Showing posts with label 2016 releases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2016 releases. Show all posts

20 Apr 2022

Archive Review: A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON by Samantha Mabry

20 April 0 Comments

Archive Reviews is a new series here on Books and Ladders where I post reviews that I have posted on other blogs, websites, or platforms, but never on here!

Revisit some of my past opinions, learn about new books to you, and see what I was reading in the past!

A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON

Author: Samantha Mabry
Series: N/A
Source: eARC from Publisher
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:

Summary:
Everyone knows the legends about the cursed girl--Isabel, the one the señoras whisper about. They say she has green skin and grass for hair, and she feeds on the poisonous plants that fill her family’s Caribbean island garden. Some say she can grant wishes; some say her touch can kill.

Seventeen-year-old Lucas lives on the mainland most of the year but spends summers with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico. He’s grown up hearing stories about the cursed girl, and he wants to believe in Isabel and her magic. When letters from Isabel begin mysteriously appearing in his room the same day his new girlfriend disappears, Lucas turns to Isabel for answers--and finds himself lured into her strange and enchanted world. But time is running out for the girl filled with poison, and the more entangled Lucas becomes with Isabel, the less certain he is of escaping with his own life. 
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little underwhelmed by this one but it was still a good book. I guess I thought from the description that there would be a bit more magic and a little less introspection. It was almost as if the book couldn't decide if it wanted to fully be magical realism or not. I think I was anticipating more magic or at least have it be integrated into the world a bit more. I thought that there just wasn't enough. But let's break it down.

What Worked:
Lucas fully acknowledging he had a hero/saviour complex -- and allowing someone to call him out on it without getting too mad. I thought that Lucas was actually a really well written character and that it was refreshing to have a male protagonist in this story. I thought he was critical enough of Isabel while still realizing that she did some horrible things. 

Isabel -- to an extent. I liked that she wanted to make her own destiny and that she collected all the wishes. I liked that she wanted to get better but not to the extent that her father wanted. I also kind of liked that she passed on her wish collecting to Lucas in a sense.

What Didn't:
The plot was ehhh. I think the problem was this was your typical contemporary mystery with some "magic" sprinkled in. But there wasn't enough of either element to make it pop to me. I didn't think the tension was high enough for Lucas to really be worried about getting charged with the murders and I think it was pretty obvious from the get-go who was even committing the crime. I also felt like the magic aspects were thrown in once the  "rest" of the plot was created. But it just didn't balance for me.

Isabel literally wanted someone dead because the girl liked Lucas. Come on, can't we have something different for once. *sighs*

Overall this is a decent book and there are some interesting aspects to it, but I would recommend checking it out at the library first before buying it.

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?

6 Jan 2017

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays (1): 2016 Release Round Up! #SFFFridays

06 January 2 Comments
To kick off Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays in 2017, I'm doing a round up of the 2016 releases I think you all should read. Clicking on the cover will take you to the Goodreads page so you can learn more about the book. I am highlighting books that I think you should pick up and read right now. I am excited to kick off this feature and show off some awesome Science Fiction and Fantasy books and some bloggers who also love them as well. I have lined up some great author interviews and guest posts as well as themed months for the year. There is also a giveaway at the bottom of the post so you can win some Adult SFF books!

Breakdown for the month...

January's Theme: YA to Adult Crossover
January 6: 2016 Release Roundup
January 13: Review of OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon from Shannon @ Shannon Reads
January 20: YA to Adult SFF Recommendations
January 27Review of THE ALCHEMISTS OF LOOM by Elise Kova

January 2016 Releases

ALL THE BIRDS IN THE SKY

Author: Charlie Jane Anders
Series: N/A
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: January 26, 2016

Summary:
From the editor-in-chief of io9.com, a stunning novel about the end of the world--and the beginning of our future

Childhood friends Patricia Delfine and Laurence Armstead didn't expect to see each other again, after parting ways under mysterious circumstances during high school. After all, the development of magical powers and the invention of a two-second time machine could hardly fail to alarm one's peers and families.

But now they're both adults, living in the hipster mecca San Francisco, and the planet is falling apart around them. Laurence is an engineering genius who's working with a group that aims to avert catastrophic breakdown through technological intervention into the changing global climate. Patricia is a graduate of Eltisley Maze, the hidden academy for the world's magically gifted, and works with a small band of other magicians to secretly repair the world's ever-growing ailments. Little do they realize that something bigger than either of them, something begun years ago in their youth, is determined to bring them together--to either save the world, or plunge it into a new dark ages.


A deeply magical, darkly funny examination of life, love, and the apocalypse.
Purchase:


Other January 2016 releases include...



February 2016 Releases

THE IMMORTALS

Author: Jordanna Max Brodsky
Series: Olympus Bound #1
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: February 16, 2016

Summary:

MANHATTAN HAS MANY SECRETS.

SOME ARE OLDER THAN THE CITY ITSELF.

