Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Book synopsis

“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”
In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled. As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist. Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed. Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons. But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for? Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win. Storm Siren

 

My opinion

3/5 stars.

This book is another type of "the chosen one sees its talent as a curse" story. The story has great elements of magic, interesting world, and good characters. It has a lot of religious/spirituality elements. Nym wants to use the "kill them with kindness" approach for everything which becomes unrealistic after a certain point. I understand it. I know her gift is dangerous and she has a lot of blood on her hands. But... She is naïve. A war is a war. There are casualties. In my opinion, Nym needs more backbone. You are a badass girl with a badass gift. Live up to it!
The magic system in this world was amazing. Although, we do not get a lot of foundation for it. Why are abilities and magical powers different in different geographical regions? I was listening to the audiobook and I got a little confused when some "magic origin" info was discussed.
Romance... Hmmm. It was ok. I kind of got annoying listening to Nym telling me how gorgeous Eogan is. I mean really. I get it. Girrrl! I know he is drop-dead-gorgeous. ^_^ Move on. Ha-ha-ha!
Eogan as a character was good. I liked him. Although, I was not able to see the sparks or the "umf" (What up New Girl reference? ^_^' ) It was choppy. Apparently there is a love triangle, I was not able to see it. For me, Nym looked attracted only to one guy.
The side characters were great along with the villains.
The battle scenes towards the end were epic. The end was great. What a twist!!!
This story had a lot of potential. It needed to be longer and have everything sorted out better.
I liked the beginning of this new trilogy. I am going to continue it.
if this series sounds promising for you, go for it!

This is my sole opinion.

Genre: YA, Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Language: mild
Sexual content: mild
Violence: heavy (war, death, slavery)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild

Mer by Joelle Sellner (writer), and Abby Boeh (artist)

Graphic Novel

 

 

Publication Date: 19 April 2017

 

Book synopsis

Twilight meets the legend of Atlantis in this gripping graphic novel from writer Joelle Sellner and artist Abby Boeh. After the death of her beloved mother, Aryn’s father has moved her family to a new town hoping for a fresh start. At first things seem to be going well—Aryn is making friends and has even caught the eye of one of the hottest guys in school. But there are dark forces moving under the surface that Aryn cannot see; and her new crush may not be … human. Mer

My opinion

3.5/5 stars. Rounded to 4 stars based on Goodreads rating.

Mer is a good graphic novel. It has great art and a captivating story. The story is great for a quick read. I liked that at the end of the novel the artists and the author offered more information about the characters' design and the myths behind mer people.

Although, the story felt rushed and there is not enough character development. It feels like the characters are jumping from one emotional/psychological stage to another. Because of this, the storyline does not flow and it is rather... chunky... if this is an actual word. :D

Before publishing, the writing does need some polishing to make the characters' dialogue to flow also.

This graphic novel has a lot of potential if it is going to have more instalments. (Let us hope that that is the case based on the ending.) We need to learn more about the mer people and their world.

Overall, this graphic novel does not have something we have not seen before; although, it has the power to captivate you. Which, in my opinion, that is a good thing.

I am looking forward for the finished product and the possible next instalments.

If you love graphic novels, good art, mermaids, young adult, and romance, this might be your cup of tea.

This also reminded me a lot of the TV shows H2O - Just Add Water and Mako Mermaids - an H2O Adventure.

 

This is my sole opinion.

 

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Genre: Sequential Art, YA, Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Language:  mild
Sexual content: mild
Violence: moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: mild

 

 

 

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The Illuminae Files #1

Book synopsis

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.
This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. Illuminae

 

My opinion

 

5/5 stars. A MUST READ!

Illuminae is not your regular type of book. It is basically a case file full of documents and recordings from the spaceships. Yes, the whole story is told through files and reports. I know it sounds crazy. I know some people might be skeptical about this. Trust me. It works. Some people might complain that there is no character development and character depth due to the lack of description. Personally, I was not bothered. I saw the character development even without description and long narrations. The way I read this book was by listening the audiobook while following along with the physical book in front of me. By doing this, I had the sensation I was watching a Si-Fi movie unfolding in my head. The visuals in the book were awesome. It had blueprints of the spaceships, drawings, lists, imagines… It was amazing. Oh! Let’s not forget about the audiobook. IT HAD AN ENTIRE CAST!!! Different voices for different characters. Sound effects. All you want! It was…I do not have words to describe it. That awesome it was. So, I highly recommend listening the audiobook while reading the actual physical book. Each, character becomes unique and it is much easier to remember who is who and what he/she/it does. The story is action packed. When you think you solved one problem a million, more problems appear out of the blue. At some point, the book gets some freaky horror vibes. You know, Walking Dead (TV show) horror type of vibes. It is just sooo rich in the feels. Oh-Oh! Let’s not forget about the Terminator (movie) vibes too!

