Monday, November 12, 2012

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Grisha #1)

 
 
 

 


Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo :)

A Brief Summary:

Shadow and Bone follows the story of Alina Starkov, a remarkable young girl, who holds a power not even she realizes she has. All her life she's never fit in. Not in the orphanage where she grew up alongside her best friend, Mal, or in the First Army where she serves as a mapmaker.
In her world people of elite status with unique magical abilities, called Grisha, serve as nothing more than fanciful servants to the king of Ravka. Or more so, to the Darkling, the most feared and respected Grisha in the country.
One day, while protecting Mal, it is revealed that she too is Grisha with a very rare and sought after power: the ability to summon sunlight. She is then swept away from all she has ever known, and is brought to court, where it is believed that she is the sole person who can destroy the Fold, a huge rift of pure darkness, where terrible monsters will devour whoever dares to venture into it.
So yeah, our girl's got the future of the world on her shoulder, quite litteraly.. So this is her story.




Shadow and Bone was nothing like I expected it to be. And yet, at the same time, it was exactly like I expected it to be. Or at least hoped it would be. It absolutely blew me away. The creativity and originality that went into this novel was just… breathtaking!!
The world-building was out-of-this-world intense. It’s very much a learn-as-you-go-along book; it takes a while for you to learn everything, but the depths that the world-building goes to are unbelievable. From the magic, to the different classes of Grisha, all the different towns, the sceneries, the descriptive passages—even the clothing and food was described with the outmost detail, yet it never felt overdone. I never felt like I was reading too much description.
 
The characters introduced in this book were all so complex. I found a soul mate in Alina Starkov- she was a strong, intelligent protagonist, who grew a lot in character throughout the book, which I appreciated very much. Though the author didn't force Alina's character, or any of the female characters in fact, out of their element by portraying them as Women Who Have Balls. No. This book is focused on female empowerment, women who are reliable and capable individuals with brains and determination.
The men weren’t bad either. In fact the Darkling had me completely fooled. He had so many different sides to him, which really just left me confused with no idea what his true intentions were, though I never expected him to be the villain. My opinions of the Darkling are quite similar to Alina’s opinions of him. She knows he’s bad news, but is intrigued at the same time. Even when she knows he’s evil, there’s a part of her that still loves him. Because of that confusing love-hate feeling I have toward the Darkling, he is one of my favorite villains of all time.
Overall this book left me wonderstruck, and I can’t wait for the next one, Siege and Storm!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #3)












 

The Iron Queen
  By Julie Kagawa
  Harlequin Teen
  January 25th 2011
  358 pages


My name is Meghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.
This time, there will be no turning back.

What can I say about this book?! Enchanting, Haunting, Brilliant, Amazing, Heartstopping, Terrifying, Breathtaking.... And so on...

The plot was so well planned out that my brain didn't had a slightest idea of where the story was headed. I couldn't see how everything could wrap up, I couldn't see how in the Nevernever Meghan would take down the bad person. I couldn't see anything beacuse I didn't have the imagination of Kagawa! And because my eyes were unseethroughable for the tears!
Once again she has locked my brain with an unbreakable password, so that my imagination couldn't work at all... And I was soooooo grateful for that, because The Iron Queen was sooooo much better in real life, than in my head. And if any book is better than the one of your imagination...
That is a 5 star book, And that is The Iron Fey!
Meghan really grew in this book. She started out as a weak human teenager who had a big crush on the captain of the football team, and journeyed into a world were people could as easily as breath stab you in the back, and turned out to be the big 'title of the book'. We get to follow her through all these things and we get to feel her emotions and we get to see what she sees, through HER eyes, and I couldn't think of a stronger, more breathtaking, more enchanting way to see the Nevernever! I adored Meghan and her courage! She grew physically stronger and mentally much stronger, and that was really incredible!

And for all of you who loved Ash or Puck. You will NOT be disappointed! They grew as well, but not as much as Meghan grew. Puck really was the same as he's always been, and That's the way I love him. Ash... Ash way just incredible in this story! He was really a big part of it, and we get to find out more things about ice-boy. Things that we maybe already knew :) And things he has kept secret :) Ash way just amazing and so caring in this book, that I smiled while reading it, feeling very cozy and warm :)

Although!! I screamed on the last page... It wasn't really a scream, but a high pitch girly sound that would've waken the dead people in a morgue... Yeah and after that high-pitch-waking-dead-people-scream, I...
Okay... So here I give you a little equation... The Iron Queen + Me + Train + Peope + high-pitch-waking-dead-people-scream + 5 A.M. = YOU DO NOT WANNA GO THERE!!!

So all in all... I liked EVERYTHING about this book, and I'm so stoked about the next book THE IRON KNIGHT!!! If you have ANY idea when it comes out...

Yeah.. so ... Go read it HURRAY!!



Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #2)














  The Iron Daughter
  By Julie Kagawa
  Harlequin Teen
  August 1st 2010
  359 Pages





Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.


Hello!

Hello readers!

So I started this blog to talk and review books. I love giving my honest oppinion on books as much as I love books! I will mostly review young adult books, because I am an young adult, and because they are my favorite genre! :)

How I started reading:
Well.. I don't really remember. In my family, my dad and I are big readers. My mom, not so much 'cause she has a lot of other things to do :) I started with fantasy books and some classics (But 7year old me didn't understand a tiny bit) and I was reading a lot of books that we had to read for school, which by the way were pretty fine books. But then....

I started reading Young Adult books when I turned 13. I read Twilight 'cause there were a lot of buzz about it and knowing me, I probably thought of getting kicked if I didn't ride the wave, and Twilight introduced me to YA!!! Wuhuu!!
Before, I didn't even know that young adult was a genre. I thought... I don't know what I tought but..
The second YA series I read got me without a doubt HOOKED!!! Guess which!!.. O.K. It was The Mortal Instruments series. I was completely obsessed with the series, and couldn't stop talking about it, and I think I became a little bit obnoxious to my parents.. shhh...
So since then, I have been reading YA, and I'm loving it!! Luckely there's a long time before I turn not young adult so I'll have plenty of time to read YA!!!! Jaaahh...

Okay, so enough about that. Now I will fill you in on my reading!! :)
I've decided to do a 60 book challenge this year, and I might encrease 'cause I am ahead of schedule (Yes I like to make schedules).

  1. Untamed - P.C. & Kristin Cast
  2. Hunted - P.C. & Kristin Cast
  3. Tempted - P.C. & Kristin Cast
  4. Burned - P.C. & Kristin Cast
  5. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
  6. Awakened - P.C. & Kristin Cast
  7. T1rteen R3asons why - Jay Asher
  8. Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
  9. Pretty little liars - Sara Shephard
  10. Ink exchange - Melissa Marr
  11. Fragile Enternity - Melissa Marr
  12. Firelight - Sophie Jordan
  13. Fallen - Lauren Kate
  14. City of bones - Cassandra Clare
  15. The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
  16. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
  17. Darkest mercy - Melissa Marr
  18. Falling under - Gwen Hayes
  19. City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare
  20. City of glass - Cassandra Clare
  21. The Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa
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Xo
-Ali<3