Manhattan.
The city sleeps. Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson. She is alone-just the way she likes it. She doesn't believe in friends, and she doesn't speak to her family. Most of them are simply too dangerous.

Murders.
In the predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns. And so does the memory of a promise she made long ago. To protect the innocent-and to punish those who stand in her way.

Gods.
With the NYPD out of its depth, Selene vows to hunt the killer on her own. But when classics professor Theo Schultz decodes the ancient myth behind the crime, the solitary Huntress finds herself working with a man who's her opposite in every way. Together, they face a long-forgotten cult that lies behind a string of murders, and they'll need help from the one source Selene distrusts most of all: the city's other Immortals.

Much like Lev Grossman's The Magicians spoke to a generation of adults who grew up with Harry Potter, THE IMMORTALS will enchant anyone who loved American Gods or Percy Jackson.
Purchase:

Other February 2016 releases include...


15 May 2016

#SST: SUMMER OF SLOANE by Erin L. Schneider // #Review + #Giveaway

15 May 14 Comments
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Street Team tour post for
SUMMER OF SLOANE by Erin L. Schneider!
I have a review of the book for you and there is a tour wide giveaway at the bottom so keep scrolling! But first, let's learn more about the book...

SUMMER OF SLOANE

Author: Erin L. Schneider
Source: ARC via the Publisher
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary:
Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself. 
 
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book pulls no punches (ha!) and I felt each and every one of them. As someone who has dealt with something fairly similar, I felt for Sloane. I think everyone can relate to feeling betrayed by someone they call their best friend and give much more than they get out of a friendship and have to learn to walk away. This book not only tells you that it is okay to do something for yourself for once, but also gives you insight into the self-doubt you will have and the pain you will feel when you think "oh I have to tell X about this" before you realize that you shouldn't do that anymore for the good of your health.

14 Mar 2016

ARC REVIEW: ON THE EDGE OF GONE by Corinne Duyvis

14 March 0 Comments

ON THE EDGE OF GONE

Author: Corinne Duyvis
Source: eARC via the Publisher
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary:
January 29, 2035. That’s the day the comet is scheduled to hit—the big one.

Denise and her mother and sister, Iris, have been assigned to a temporary shelter outside their hometown of Amsterdam to wait out the blast, but Iris is nowhere to be found, and at the rate Denise’s drug-addicted mother is going, they’ll never reach the shelter in time.

A last-minute meeting leads them to something better than a temporary shelter: a generation ship, scheduled to leave Earth behind to colonize new worlds after the comet hits. But everyone on the ship has been chosen because of their usefulness. Denise is autistic and fears that she’ll never be allowed to stay. Can she obtain a spot before the ship takes flight? What about her mother and sister?


When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started out really liking this one: there was an autistic main character, the end of the world, and cats. But it seemed like it took too much time to DO anything and that the novel could have been cut down by a good 100-150 pages and still told me the same story. It was too much and too long for me and I started to get bored in between the exciting parts. It seemed like there was a bit of inclusion for the sake of inclusion and I just wanted something a little more out of this one than what we got. But I do like that it is a standalone because there isn't enough of that in YA science fiction.

29 Feb 2016

ARC REVIEW: BEYOND THE RED by Ava Jae

29 February 1 Comments

BEYOND THE RED

Author: Ava Jae
Source: eARC via the Publisher on Edelweiss
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Summary:
Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide. 
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think my problem with this one is that I was anticipating something more. The first half of the book didn't keep my attention the way I wanted it to and I was thinking that there would be something MORE out of the whole "genocide" and "flee"-ing that is mentioned in the summary. It was almost as though that was hastily added in or that there wasn't enough that "happened" and something else needed to be added to the drama of the story.

24 Feb 2016

BLOG TOUR: CONTRA by Andrea Murray || Review + #GIVEAWAY

24 February 1 Comments
Hello and welcome to my tour stop for CONTRA by Andrea Murray! I have a review for you, plus there is a giveaway at the bottom of this post! 

Let's learn more about the book...

CONTRA

Author: Andrea Murray
Series: Omni #2
Publisher:
Publication Date:
Rating4/5 stars

Summary:

In the sequel to the young adult dystopian novel, Omni, one young couple will do anything to stay together, and one man will do anything to control them. 

After barely escaping death in Omni, eighteen-year-old Pierce has left behind his place in the Artist stratum in exchange for sanctuary with his family. However, when Harmony goes missing, he can’t help but think it’s just another ploy of the Omni government to force him to return. 



With Harmony on her own, the two must find a way back to each other while battling against the full might of the government, but one powerful official is determined to keep them apart. Bent on revenge, Pelagic will stop at nothing to expose the secret of Pierce’s parentage.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a satisfying conclusion to the duology. I liked that the basis of the myth was still there but that Murray took some liberties with it to make it her own. I think it was a really well constructed duology that is best read back to back as one novel. I really liked the re-imagining of the world and the way that the system was created -- I also really liked the characterizations and the choices that everyone made. But it did feel a little easy for some of the characters to get what they wanted. I read the Author's Note after and I understand WHY the characters were able to get off easy, but it kinda felt like a cop-out.