Small spoiler section

Is it wrong to say that my favorite character was AIDAN, the artificial intelligence software gone rogue? For a computer program, AIDAN was the most complex character in this whole story. I am so glad AIDAN appears in the next book too.

End spoiler

This is a survival story in space. How cool and tariffing is that! You do not need more information! Just go read it!

This is my sole opinion!

 

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Romance
Language:  none because censured, mild innuendoes
Sexual content: mild
Violence: heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild

 

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier - Movie Adaptation

 

 

 

 

 

Hello! I just got the chance to watch the last movie from the Ruby Red/ Precious Stone Trilogy franchise. Smaragdgrün (Emerald Green) is the last book/movie.

I read the books two or three years ago. I absolutely loved them. (I will leave a link to the Goodreads page of the first book for more details after my review.)

I've seen the previous two movies too - Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue. And I loved them also.

The people working on the movie adaptation did a great job to stay true to the books while adding their own twists to the story.

Although... When it came to the third movie... Things got complicated. The storyline followed the one from the book but with some major changes. Some of them were good because I would have liked to see them in the book too. While... Some of them... Eh... Let's just say they created more confusion. It had great visual effects.

The movie is worth watching. I liked it.

As a warning, think twice if you want to watch it. You might be over frustrated if you like movies to strictly follow the book storyline.

Oh! This whole thing is about time travel. :D

There are two families carrying this time travel gene: Montrose and de Villiers family lines.

Time travelers come in pairs (at least in out time). There is a secret order which takes care of the time travelers.

Gwen Shepherd and Gideon de Villiers are the last pair of time travelers.

The order is keeping secrets from them. Gwen and Gideon have to obey the order, no questions asked. The only problem is that, until recently, Gwen did not know she is the gene carrier. She was not raised by the order like Gideon. She does not trust the order and the order does not trust her.

 

 

This is the end of my non-spoiler section.

If you have not watched it yet, you should stop reading.

Watch the movie.

 Come back later and then we discuss it together.

 

Spoilers

 

Sooo... What just happened? After I finished watching it, I was confused asking myself, "What just happened?"

First half of the movie was fine. Everything was by the book. And then, BAM! Complete confusion. Time-travel-paradox-complete confusion.

Important family-background characters are missing with no explanation. There were some scenes where I was expected them to appear. For example, Gwen's mom when people from the order came to brutally search for the second Chronograph.

They never complete the circle of blood for both Chronographs. 

One Chronograph is destroyed after it gives that florescent green liquid - the equivalent of the philosopher's stone. After that, the remaining Chronograph is completely forgotten. What? They have the chance to get two elixirs.

The fact that Gideon can become immortal and live forever with Gwen is never explored. I mean, the count can become immortal but Gideon can't. What? But, Gwen can give up immortality by drinking the elixir.

The second half of the movie got confusing at the end. Gideon dies. The count becomes immortal. Gwen hides from the order - since the count has taken control of the order - and she finds out she is an immortal and can time travel at will with no Chronograph. 

Then she is determined to save Gideon so she makes a plan of action. This part was cool. Up to this point, the movie is great. She learns to fight and time travel when and where she wants without the Chronograph.

She goes back in time to save Gideon from dying. He still dies but he is resurrected by the green elixir. In this scene, Gwen fought like a pro. I was so excited while watching. The count is defeated. He never becomes immortal thus he disintegrates. One Chronograph is destroyed. The other...?(question mark). Because Gideon does not ingest the elixir is only resurrected but does not become immortal. The past-present-dead Gwen disappears while the future-present-alive Gwen stays. This is the point when things got messy. They (Gwen and Gideon) return to the same point in the present time as before (the moment when Charlotte, Raphael and Mr. Bernard find that Gideon is dead for good unlike Gwen). So... no special training session happened in a sense. The future Gwen became the present Gwen. So basically dead-Gwen never existed/returned from the past? But she had to because she needed to discover her abilities, train and prevent Gideon from dying.

See where I am going with this? Quite confusing.

Let's not forget about the count's own time line. Since he did not become immortal, all the things he did for the order should not have happened. He never existed. Things should have changed. People should not be able to remember him at all in the present. But nooo... These things did not count.

The movie did not do a good job resolving the story. It made it messier. It confused me. It created a paradox.

Also, there were some characters who deserved more screen time (e.g. Gideon, Lesley). Although, I loved that I got to see more of Charlotte and how se redeemed herself. She was an excellent ally. I do not remember if she was the same in the book thou. (I will check it out.)

 

End of Spoilers

 

Overall, it was great to watch - with few exceptions. As a separate story the movie was great. I wished it kept the book order of events. The book did a better job wrapping up the story with less confusion.

