Category Archives: ARC review

2016, ARC review, Book Review

[Review] The Serpent King — Jeff Zentner

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Book Title: The Serpent King
Author:     Jeff Zentner
Number of pages: 384

Synopsis:

jeff-zentner-the-serpent-king-book-coverDill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

He and his fellow outcast friends must try to make it through their senior year of high school without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Graduation will lead to new beginnings for Lydia, whose edgy fashion blog is her ticket out of their rural Tennessee town. And Travis is content where he is thanks to his obsession with an epic book series and the fangirl turning his reality into real-life fantasy.

Their diverging paths could mean the end of their friendship. But not before Dill confronts his dark legacy to attempt to find a way into the light of a future worth living.

(re: Goodreads @ The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:

– A quiet coming of age centering on Southern youths living within The Bible Belt; the environment/infrastructure is vividly imagined
– Multi-POV narrative (2 boys, 1 girl) with socioeconomic and religious diversity
– Pitch perfect characterizations with accessible struggles that make it easy to empathize and root for these kids
– This story capitalizes on the art of living and growing up featuring prose that’s mundanely resilient, effortlessly luminous, and simply raw.

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Initial Thoughts

I read most of this book commuting on transit. The dialogue between my heart versus brain went something like this:

Heart: Oh hey there sad mome–

Brain: —FIGHT THE TEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRSSsss.

There are no spoilers in this review.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from Penguin Random House of Canada courtesy of Goodreads First Reads. I extend thanks for letting me read this in advance. (Also props to the creative decision to make the ARC cover feel so buttery.)

Continue reading [Review] The Serpent King — Jeff Zentner →

2016, ARC review, Book Review

[Review] A Gathering of Shadows — Victoria Schwab

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Book Title: A Gathering of Shadows 
           (A Darker Shade of Magic #01)
Author:     V.E. Schwab
Number of pages: 512

Synopsis:

A Gathering of Shadows FinalFour months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.

(re: Goodreads @ A Gathering of Shadows by Victoria Schwab)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:

– Essen Tasch (The Element Games) is a Gladiator-style Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra Pro-bending Competition (for comparisons sake)
– Slowly paced in the first quarter due to backstory and “catching up” with the timing
– On plot alone, AGOS can read like a “filler” second book but this arc focuses on character development
– Bromance game is strong; romance is more prominent
– A Nikolai Lantsov (Grisha) doppelganger who is wonderful (basically a witty, fluid, and grey character)

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Initial Thoughts

When I finished, I was curled up in the fetal position…#themoreyouknow

There are no spoilers in this review unless you haven’t read A Darker Shade of Magic, then I can’t help you there.

Disclaimer: The copy I read was borrowed from Shelly @ Read, Sleep, Repeat. Thank you Shelly for letting me read this in advance.

Continue reading [Review] A Gathering of Shadows — Victoria Schwab →

2016, ARC review, Book Review

[Review] Glass Sword — Victoria Aveyard

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Book Title:       Glass Sword (Red Queen #02)
Author:           Victoria Aveyard
Number of pages:  448

Synopsis:

glass-sword-victoria-aveyard-book-coverMare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

(re: Goodreads @ Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:

– The cover screams: “why fix what isn’t broke?”
– World building veers toward Sci-Fi introducing a wealth of technology; lack of explanation for caste-defining blood distinctions
– Plot is “recruitment to the cause“-centric similar to X-Men: First Class
– Lacking threat and presence of villains throughout (Maven basically gets Darkling’d a la Grisha Trilogy)
– New characters share similarities to those in the X-Men, but more importantly, they read as token shields and plot pushers with limited charisma other than their utility
– Mare remains Mare; continued repetition of old-and-new quotes
– Recommended to have the map of Norta handy as it isn’t provided (see below)

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Initial Thoughts

Oh look, the bringer of negativity is back. Glass Sword didn’t redeem the shortcomings of Red Queen (2/5 review here). I seriously wanted to like this book, okay?

Fine print #1: You probably shouldn’t read the review unless you’ve read Red Queen. There aren’t any Glass Sword spoilers.

Fine print #2: Disregard my opinions below and read Glass Sword if you’d like to. (Then come back to me and we can talk about it.)

Full disclosure: I received an ARC courtesy of a giveaway from Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles. Thanks Britt (and sorry Britt :(!)

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