Gathering Darkness

Why did I wait so long to read Gathering Darkness? It might be my favourite of the series so far. Morgan Rhodes creates such complex, interesting characters. It's almost impossible to completely love them or hate them. There's some part of even the best intentioned characters that you don't like or even hate. You find sympathy for those that you thought you hated. There's love between these characters too, real, messy, complicated love. Not just romantic love, in Gathering Darkness we find love between friends, siblings, parents and children. So much of that love is mixed with anger and hate. How will it all unravel?

That ending was everything. Lots of great things happened throughout the story.  Tension, fights, daring escapes, and magic were all blended together to create a captivating and entrancing story. I spent a lot of nights staying up too late reading. Even with all that amazing story, the end was everything.  The ending was all the excitement and intrigue of the rest of the book condensed into the last 10%. Rhodes surprised me with what happened to the characters. There were a lot of things I didn’t expect. Things I thought would happen after reading the first Falling Kingdoms book have not held up.  Characters who I thought were good I think really are the villains, people who I thought would get together, are actually in love with someone else. There’s so much lying, so much selfishness, but also selflessness.

There are three more books in this series. There is so much possibility. I have no idea what is going to happen. I don't know if by the end Mytica will still be standing. I don't know if it will go back to being three countries or if the island will unite under one banner. I don't know if the looming empire will take over. I don't know how magic will play a part in all of it. There's just so much unknown, but that's okay, I'm excited about it. I know Rhodes will make it flow, I know that it will make sense in the Falling Kingdoms world. I know that I will get wrapped up in the story again and I hope I am surprised by every ending.

Rebel Spring

The world that Morgan Rhodes has created is beautiful. Mytica is a mysterious island, where King Gaius has forced three countries into one. The island is one with hidden magic, with magical beings watching it. There is a magical treasure to find and these beings are influencing the mortal world. They should all be working towards the same goal, but maybe not. The story is rich, with enough movement that I can't say where it will all end. With such a fantastic world and plot, it is the characters that have me coming back.

When I started Rebel Spring, I was so excited to find out what happened to the characters from Falling Kingdoms. Cleo and Jonas, Magnus and Lucia, all had such open ends to their stories. But I didn't expect the new characters to grip me just as much. Lysandra is amazing and Prince Ashur is intriguing. The Watchers gave me more than one, what the f@#$?! moment. I can't wait to see where these characters are going to go. Rebel Spring is full of unexpected twists and reveals. Morgan Rhodes created such a high intensity sequel, it had me hooked into this series more than the first book.

I really like that the book opens with Lysandra. Even though I wanted to know about the other characters, Lysandra's story is important. It also gives you a good idea what the tone of this novel is going to be like. There's a lot of death. There's torture and destruction. Blood will be spilled on the land, Gaius is the King of Blood after all. Lysandra also concludes this story, making the novel more complete than if the ending has less of her.

Also, Prince Ashur! He is going to be a wild card. I wasn't sure how he was going to fit into this intense, complex mix of characters, but he did his job. He's getting in there. He's learning and forging alliances, among other things. I'm excited to see what he does next. I wonder who he'll side with or if he has an agenda all his own.

That moment between Cleo and Lucia, what is going to come from that? Cleo has lost everything. Her entire life has changed and she really is lucky to be alive. She's long gone from that spoiled princess. She's learning to be a leader, to be strong, to be smart. She's learning to believe in magic. I want her to make the right decisions, but between Jonas and Magnus, Lucia and the king, I'm not always sure what that's going to be. Her relationship with Jonas is what I thought it would be, but her relationship with Magnus is something different.

Is Lucia going to be a villian? I can't tell. I don't want her to be. I think she has the potential to join Mytica together in a way unlike her father, but I don't know if she's capable. How much is she going to be influenced by others and by her own power? Is she going to lose herself? I feel like Rhodes initially wrote her as an innocent girl, being controlled by her adoptive father, but I'm not sure about that any more; she's not the girl she used to be.

I need to keep reading this series. Except for Cleo, the King of Blood, and maybe Jonas, I can't tell who the heroes and villians of this story are going to be. Anyone could choose to do anything. Many of their decisions seem personal, but they will effect the whole of Mytica.

Annual End of Year Book Survey – 2013 Edition!

This is the third time I’ve done Jamie’s End of Year Book Survey.  I really enjoy it.  I like looking back each year at my life in books. I've been above normal busy, so my answers might not be as long as normal, but it’s still fun.  If you do a survey, leave a message in the comments so I can come visit!  Make sure to visit Jamie's site, filled with links to more book surveys!