Let me know what are your thoughts!

And if you are interested in the story and you did not read the books, here is the Goodreads link for the first book Ruby Red.

 

This is my sole opinion.^_^

 

Movie Trailer





Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany (Adaptation), Jack Thorne, and J.K. Rowling

Book synopsis

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

 

My opinion

3/5 starts

The story had its flaws. It felt forced in some places and inconsistent in other places. It had some great moments too.
I did not quite care for the main "Potter" characters throughout the story, except at the end. I cared more for Scorpius and other characters. Ron was just there the same as the two Potter kids and Granger-Weasley kids...
I understand that it is a play. It worked overall, although I wished it had more detailed in the characters' reactions/emotion description section. On stage, it might work but, when reading the play itself without the visual, it does not.
I understand why some people see it as fan-fiction. And, I agree with the fact that Harry seemed off and Albus was a - b-r-a-t - brat. :)

This book is not for younger readers due its more mature content (aka heavy on dark themes) similar to the last books in the Harry Potter series (e.g. books 6 and 7).

This is my sole opinion.

 

Original review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Goodreads Review

 

Genre: Play, YA, Fiction, Fantasy,
Language: mild
Sexual content: mild
Violence: moderate to heavy-ish
Drugs/Alcohol: none to mild

 

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Book synopsis

 A dying wish. A family divided. A love that defies the law.Sol Le Coeur is a Smudge--a night dweller in an America rigidly divided between people who wake, live, and work during the hours of darkness and those known as Rays, who live and work during daylight. Impulsive, passionate, and brave, Sol concocts a plan to kidnap her newborn niece--a Ray--in order to bring the baby to visit her dying grandfather. Sol's violation of the day/night curfew is already a serious crime, but when her kidnap attempt goes awry, she stumbles on a government conspiracy to manipulate the Smudge population. Sol escapes the authorities with an unexpected ally: a Ray who gets in her way, a boy she might have hated if fate hadn't forced them on the run together--a boy the world now tells her she can't love. Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day/night divide, Elizabeth Fama's Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.  Plus One

 

My opinion

4.85/5.0 STARS AND NEEDS A SEQUEL because it has potential!
I liked the book. I started reading it without knowing anything about the story. Based on the cover, I was expecting a Sci-fi book, but I was glad it was a dystopian in the end. I feel this book needs a sequel because there are so many questions left unanswered at the end of the book.

** Spoiler Alert **

What is going to happen two Sol? What is going to happen to D'Arcy? What is going to happen to Sol's and D'Arcy's relationship? What is going to happen to D'Arcy's family? What is going to happen to Ciel and his family and crew (they were just left there on the boat)? What is going to happen to Gigi? What were Noma gang after, because they just disappeared from the picture? What is that remote program because it was kind of confusing? And the most important question: What is going to happen to the system and what Night Minister's decision will be? And another important question is: What is Ciel going to decide to help the Night Minister or get Sol free and how D'Arcy is going to be involved?

End of ** Spoiler Alert **

Like I said, lots and lots of questions for which I would like a closure.
Plus I loved the book because it used the metric system and Celsius :))) I don't understand miles, yards, and Fahrenheit scales, I am too European for those. I also loved the fact that French was used in this book, it made things more personal, more intimate between the characters showing how the world outside their homes and families affects their personal life and the decisions which they have to make.)

This is my own personal opinion... you can love it or hate it!

Original review: Plus One - Goodreads Review

 

Genre: YA, Fiction, Romance, Dystopian
Language: mild
Sexual content: moderate (understanding of characters having sex)
Violence: moderate to heavy (not graphic)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Snow Like Ashes #1

Book synopsis

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.
Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.
So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own. Snow Like Ashes

My opinion

3.5/5 starts

Great book. It has some Falling Kingdoms' vibe to it. And to be sincere, I did not quite feel the romance in this book. Yeah right. She is attracted to Mather because he was the only male at the camp at her age. He is the "heir" to Winter's throne. I get it. It's forbidden so of course she would have feelings for him. I understand the situation; although I did not get too many details to feel connected and care about the romance. When Theron was introduced, I was like "whatever" again. He was better because I was able to see layers of Theron by the end of the book. I think that by himself, Theron, is great character. I felt sorry for Mather because he was turned more into a background character. And from what I learned about him, he had so much more potential.
Meira was a badass. I loved her. We connect 85% of the time. Her voice as a narrator was great. The vivid details which she used to tell the story made everything come to life in my mind.
Also, I kind of guessed the major twist of the book. It was quite obvious. ;)

        

Original review: Snow Like Ashes - Goodreads review

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Magic,  Romance
Language: mild to none
Sexual content: none to mild
Violence: moderate to heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild to none