality behind every action. As a Scythe or even as a simple apprentice, our protagonists Rowan and Citra learned so much about the workings of their immortal society and the role of scythes that is far more complex than simply killing a certain quota of individuals. In such a complex world that may not be so far off into the future, Shusterman did an amazing job building a believable society and its own problems that need to be solved. Overall, this story was one that made me think and it followed me long after I closed the last page.

Category: YA

Best of 2017 & Most Anticipated in 2018