1. Best Book You Read In 2013?

This one is so difficult.  I read some amazing books in 2013.  I’m going to list five that I loved.... Redshirts, by John Scalzi; The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey; Prodigy, by Marie Lu; MaddAddam, by Margaret Atwood; The Little Sisters of Eluria, by Stephen King.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

This one is actually more difficult than the first question.  I loved everything I read this year.  I was surprised by a lot of books, but none of them disappointed me.  You can check out my Goodreads list for 2013.  All except one book is four or five stars.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

I was surprised by how much I loved Soak, by Kerri Cull.  It’s a short book of poetry, and it had a coherence I didn’t expect.

 4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

I’m going to do a three-way tie for this one: Redshirts, by John Scalzi; The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey; Horns, by Joe Hill

 5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Legend, by Marie Lu.  I just got a copy of Champion and I can’t wait to read it!

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

I’m cheating again: Marie Lu, John Scalzi & Morgan Rhodes.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

The poetry I read this year was out of my comfort zone, Sonnets From The Portuguese, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Soak, by Kerri Cull.  Both have really encouraged me to read more poetry.  The God Box, by Mary Lou Quinlan was also out of my comfort zone as I don’t read a lot of non-fiction or religious material, but I found the feminist angle in the second half of the book interesting.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

I’m going to echo Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner and say Prodigy, by Marie Lu (and Legend too!)... and Redshirts... and All The Wrong Questions.... and The Cuckoo’s Calling ... I’ll stop now.

 9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I don’t re-read a lot, but if I did I’d read... Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel, by Seth Grahme-Smith

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

Everything’s Eventual, by Stephen King

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

June, from the Legend series

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey & Villette, by Charlotte Bronte

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

All of them?

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Emma, by Jane Austen

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

“…as the online world became more and more pre-edited and slicked up, and as even its so-called reality sites raised questions about authenticity in the minds of the viewers, the rough, unpolished physical world was taking on a mystic allure.” (pg 169, MaddAddam)

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest: The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams

Longest: Villette, by Charlotte Bronte

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Allegiant, by Veronica Roth – ‘nuff said.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Livvy Higgs & Gen from The Deception of Livvy Higgs

Toby & Blackbeard from MaddAddam

19. Favourite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

MaddAddam, by Margaret Atwood & Carrie, by Stephen King

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

I think fantasy, in one form or another.  YA, Adult, Urban, High....

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

I don’t think I have a new fictional crush.  All my loves are still the same...

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

The Cuckoo’s Calling, by Robert Galbraith.

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Newfoundland & Nova Scotia during WWII in The Deception of Livvy Higgs.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Redshirts!!

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

And The Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseinni

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes.   I just didn’t get the same level of buzz about it as some other YA novels.

2014-books

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Since I just read When Did You See Her Last?, I think I’m focused on the next book in the All The Wrong Questions series.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I don’t know... none? All?

 4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

Ignite Me, by Taherah Mafi

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I hope to find a better reading/writing/life balance.

Thanks for making it through the whole survey!  What are your answers to these very important questions? Let me know if you’ve completed this survey or have any other end-of-year posts.  Happy Holidays!

Let's Get To Know Each Other: Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know who we think are the Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition.  I did this topic way back in March 2011; I won't repeat authors.  I didn't even make it to ten last time. Can I 2+ years later?  I'm going to include along with the author's name, something they've written that I've enjoyed.  In no particular order.

1. Lauren DeStefano - The Chemical Garden Trilogy

2. Miriam Toews - A Complicated Kindness

3. Morgan Rhodes - Falling Kingdoms

4. Colleen McCullough - The Thorn Birds

5. Katherine Mansfield - The Garden Party

6. Zora Neale Hurston - Their Eyes Were Watching God

7. Khaled Hoseinni - And The Mountains Echoed

8. Richard Ford - Canada

9. Octavia Butler - Kindred

10. Donna Morrissey - The Deception of Livvy Higgs

I reached ten!  I know some of these authors have won awards and have multiple books under their belt, but a lot of them I don't see on other blogs.  I don't read about them in newspapers and magazines.  I try to talk about them in real life with people and they don't know who they are!  For some of these authors, if it wasn't for Goodreads or my attraction to pretty/interesting book covers, I might not even know about them.  Some are "classic" authors that have been forgotten when others are constantly discussed.  Each of those ten books I loved, for different reasons, and I would recommend them.

