Tag Archives: fiction

2015, Book Review

[Review] Half a King — Joe Abercrombie

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Book Title                  Half a King
Author:                        Joe Abercrombie
Number of pages:  336

Synopsis:

joe abercrombie - half a king (cover)Betrayed by his family and left for dead, Prince Yarvi, reluctant heir to a divided kingdom, has vowed to reclaim a throne he never wanted.

But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself – all with only one good hand. Born a weakling in the eyes of a hard, cold world, he cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he has sharpened his mind to a deadly edge.

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast, he finds they can help him more than any noble could. Even so, Yarvi’s path may end as it began – in twists, traps and tragedy…

(re: Goodreads @ Half a King by Joe Abercrombie)

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

– Familiar fantasy setting that draws from medieval influences
– Protagonist feels like a teeny bopper version of Tyrion Lannister of Game of Thrones fame
– Plotting/twists can be predicted with the right skepticism but the provocative writing, clever dialogue, and well-paced action made for an enjoyable experience
– A coming-of-age tale with complex characters who are not pawns to the protagonist’s story
– I would imagine Abercrombie’s grocery list is quite eloquent…

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Initial Thoughts

A highly anticipated read (back in 2014) that actually pans out right.

Continue reading [Review] Half a King — Joe Abercrombie →

2015, book events, book haul, Miscellaneous

[Book Events] – The Shelfie Hop 2015

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ShelfieHop

What is #TheShelfieHop?

It’s a day when blogger participants post pictures of their shelves and the community high-fives each other because books.

Continue reading [Book Events] – The Shelfie Hop 2015 →

2015, ARC review, Book Review

[Review] The Rest of Us Just Live Here — Patrick Ness

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Book Title                  The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Author:                        Patrick Ness
Number of pages:  352

Synopsis:

patrick ness - the rest of us just live here - book cover (US)What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.

(re: Goodreads @ The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness)

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

– Two overlapping narratives: 1) a story of your standard YA hero trying to save the world; 2) a story about the background noise simply living their lives (e.g. school/work)
– Nothing really special to note of the setting. There may be holes in the fantasy “world building” but it’s not of importance to the character-driven nature of the story
– Diversity in ensemble with character struggles that feel incredibly real (concerning LGBTQIA, mental illnesses, eating disorders, family issues, etc.)
– Highly quotable. If you enjoy Ness on Twitter, you’ll enjoy parts of the dialogue for sure

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Initial Thoughts

I will not let Nessochism take over this review…but oh my god it hurt to rate this book.

Disclaimer: The copy I read was an ARC given to me by Amanda @ Brains Books and Brawn that she received from an Indigo Teen giveaway.

Continue reading [Review] The Rest of Us Just Live Here — Patrick Ness →