Waiting on Wednesday: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where you post about an upcoming book that you are excited for.

Title: Heir of Fire

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Blurb (from Goodreads): Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien's only thought is to avenge the death of her dearest friend: as the King of Ardarlan's Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendyln. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King's Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Ardarlan's biggest threat - and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?





 
 

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: MIRA Books

Blurb (from Goodreads): Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Megan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guesses the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

What I thought: I didn't really know what to expect from this book, as the last time I read a book about faeries, I was nine years old. However, I fell in love with this book.

The Iron King reminds me of one of my favourite books, City of Bones by the brilliant Cassandra Clare. In both books, a teenage girl discovers that the world is not like she thought it was and goes on a quest to save a kidnapped relative from a sinister villain. I had the same feeling reading this book as I did when I read City of Bones. That feeling of excitement and magic and just being so caught up in the world that it's all you want to talk about and all that you want to read about.

The main character in this book, Meghan Chase, is very well written. She's very believable. Her "voice" sounds exactly like that of a sixteen year old girl. She's the kind of girl that I'd be friends with. She's brave, kind, smart and honest. Although some of her decisions annoyed me at times, I couldn't help but care about her.

Then we have her best friend, Robbie or "Puck", her loyal sidekick who looks out for her, and by my best guess, want to be more than just friends.

Then we have the lovely Prince Ash. Oh, Ash, how I adore thee, even though you did make some questionable decisions. He's charming and sweet, yet he wouldn't hesitate to kill you. He's very mysterious and I really want to learn more about him as the series goes on.

Then we have Grimalkin, the Caith Sith who helps you out if you give him a favour in return. I loved him. I thought he was funny and added a lot of lightness and humour to the book.

And last but not least in my character introduction, we have Meghan's little half brother Ethan, who is adorable and so cute. Awww. He's the one that Meghan has to rescue after he's kidnapped and taken to faeryland.

The plotline of this book is very enjoyable, although there isn't that many twists and turns. It's still great.

I loved the world that Julie Kagawa created in this book. I knew a few things about the faery court from Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments, but I really enjoyed reading about it in greater detail and it was really interesting to me.

As you can see, I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to get the next book, The Iron Daughter.

Rating:  9/10

                         

 

The Girl Who Walked On Air by Emma Carroll

Title: The Girl Who Walked On Air

Author: Emma Carroll

Publisher: Faber and Faber

Release  Date:  August  7th  2014

Blurb (from Goodreads): Abandoned as a baby at Chipchase's Travelling Circus, Louie dreams of becoming a "Showstopper". Yet Mr Chipcase only lets her sell tickets. No Death - Defying stunts for her. So in secret, Louie practices her act - the tightrope - and dreams of being the Girl Who Walked On Air. All she needs is to be given the chance to shine.

One night a terrible accident occurs. Now the circus needs Louie's help, and with rival show Wellbeloved's stealing their crowds, Mr Chipchase needs a showstopper - fast.

Against his better judgement, he lets Louie perform. She is a sensation and gets an offer from the sinister Mr Wellbeloved himself to perform in America. But nothing is quite as it seems and soon Louie's bravery is tested not just on the highwire but in confronting her past and the shady characters in the world of the circus ...

Fans of Frost Hollow will love this epic adventure, where courage takes many different forms.

What I thought: I enjoyed reading this. I haven't read a book set in the Victorian times in a long while, so it was nice to go back there again.

It took me a while to warm up to the main character, thirteen -  year -  old  -  Louie, but she grew on me and I enjoyed reading the story from her narrative. Certain aspects of her personality, such as her bravery and her attitude, reminded be of Jacqueline Wilson's Tracy Beaker, who I liked reading about when I was younger. I really enjoyed reading about Louie's friendship with Gabriel. I thought that it was sweet and true.

The plotline of this book is good, with plenty of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I was always wondering what would happen next and I was eager to learn more about Louie's past.

As much as we've all wondered what it would be like to drop everything and run away with the circus, this book shows us that it's not all fun and games, and that there is a darker side to it which I never really thought about that much before reading this book.

One negative thing that I would have to say about this book is that I don't think that it dealt with some sensitive issues, such as loss, that well as I don't think it showed the effect that these issues had on the characters.

Overall, it was a good read. I'd recommend it to anyone between the ages of 9 - 12.

