How awesome are those read it now for the first 500 member things from Netgalley! Especially when it's something I've been extremely excited for and actually got it!!
Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1333587/reading-progress-update-i-ve-read-1-out-of-100-pages
Review:
After being somewhat disappointed with the first book in the series, I found myself liking the second one much more. Particularly towards the end of the novel.
Spoilers for the first book.
Picking up shortly after the first one left off, Meira is now Queen of Winter, and the Winterians are trying to pull themselves back together, but overshadowed by the huge debt they owe to Cordell and jackass King Noam who has a specific request - to find the chasm where Magic was sealed. Meira's not so convinced this is such a good idea. Theron has an idea for diplomatic peace between nations. Meira is struggling with the switch from orphan soldier girl to queen, having to put Winter and its people above her own needs. Also dealing with politics and the fact Mather is not there anymore and is now just a regular Lord and not the Prince. Mather is struggling with this change as well.
There's a great deal of character development in this instalment, particularly with Meira and Mather. While I don't really care much about the romance angle, I found it quite interesting to see the shift in power and how they were coping with their new roles. Meira's character grew tremendously throughout the book. There was some more world building as well.
A good deal of the plot involves Meira searching for specific items revolving around the magic chasm plot in all the different Rhythms and Kingdoms outside of Winter. It's really quite interesting seeing how each different one operates. Though the worst is clearly Summer, who deal in pleasure and hedonism, and not much thought for much else. The worst bit is Summer buy and sell people as slaves and make deals with other nations for this and steal slaves if they don't get their own way. Though my favourite new character, Princess Ceridwen of Summer, a spunky snarky spitfire of a princess was pretty damn awesome. She's intelligent and opposed greatly to the way her brother the King runs Summer. She has some secrets of her own.
Other kingdoms operate in different ways, as Meira searches for what she needs, she has to cope as well with the knowledge of how the world outside Winter works. Makes for some interesting reading. And also makes me say thank fuck for maps in fantasy novels. The map in front helped a great deal of getting some perspective on where everything in this fantasy world was and helped for a great sense of place. Though I did the middle of the novel very very slow indeed. It was getting to the point of thinking - a nearly 500 page book and NOTHING is happening. As interesting as the character development and the political side of things were - it needed something else.
Then at the end there's a few terrible plot twists and a big rush of action. In spite of a slow middle, I definitely liked this second book a lot, especially Meira. While not my favourite fantasy series, it's improving with each book and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how it concludes.
Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1332164/review-ice-like-fire
Review:
There comes a point when I have to just accept that a popular author is just not for me. Truthwitch has been one of the most hyped up books on my book feeds, particularly my twitter feeds since BEA last year. I love the author, I think she's a wonderful person, and I really do admire her social media presence and the time and dedication she has to her fans. She seems like a really lovely person. However, it would appear I just don't get on with her books. This is the second book by the same author that I have found only okay and mediocre at best. Which really sucks when I really want to support the author.
I entered every give away I saw for this title, I've had it on pre order since May 2015. I even considered applying to join the street team on this one. The enthusiasm and hype surrounding Truthwitch has been amazing. Now at the point where I have muted everything Truthwitch related from my twitter feed.
On finally getting to read it, it would appear I am a black sheep. I did not love this book. I didn't like it much at all really. I will certainly say it's very creative in its characters and world-building. However, the world building I found to be lacking in description and confusing as hell. I didn't get much of a sense of place or any sort of background or history. You're pretty much thrown into the setting and away we go. It's certainly vivid and colourful and definitely original. But, I just didn't connect to any of it.
Partly I think because I just could not stand the main character. For most of the novel Safiya drove me up the wall. Didn't like her much. I didn't get invested in the barely there romance much at all. Stepped up quite a bit at the end, but still didn't really work for me much at all. Starting this novel I was under the impression that Safiya's power - she can tell a truth from a lie in anyone - was pretty much the most sort out and desired type of witchery in the novel.
However, her power isn't as awesome as it seems. Very early on she looses all her and her friend's money in a card game. Which had eyebrows arching immediately - if your power is to discern who's telling the truth and not surely you should be able to know who's cheating in a card game? Apparently there are ways Safiya's powers can be fooled. (This point does actually come up at some point towards the end of the novel).
Certainly fast paced and full of action. I liked most of the supporting cast. Particularly the best friend Iseult. Who was pretty awesome. One thing I really did like was the two female protagonists, Iseult was not just regulated to a BFF side character. She had a huge roll to play in the story and the friendship between her and Safiya is one of the best things about the book. The rest of it... still just okay.
