Tag: action

YA

Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Fire and Thorns #2

the crown of embers -rae carsonShe does not know what awaits her at the enemy’s gate.

Elisa is a hero.

She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country’s ruler should be secure. But it isn’t.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears, once and for all, Elisa must follow a trial of long-forgotten—and forbidden—clues, from the deep, hidden catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her go a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man whom—despite everything—she is falling in love with.

If she’s lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.

4 Drink Me Potions

Following a few months after the previous novel, The Crown of Embers was even more exciting. This sequel was just as steeped in the religious practices that Elisa and her people follow, but now it’s taken another mysterious turn. Realizing that her destiny wasn’t quite fulfilled by the actions of the previous book, there’s crazier things in store for her as the only bearer of a living Godstone.

Right from the beginning, danger continually creeps against her. Whether from the crazy blue fire-wielding Inviernos or rumblings of people contesting her rule of the kingdom, Elisa is far from safe. I admired her in the first book, but in this one? I plain adore the change in her. She has gone from someone who didn’t really believe in her worth to trusting that God was right in choosing her.

Whispers of a deep source of magic underneath the ground that powers her Godstone sets her off on a new adventure. Along with her comes a cast of interesting characters. Some of these are familiar faces from her previous adventures, although not as many of my favourite people return. Some are new ones that are just as cool with back stories and realistic personalities that Carson has creatively crafted. One such person is a traitor Invierno who doesn’t understand sarcasm and perpetually seems to be either displeased or downcast.
Continue reading “Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson” →

YA

Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Fire and Thorns #1

the girl of fire and thorns -rae carsonOnce a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

3 Drink Me Potions

The Girl of Fire and Thorns was an interesting fantasy adventure with a huge religious backstory weaved throughout it. The world building was intriguing, with our protagonist Elisa being married off to the King of another kingdom for who knows what purposes. That sounds familiar enough, right? Something you may see in another fantasy adventure book? But the world building wasn’t as special as the huge amount of work that went into describing their religion and quotes of the religious scriptures that they believed in. After all, Elisa was the bearer of a physical stone embedded into her navel, known as the Godstone. She was God’s chosen one, so therefore, this story was gonna be heavily influenced by what she perceived as her duty to fulfill God’s will.

The world and all the people in it felt like it was heavily influenced by a Spanish-speaking community. The religion felt oddly familiar, like it too was influenced by Catholicism in its traditional rituals and sacraments. I found this unique and strange all at the same time. Religion and magic interweaved into a story together in the YA genre is not very common. Coming from one who personally believes in God, Carson wrote something that wouldn’t necessarily offend people as Elisa’s religion wasn’t quite the same as what people in our world believe in, and it wasn’t urging people to believe in what she did. I found myself oddly enjoying this aspect. As this God had characteristics like my God, I could personally understand Elisa’s struggles in figuring out her path as His chosen one.

In this world, she is a very special person to be born with a Godstone. Throughout the story, Elisa was my favourite part of it. There was so much inner struggle in finding out where she belonged, in how she could possibly do something of great service for the world and complete her “destiny”. She had self-esteem problems. Continue reading “Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson” →

YA

Review: Ruined by Amy Tintera

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Ruined #1

ruined -amy tinteraEmelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

4 Drink Me Potions

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

**Ruined comes out May 3, 2016**

I am a huge fan of Amy Tintera and her latest novel, starting an epic new trilogy, is no exception. Ruined is the fantasy book I’ve been waiting for this year. It is action-packed, brimming with betrayal and love and fear, as we follow one young woman’s quest in taking down a nation who nearly wiped out her whole race.

Em was a kick-ass heroine. She is one of the last of the Ruined’s royal family still alive. In this land where Ruined were graced with immense power and magic, they are now sought out and hunted as the other kingdoms feared what they are capable of. Out for revenge, she plots this absolutely crazy plan to take down her enemies, almost single handedly.

And the craziest thing of all? She doesn’t even have any Ruined magic in her.

Yes, this book sounds a little like Red Queen but Continue reading “Review: Ruined by Amy Tintera” →