Rating: 7.5/10

 

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Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Puffin

Blurb (from Amazon): Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second - class citizen with a mysterious past, revild by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

What I thought: I'd heard a lot of great things about this book on Booktube, so I was delighted when I found it in my local library the other day. After World War IV, the world is stuck by a fatal plague and on the verge of all - out war. Cyborgs, who are seen as lesser than humans, are drafted in to try and find a cure to this deadly disease.

I loved the main character Cinder. I loved her bravery. I adored the love that she had for those close to her. She is very concerned about her cyborg parts as they make her different, which reminded me of the insecurities that we all have about ourselves. She always tried to do the right thing, sometimes at the expense of her own safety and well - being.

Prince Kai was awesome. He reminded me a lot of Dorian from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Mass, which is a huge compliment, as Dorian is one of my favourite characters in that series.

This novel is a retelling of Cinderella, and it's done brilliantly. At the start of each segment, or "book", is has excerpts from the fairytale. This isn't the story you remember, and there are many other elements of the book apart from the retelling.

I thought that the plotline of the book was quite predictable, and at times I felt like screaming the answers which seemed so obvious to me at Cinder. However, the book is still really good, and it's saying something that even though I knew what was going to happen, I kept reading for the sheer joy of it.

Rating: 8.5/10

 

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Title: Just One Day

Author: Gayle Forman

Publisher: Random House UK

The blurb (from Amazon): Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase - packed, planned and ordered. Then on the last day of her three - week - post - graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free - spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she's not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. The uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson's life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the "accidents" of faith, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost... and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.

What I thought: I really enjoyed this book. I flew through it in a few hours, which is always a good sign. I really identified with the main character, Allyson. I found that I had a lot in common with her, and her character development in this book is excellent. I loved watching her grow. Willem, the alluring boy she meets while visiting England captivated me with his personality and his sweet disposition, and also his love for chocolate and bread.

The writing in this book is beautiful. I love reading about foreign cities, and I now find myself wanting to go to Paris as I was so enchanted by Gayle Forman's writing about it.

You never expect much of a plotline in contemporary novels as they're mostly about the characters, but I loved the plotline of this book. The idea of fearlessly going to Paris for a day with someone you just met seems fun and exhillerating.

This book really is truly brilliant. I love it.

Rating: 9/10


 

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Title:    The Book  of  Blood  and  Shadow

Author:  Robin  Wasserman

Publisher:  Random  House  UK

Genre:  Mystery,  Young  Adult,  Fiction

The  blurb:  It  was  like  a  nightmare,  but  there  was  no  waking  up.  When  the  night  began,  Nora  had  two  best  friends  and  a  boyfriend  she  adored.  When  it  ended,  she  had  nothing  but  blood  on  her  hands.  Chris  was  dead.  Adriane  couldn't  speak.  And  Max,  Nora's  sweet,  smart,  soft-spoken  Prince  Charming,  was  gone.  He  was  also  -  according  to  the  police,  according  to  her  parents,  according  to  everyone  -  a  murderer.  Desperate  to  prove  his  innocence,  Nora's  determined  to  follow  the  trail  of  blood,  no  matter  where  it  leads.  But  Chris's  murder  is  just  one  piece  in  a  puzzle  that  spans  continents  and  centuries.  Solving  it  may  be  the  only  way  she  can  save  her  own  life.

What  I  thought:  I  went  into  this  book  with  high  expectations  because  of  all  the  hype  that  surrounded  it  when  it  came  out.  It  had  been  on  my  to - be - read  list  for  quite  some  time.  I  really  liked  the  premise  of  the  book  as  it  wasn't  something  I'd  ever  read  about  before.  I  enjoyed  the  writing  style  and  I  think  that  it  made  the  protagonist,  Nora,  seem  real.  I  like  how  Robin  Wasserman  described  Prague,  as  I'd  read  about  it  in  other  books  like  Days  of  Blood  and  Starlight  by  Laini  Taylor.

However,  I  felt  that  the  book  was  quite  slow  paced  and  that  it  took  a  very  long  time  for  any  important  events  to  happen.  I  feel  that  the  translations  dragged  the  book  down,  and  I  found  it  annoying  to  have  to  read  line  after  line  of  Ancient  Greek,  as  I  don't  like  reading  in  languages  that  I  don't  understand.

Overall,  this  book  is  okay.  I  think  it's  a  good  read  if  you  like  reading  about  history  and  foreign  cities.

Rating: 6/10