Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab


Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V.E. Shwab
Series: Shades of Magic #1
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: February 24, 2015
Genre: Fiction; Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Adventure; Adult for Young Adult
Pages: 398
Format: Hardback
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Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.


But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.



Parallel universes, magic, London, London, and more London. How…intriguing.

Scene One: Red London. So saturated with magic, the inability to control the elements is considered odd. Scene Two: Grey London. Our London, aka the considerably less cool of all the Londons. Scene Three: White London. Oppressed by the cold, cruel, colorless Danes twins, this London is doomed to meet the unspeakable fate of Black London.

First of all, character building? Flawless. Lila, the bossest of characters I’ve read in 2016, was a hands down favorite (except, of course, the Danes twins, but we’ll get to that later…). Kell and Lila made the most fantastic team. The dynamic between the two was indispensable in creating the suspenseful nature withheld throughout the entirety of the novel. Let me explain:

Kell: Dreamy (emphasis on the dreammmyy). The pet of the Red London royal family. A good boy, except when he’s not. A curator of relics of other Londons and an unapologetically proficient black-market dealer, which happens to be a bit illegal. An Antari and one of the few remaining Travelers.

Lila: An all-round-good-for-everything badass. Dreams of adventure and escape, preferably of the pirate variety. A competent thief and incurably stubborn. Sarcastic, insensitive. A blast to read.

They fit together like two perfect pieces of a puzzle.

As they fight two villains who could possibly be two of my favorite villains of all time, they work in perfect harmony. I appreciate how Schwab doesn’t make their victory too easy. Those Danes twins were the most well-developed antagonists. With well-placed rumors of floors inlaid with the bones of their enemies, their wonderfully creepy appearances, and their insane, despicable dispositions, the Danes twins were entirely unlikeable (in the most likeable way).

Parallel universe settings are so easy to get wrong. Luckily, Schwab knows what she’s doing and does it right in every way. She cuts down on the potential confusion by focusing on one particular place throughout the entire novel with certain checkpoints to hold the three worlds together. She doesn’t go overboard with fifty worlds, nor does she lamely half-ass her attempt with only two worlds. She sticks with the nice, comfortable, simple number of 3 (or, technically, 4). She briefly mentions the differing surroundings of each world, but doesn’t go into too much depth.

Also, can we just take a second and look at this beautiful cover? Is it not stunning?

A Darker Shade of Magic was a job well-done. Every part of this book deserved the favorable reception it was given. I’ll be reading the sequel very soon.


I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.










Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR


Top Ten Tuesday is a really great meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish

Today's Topic? 

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

Spring (n.): One of the four season of the year; usually entails the cutest darn baby animals you've ever seen in your entire life, more flowers than there are stars, allergies, allergies, and more allergies, the weather you've been waiting all freaking year for, and, of course, brand new books! 



Here are the top ten books on my to-read list for this year's spring time:


Lady MidnightWinner's KissThe Weight of FeathersThe HeirSloppy Firsts


1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare: Spring is all about new things, right? Well...this BRAND NEW series in the Shadowhunter chronicles should be perfect for spring reading!
2. The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski: With no particular relation to the spring time, I just really need to get my hands on this book. I loved her other novels, and now, it's time for me to devour this one. It just happened to be released around spring. 
3. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: Birds are springy. They fly around and tweet their little (slightly annoying) bird songs. Why not read a book that references feathers in the title? 
4. The Heir by Kiera Cass: I have to, I have to read this book. Now. Right now. I might be subjecting myself to an onslaught of thorougly addicting books/romances, but I am so ready for it.  
5. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty: I smell realistic fiction with a side of juicy romance. What could be more perfect for the spring? 


Salt To The SeaHello, Goodbye, and Everything In BetweenExtraordinary MeansBoy Most Likely ToGlass Sword


6. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys: I love me some real good historical fiction. Salt to the Sea is not only historical, it's Ruta Sepetys historical, which, to me, is one of the best kinds.
7. Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith: So, no, there is never a time when romance is not appropriate. But, during the spring time, it's even MORE appropriate. And Jennifer E. Smith is just too cute. Plus, might I just say, her book titles are to die for.
8. Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider: I adored the Beginning of Everything, and even if this story isn't as happy-go-lucky as some of the other picture-perfect spring reads, a story about second chances and learning to love is just fine for this time of year.
9. The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick: Ah, the aforementioned picture-perfect spring read. What else can I say?
10. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard: The first was so good, I just couldn't deny myself the pleasure of reading the sequel. Reading this as soon as possible is high on my list of spring to-dos.







Monday, August 17, 2015

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke Review

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

Title: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke
Author: Anne Blankman
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #2
Publisher: Blazer + Bray
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction; Romance; Adventure; Mystery; Young Adult
Pages: 406
Format: ARC
The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.


Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?


*Sigh*Historical fiction is so great.

Gretchen Whitestone was once Adolf Hitler’s pet. She was the perfect niece, and she admired Hitler to the point of fault. After meeting Daniel Cohen, her world shattered, and she ended up in England, free from Hitler’s tight reign over her and Germany. She’s happy, and she sees the life she always wanted stretched out before her. However, when Daniel is captured in Germany, Gretchen must face her horrible past, and triumph over the once inescapable grasp of her Uncle Adolf.

Even though we all know how it ends (Hitler gains control of Germany and starts a war around the world), Anne Blankman still manages to keep me guessing. She writes like there’s a chance of Hitler’s defeat, even if there’s not. When I’m reading her work, I’m in Germany while the Nazis are rising. I’m watching the Nazi parade and seeing Hitler’s stupid little mustache. Her melding of history and fiction together is astounding and thoroughly entertaining. Her painstaking attention to detail is enough to send her novels over the moon.

I love how this book shines a totally new light on who Adolf Hitler was, and how his comrades in his quest for domination acted and thought. I love the historical value of Anne Blankman’s writing, and it totally makes this whole reading historical fiction thing worth it ten times over. Reading and learning are two of my favorite things, and both come in this 406 page package.

I maintain that the Prisoner of Night and Fog series is one of the best World War II novels written, among Code Name Verity and The Book Thief. If there is ever another book in this series, I would read in a heartbeat.