Book Reviews, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult

The Worst of Enemies

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

11/18/18-11/26/18

5/5

Well. That happened.

I think it’s safe to say (as of like 5 books ago) that Marissa Meyer is one of my absolute favorite authors. If all the books of hers that I’ve loved weren’t enough, going to her signing and seeing how amazing and down to earth she is just melted my heart. Marissa, I would gladly have you officiate my Lunar Chronicles themed wedding (for those of you who didn’t hear her “FAQ’s” that she answered on her tour, she not so jokingly said she would LOVE for someone to ask her this).

This book picks up not too long after everything that went down in the first book, it wasn’t IMMEDIATELY following, but it wasn’t years later either. Our Sentinel is now going out and about and capturing criminals left and right and our dear Nightmare still hates him. Meanwhile, Nightmare manages to royally piss Adrian off and he now has a vendetta against her. Bum bum bummmmm.

Guys. Guys. Now they’re archenemies. *gasp*

That aside, this book was really cool for a lot of reasons. We got to see more behind the scenes stuff for how the Renegades operate. The weapons and artifacts department was so freaking cool. I loved the introduction of both Callum and Snapshot.

The pace was so well set, once I got reading, I honestly couldn’t stop. One little thing after another kept happening, all building up to just sheer chaos and it was honestly beautifully done.

It was also extremely cool to see some of Ace’s powers in action and sort of understand exactly what the Renegades were up against when he was at the height of his power with the helmet.

Overall, I adore this book. Nova manages to irk me left and right though with her blind devotion to Ace’s cause. She even had a few moments of doubt that made me want to scream at her because she so obviously fits in better with the Renegades. But I think that’s a big part of the point Meyer is trying to make… none of us are completely good or bad. None of us are strictly villains or heroes. Look at Frostbite’s team. Look at the Sentinel. Look at Nova. Most of us lie somewhere in the middle and that’s why neither side should be in power 100%. There needs to be some rules and regulations, to an extent. But this book really managed to make that gray area a lot bigger, especially with the introduction of Agent N. GAH.

That last 50 pages was so beyond intense, I’m still processing everything that happened. All I know is that Frostbite has got to be one of the absolute worst characters (in the sense that they’re just plain horrible as a person) I have ever witnessed.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book to come out.


-Laurenxx

Contemporary, Fantasy, Informative, Sci-Fi, TBR Tackle Thursday, Young Adult

TBR Tackle Thursday #19

Shh… I know it’s not Thursday… yet again. This week was crazy though and I’ve finally got time to write this up! So, yay!

For those of you who haven’t seen me or someone else do this before, here’s the gist:

  1. Go to that list of yours wherever it’s at.
  2. Go to the OLDEST stuff listed.
  3. Pick a chunk (5,10,15, 25, however many you want to go through) of books.
  4. Read the synopsis, and decide if you’re going to keep it on that list or if it’s one of those books that sounded good at the time.
  5. Post your list and your verdicts!

So, let’s tackle this TBR!



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1. The Last Star by Rick Yancey

Synopsis:

The enemy is Other. The enemy is us.

They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.

But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.

In these last days, Earth’s remaining survivors will need to decide what’s more important: saving themselves…or saving what makes us human.

Verdict:

I read the first two books, plus I own it. Soooo KEEPING!


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2. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Synopsis:

Magic lives in our darkest corners.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she’s ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she’s fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it’s time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it’s how to hunt down what she wants…and how to take it.

But some jobs aren’t as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

Verdict:

Once again, I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book aaaand I own it. KEEPING!


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3. The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Synopsis:

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all…a love story.

Verdict:

This actually sounds so freaking interesting. I know it may have it’s cliche moments and stuff, but I think I’ll enjoy it. KEEPING.


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4. Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper

Synopsis:

After a car accident kills Robert, Andy’s best friend and teammate on the Hazelwood High Tigers, Andy doesn’t know if he can go on. He’s consumed with guilt for driving the night of the accident after a long evening of drinking and partying. With perceptiveness and compassion, Sharon M. Draper portrays an African-American teenager who feels driven to consider suicide in the wake of a devastating tragedy.

Synopsis:

I’m sure this is a good book, but I don’t know if I’ll pick this up on my own. REMOVING.