The second half of the novel was a lot easier to follow once they were out of the city and onto a ship. The plot picked up quite a bit and started to make a lot more sense. Some fairly interesting character interaction. But once you get past the ship and onto the next destination, there's another plot twist thrown in involving some sort ancient prophecy and the role Safiya and Iseult are supposed to play. But again - there's no background or anything to explain this! It's tell and nothing to even give much history on this prophecy or anything. It's pretty much from those who know about it we've known about this forever and this is it, it's happening now. Very confusing. I'm assuming this is something to be explored in further books.
Not entirely convinced it's a series I want to continue, really.
Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1332161/review-truthwitch
Another case of the movie was better than the book. I took a bit of a gamble sticking this one on my Christmas book list. This book became the Johnny Depp movie 'The Ninth Gate' another favourite of mine. A dark atmospheric and somewhat chilling psychological thriller involving the occult and rare books.
I managed barely 60 pages or so of the book. Most likely not my taste, a lot of info-dumping of historical details regarding a missing chapter from a famous Dumas book before getting to anything recognisable from the Ninth Gate movie, but the style of writing I found to be very dry and couldn't connect to any of the characters. Don't think I'm the right audience for this book, but I wanted to give it a shot. Not for me.
Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1331665/dnf-the-club-dumas
DNFed at page 143.
Hardback purchased, an eye catching cover and interesting plot. Not a fairytale I know at all, so sounded interesting (and I did look up the original). While the novel was certainly very creative in its sci-fi atmosphere, it was very confusing, and I felt no connection to any of the characters. There seemed to be a lot going on and a lot of new things and characters and rules and laws popping up and I found myself growing very bored very fast. I do have another book by the same author I will give read at some point, but this particular book was not for me.
Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1331661/dnf-spinning-starlight
Review:
The Devil's Advocate is one of my favourite movies. I must have seen ten times plus. I can probably quote most of it word for word. I had no idea it was based on a book until last Saturday when watching the DVD again, I let the end credits roll longer than I usually do and noticed. So I immediately went and bought it.
This is a case, for me at least, the movie is ten times better than the book. The movie is brilliant. The book is bloody awful. I can see the basics of where the movie screenplay came from. The bare bones of plot and a fairly good idea is there. After winning a controversial case a young attorney is swept off his feet and brought into a prestigious top New York firm, the cream of the crop of lawyers and beautiful secretaries, all over seen by the charming and charismatic John Milton. Of course, as the story develops there's much more to it and nothing is as simple as it seems. There's a twisting darkness underneath it all.
The movie takes these ideas and builds a story that evokes a sense of fascination and dread with complex characters, rich although disturbing mythology, beautiful scenery and brilliant acting making for a great movie.
The book does none of this. The writing felt very poor and simple, characters were flat and one dimensional, the dialogue felt clichéd and lame. It was very much tell and not show. I didn't find there was any depth to anything. The only thing that kept me going was I wanted to see how the plot worked in the book compared to the movie.
Final conclusion, thankful I saw the movie first.
Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1327495/review-the-devil-s-advocate
Review:
I snagged a copy of this book from Netgalley when it was available as a 'Read It Now' title. The blurb sounded good, even though the cover is one of the worst I have ever seen. It looks like a twelve year old girl mooning over her favourite boy band.
It tells the story of 16 year old Allison who has a dream of being a world famous singer. She's actually really good at singing, so she secretly auditions for pop star TV reality show Center Stage!. She's not really old enough but figures what the hell, I'll take a chance. The grand prize is a recording contract and a chance to open for super popular boy band All or Nothing (of which Allison is a huge fan) It's not all about focusing on the big star boy band. The novel focuses on Allison as she goes through the audition stages, dealing with the backstabbing nature of other contestants and the harsh reality of "reality" TV.
It's well written, Allison is a sensible, likeable teen. She does some stupid things, true, she's very naive and trusting, something that her terrible coach, country singing superstar Nelly, and unscrupulous producers take full advantage of. She finds herself involved a lot with one of the boys competing on the show, Elliot. But are his feelings for her genuine, or is there something more underhanded about it?
Allison shows tremendous character growth as the novel progresses and she learns how reality TV really works. She's got some of the most promising talent, but her own coach seems to want her off the show, she's got others in her own group - in particular a horrible (but beautiful) girl named Robin who seems to just be out to sabotage everyone else's chances instead of playing fair. Allison has a wonderful support network thanks to her friends, and her parents. Parental involvement! From her mum and her dad. Believable parental involvement without being sickly sweet or overwhelming. There's plenty of drama, and quite a few funny bits towards the end when Allison realises she's being used and decides to get her own back and stand up to the snotty producers; All Or Nothing make an appearance a few times, but there's a twist.
It's a fast read, plot doesn't require much picking apart or thinking about. It's well written with both likeable and unlikeable characters, believable and a very enjoyable, entertaining read. Certainly an author I would read again.
Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1326818/review-center-stage
