Category Archives: series

2014, adventure, Book Review, mystery, mythology, romance, science-fiction, series, steampunk, YA

[Review] Chasing the Star Garden – Melanie Karsak

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Book Title:                    Chasing The Star Garden
(The Airship Racing Chronicles Series #01)
Author:                           Melanie Karsak chasing the star garden cover
Number of pages:    325

Synopsis:

An opium-addicted beauty.
An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.
An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.

Melanie Karsak’s Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thrilling adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley.

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily’s life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium.

Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

(re: Goodreads @ Chasing The Star Garden by Melanie Karsak)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:
  • It’s like the Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones – a treasure-hunt of sorts on both tangible/intangible extremes.
  • Fancy steampunk? World building is superb and this is a fast-paced read that might fit your bill.
  • Anti-heroine is fleshed out well. She also inhales drugs and alcohol like oxygen. So that’s cool.
Initial Thoughts:

I don’t really understand the hype of steampunk or the vintage feel of steam-powered technology. I mean, I guess I can visualise the appeal others might have…but it just never did it for me. And then I was graced with this read; which I will say kind of changed my perception of steampunk. Not by much, but it’s a step in the right direction in discovering new things.

Let me throw down some concrete thoughts:

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] Chasing the Star Garden – Melanie Karsak →

2013, action, Book Review, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, romance, science-fiction, series, YA

[Review] Sunset Rising – S.M. McEachern

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Book Title:                      Sunset Rising (Sunset Rising Series #01)
Author:                             S.M. McEachern
Number of pages:      325

Synopsis:

s.m. mceachern - sunset rising (cover)

February 2024: Desperate to find refuge from the nuclear storm, a group of civilians discover a secret government bio-dome. Greeted by a hail of bullets and told to turn back, the frantic refugees stand their ground and are grudgingly permitted entry. But the price of admission is high.

283 years later… Sunny O’Donnell is a seventeen-year-old slave who has never seen the sun. She was born in the Pit, a subterranean extension of the bio-dome. Though life had never been easy, lately it had become a nightmare. Her mom was killed in the annual Cull, and her dad thought it was a good time to give up on life. Reyes Crowe, her long-time boyfriend, was pressuring her to get married, even though it would mean abandoning her father.

She didn’t think things could get any worse until she was forced upstairs to the Dome to be a servant-girl at a bachelor party. That’s where she met Leisel Holt, the president’s daughter, and her fiancé, Jack Kenner.

Now Sunny is wanted for treason. If they catch her, she’ll be executed.

She thought Leisel’s betrayal was the end. But it was just the beginning.

(re: Goodreads @ Sunset Rising by S.M. McEachern)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:
  • A fast-paced action filled read based on tyranny versus revolution.
  • Strong heroine/protagonist and charming/witty male lead; prototypical YA romance.
  • Typical, mundane tasks made interesting and given life.
  • Interesting world building that’s seemingly larger than what it seems.
Initial Thoughts:

I finished this in about a half day so I guess you could say I couldn’t put this book down. It wasn’t a mind blowing or intensely thought provoking experience, and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting that. I was looking for an action driven dystopian narrative with a respectable plot and I think I got just that.

And like many books within this particular subgenre, it really is best to go in with an open mind and not make comparisons to its existing predecessors. But if you’re one to judge like that then consider this: if you’re to take elements from currently trending YA dystopian series (I won’t name them, but you can take a guess) and they all created a love child then this would be one of their offspring. But hey, remember a lot of formula goes into writing narratives within this subgenre as well so it’s not all too surprising.

The cover is nice and the synopsis does enough to bring you into the book. I’ll tangent further into this in the review itself.

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] Sunset Rising – S.M. McEachern →

2013, aliens, Book Review, dystopian, romance, science-fiction, series, YA

[Review] The 5th Wave – Rick Yancey

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Book Title:                    The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave Series #01)
Author:                            Rick Yancey
Number of pages:    457

Synopsis:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

(re: Goodreads @ The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:
  • The world and plot is quite familiar – aliens, post-apocalypse, aliens, world domination, romance. Cool beans.
  • Story-telling through varying perspectives; a mix of characterisations (fresh and prototypical).
  • The writing is purposeful, connected, and tension-seeking even in downtime.
  • Formulaic YA romance; which ship to sail on?
Initial Thoughts:

I know what you’re thinking: a narrative similar to Meyer’s ‘The Host’. And you’re absolutely right. And wrong. At the same time. Page turn. But it takes the alien invasion we know so well—sort of well, and integrates it’s own spin on things.

Oh. The feeling of staccatos above is just how many sections read. You can love or hate it, but I wasn’t too bothered by it.

With trending YA post-apocalyptic dystopian literature, it is relevance that makes this genre of narratives all the more compelling and frightening. Relevance to world-building (especially if it’s of a contemporary nature); relevance to human dynamics; and relevance depicted through multifaceted storytelling. My superficial expectations.

So does the 5th Wave’s initial instalment hit most of the marks? Yes and no.

I’ll tell you why.

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] The 5th Wave – Rick Yancey →