Who do you think deserves more recognition?

The Best So Far: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

What are the best books I've read so far in 2013?  The Broke and The Bookish want to know.  I've been lucky.  Except for one truly disappointing book, I've read some really great novels so far this year.  I've limited the list to just novels, because if I included the fantastic poetry and short stories I've read on this list, I would have a much more difficult time deciding what titles to include.  

In no particular order, the best books of 2013 so far:

1. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey

2. Legend, by Marie Lu

3. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

4. And The Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hoseinni

5. Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes

6. Redshirts, by John Scalzi

7. Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris

8. The Wind Through The Keyhole, by Stephen King

9. Everything's Eventual, by Stephen King

10. The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis

What are the best books you've read so far this year?

Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms was intense.  There are so many ups and downs, you don't know who is a friend and who is an enemy.  Your friend can become your enemy in a blink and the enemy of your enemy can become your friend.  Morgan Rhodes creates interesting characters, full of depth, who change over the course of the novel.  You think you're going to love or hate someone, but by the end you change your mind.  Can I wonder about some characters out loud?  Are Lucia and Cleo going to end up like Valoria and Cleiona? Are they going to realize they're related (because I think they're related)?  Will they end up finding the Kindred themselves?  Will Jonas and Cleo team up and save the world?  Will Magnus be good or bad?  What will Alexius do?  I have so many questions.  I can't believe I have to wait until December for Rebel Spring!

It was easy to forget that this was a Young Adult novel.  The relationships were so complex, there were multiple story lines going on, all interwoven, coming together in the end.  The things that happen to these characters are very adult, you forget that none of the main characters have yet to turn 18.  They're so young, but you don't really notice.  Only that first scene with Cleo, Mira and Aron, do they really show their age.  Otherwise, for the most part, I forgot that this was a book directed towards that teen audience.  I think any lover of fantasy will enjoy this novel.  I've seen it called Game of Thrones for teens.  I haven't actually read Game of Thrones (I'm sure I'd enjoy it, but...), but from what I've heard, I can see the comparisons.  It's about the search for power; in this case the ones searching are a bit young.  I really can't wait to see what the rest of this series brings.

Flowers and Birds! (Top Ten Books for Spring 2013)

The sun is brighter, the days are warmer and growing long. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming.  What are you reading?  This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and The Bookish is: what books are on your spring to-be-read list.  In no particular order:

1. The Wind Through The Keyhole, by Stephen King

2. A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness

3. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Deborah Morrissey

4. Prodigy, by Marie Lu

5. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

6. Sever, by Lauren DeStefano

7. The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore

8. Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood

9. The Raven Boys, by Maggie Steifvater

10. Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes.

This seems like a pretty good order in which to read these books this spring.  Though I might switch 1, 2, 3, and 4 depending on how I feel after my current read... Or maybe I'll read 6 next.  Who knows?!  If I buy another book (highly probable), it could change everything.

What are you going to be reading this spring?

Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet

When I read the topic from The Broke and The Bookish for this week's Top Ten Tuesday, I knew I'd have a few Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet, but I really didn't think I'd actually make it to ten!  My first list went beyond ten.  I actually had to narrow it down.  The crazy part is that these are all books that are not only the beginning of a series, but I also own! For whatever reason haven't read them yet.  Here are my top ten in no particular order:

1. The Raven Cycle (Book 1: The Raven Boys), by Maggie Stiefvater
2. Falling Kingdoms (Book 1: Falling Kingdoms), by Morgan Rhodes
3. All The Wrong Questions (Book 1: Who Could It Be At This Hour), Lemony Snicket
4. His Dark Materials (Book 1: The Golden Compass), by Philip Pullman
5. Forever Girl (Book 1: The Forever Girl), by Rebecca Hamilton
6. The Strain Trilogy (Book 1: The Strain), by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
7. Cadence Jones (Book 1: Me, Myself & Why?), by MaryJanice Davidson
8. Legend (Book 1: Legend), by Marie Lu
9. Fallen (Book 1: Fallen), by Lauren Kate
10. The Wolves of Mercy Falls (Book 1: Shiver), by Maggie Stiefvater

What??? How did this happen?  I can't believe I own all these books, beginnings of series and I haven't read them.  This doesn't even count the series I want to start, but don't own yet.  I might have a problem...

What series would you like to start but haven't yet?

*Addition:  Top Ten Tuesday has been nominated for best meme.  Click here if you're interested in voting for The Broke and The Bookish (and check out the other nominees).