12 Feb 2016

REVIEW: TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard

12 February 4 Comments

TRUTHWITCH

Author: Susan Dennard
Series: Truthwitch #1
Source: Purchased from Chapters
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary:
On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Purchase:
I went into this one knowing that the hype was probably going to kill it for me. But it wasn't even so much the hype that did me in but the first 65-70% of the book. Sure, I went into this hearing it was going to be the next Holy Grail but I knew that from the depths of the hype monster means that I would probably not enjoy it as much as those who were tweeting about it. I did still expect to thoroughly enjoy it and want to have the next book right away, sadly this was not the case.

Before I get a Bloodwitch on my trail who wants to kill me, let me say that I DID like it. It is a GOOD book. But it is not the be all, end all, especially of the YA Fantasy genre. There were a lot of great things about this one, but there were some instances in this novel that had me not enjoying reading it. I was at the point where I was at 41% and thought about DNF-ing it because I just wasn't getting into it. But I pushed through and the last 30% really wow-ed me, but I am reviewing the whole book so it is a solid 3 stars (with the first 65-70% being 2.5* and the last being 4*, which makes it 3* when you average it out. I can show you the math).

11 Feb 2016

REVIEW: EARTH'S END by Elise Kova

11 February 3 Comments

EARTH'S END

Author: Elise Kova
Series: Air Awakens #3
Source: Digital Copy from Kindle
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication Date: February 11, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary:
A woman awoken in air, a soldier forged by fire, a weapon risen from blood.

Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest.

The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance.
Purchase:

Disclaimer: I am a puddle of feels right now.
||"You were not born to be their leader, you were chosen. And that has far greater weight."
I finished this one in 2.5 hours. A new record for me. But like it was hard not to devour this one. I have minimal highlights because I could highlight the entire book. Kova really outdid herself this time. This series continually gets better as more layers are added to the story and the characters get more and more complex as time progresses. No character is one thing or another and it is so great to see their dynamics together. But, man, what I wouldn't give to be Raylynn for a night.

I think one of the things really well done in this series is the depiction of war. I've said it before and I will continue saying it: there is no shying away from the real, gritty aspects of war in these novels. There is wonderful (and kinda gross) depictions of the battle and the different elements of the fighting that the characters take part in. I think that is something you don't see a lot of in YA Fantasy, but I am so glad it is included in this one. I love seeing the characters, especially Vhalla, really struggle with the idea that they are killing someone who is just like them: similar ideals, lifestyle, woes and fighting for a cause they really believe in. 

I think one of the strongest moments in this one was when Vhalla enters into the Northern stronghold and sees the women and children trying to survive in there. Because she comes to realize that not everyone in the North are monsters or demons but rather human beings. I just had so many fist pumping moments because I am SO GLAD to see war and consequences in a YA novel not getting glossed over. (As I have said before, another good example of this is The Hunger Games).

I love the natural progression of the characters. They are morphed by the circumstances around them and what they have had to deal with, but they also grow because of the interactions they have with one another. In this book, we got a deeper look into Baldair and the Golden Guard, as well as the Lords of the Court. It was so interesting to see the political play of those in charge because it gave more depth to the history of the land and why the war is occurring. It also made me realize that there is so much more happening than Vhalla awakening and learning to deal with it. There are layers upon layers to this story and I am so excited to see where the story is headed. I freaking love high fantasy. And this is high fantasy at it's peak.

And strangely: I am also extremely happy with the ending. I love that beyond anything else, Vhalla is choosing to figure things out on her own. She needs to come to terms with everything that has happened to her over the past year without constantly thinking about boys or what the Emperor is scheming or what Victor is putting in her tea. Okay, maybe the last one is just me. But I need my girl to grow and come to realizations on her own without anyone playing puppet master because she has dealt with that for too long.

Lastly, (wow this is a short review compared to my last one) I have a theory about the crystal axe. I think it runs on blood magic of a sort. (i.e. the more the axe is used to kill (thus gaining blood), the more powerful it/the wielder becomes) But I think for Vhalla, since Windwalkers can't be tainted by crystals, it will just make her have a big ego if she uses it too much. Let me know what you think about that!

Have I mentioned I love this series? You should read this series. Someone finish this book and cry with me over it.

4 Feb 2016

ARC REVIEW: BLACKHEARTS by Nicole Castroman

04 February 2 Comments

BLACKHEARTS

Author: Nicole Castroman
Source: eARC via the Publisher
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary:
Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything. This is their story.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England? 


From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can't express with words how much I loved this story. This book is the perfect combination of romance and heartbreak and I feel as though my soul has been ripped in two. I know the general story of Blackbeard but not in depth, so it was really interesting for me to see parts of what I know overlap with the story's plot.