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5. Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Synopsis:

There are places in the world where darkness rules, where it’s unwise to walk. But there hadn’t been any trouble out at the lake for years, and Sunshine just needed a spot where she could be alone with her thoughts. Vampires never entered her mind.

Until they found her…

Verdict:

Meh. Not in the mood for vampire stories like this anymore. REMOVING.


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6. The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble

Synopsis:

There is no cure for being who you truly are…

In a cottage high atop Llanfair Mountain, sixteen-year-old Clara lives with her sister, Maren, and guardian, Auntie. By day, they gather herbs for Auntie’s healing potions; by night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands and wicked fairies. Clara’s favorite story tells of three orphan infants—Clara, who was brought to Auntie by a stork; Maren, who arrived in a seashell; and their best friend, O’Neill, who was found beneath an apple tree.

One day, Clara discovers shimmering scales just beneath her sister’s skin: Maren is becoming a mermaid and must be taken to the sea or she will die. So Clara, O’Neill, and the mermaid-girl set out for the shore. But the trio encounters trouble around every bend. Ensnared by an evil troupe of traveling performers, Clara and O’Neill must find a way to save themselves and the ever-weakening Maren.

And always in the back of her mind, Clara wonders, if my sister is a mermaid, then what am I?

Verdict:

This sounds so good! I definitely want to check this out. KEEPING.


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7. Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Synopsis:

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.

Verdict:

Ehh. Again, not necessarily one that I’ll pick up on my own. REMOVING.


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8. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Synopsis:

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine and also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

Verdict:

I’ve been dying to read this for a while! KEEPING.


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9. Nightlife by Rob Thurman

Synopsis:

There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I’ve known that since I can remember, just like I’ve always known I was one … Well, half of one, anyway.

Welcome to New York City – a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side. Most humans are oblivious to the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half human.

His father’s dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares – and his entire otherworldly elf race are after Cal. His half brother, Niko, gave up college to keep them on the run for four years, but now the Grendel monsters are back. And Cal is about to learn why they want him. He is the key to unleashing their hell on earth. The fate of the human world will be decided in the fight of Cal’s life…

Verdict:

I do kinda like the idea of this. KEEPING.


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10. Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Synopsis:

The Dark-Hunters are ancient warriors who have sworn to protect mankind and the fate of the world is in their hands. . .

He is solitude. He is darkness. He is the ruler of the night. Yet Kyrian of Thrace has just woken up handcuffed to his worst nightmare: An accountant. Worse, she’s being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. And if Amanda Devereaux goes down, then he does too. But it’s not just their lives that are hanging in the balance.  Kyrian and Amanda are all that stands between humanity and oblivion. Let’s hope they win.

Verdict:

REMOVING. Must have added all these vampire books when I was reading Twilight or something. xD



*** Total kept/ removed: 6/4 ***

Overall, not a bad week. It always feels good to find a few that I may have outgrown as a reader so I’m not stuck looking for books that don’t interest me.

-Laurenxx

book signing, Sci-Fi, Young Adult

Hollywood Visits

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On Sunday, I had the chance to go to a book signing for Marissa Meyer. Now, I bought the tickets for it back in July (you didn’t need to buy tickets, it just included a copy of Archenemies, so I bought two) and have been dying for this night ever since. It didn’t disappoint.

First of all, if you don’t know who Marissa Meyer is for whatever reason, she’s written The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, and Renegades. This particular book tour was for the second book in the Renegades trilogy, Archenemies.

Marissa has got to be one of the most down to earth authors I’ve ever had the chance to go see. She started it off with a series of FAQ’s that she tends to get when she’s on tour to allow for the audience to ask some different questions afterwards. I loved that idea, because we still got the answer to things like, “Who’s your favorite couple from the books you’ve written?” (she said it’s like a mom choosing a favorite child, it’s impossible to choose) and she was so quirky and real when answering the questions.

I was also quite fortunate because I’ve got a popular blogger friend named Sara, over at What a Nerd Girl Says who got front row seats because she’s worked with the publisher previously. So, she got a plus one and invited me to sit up front with her while our boyfriends (who have been friends since high school) wandered the amazingness that is The Last Bookstore. If you guys haven’t had the chance to visit, I highly recommend doing so if you’re ever in LA, or just looking up pictures of the place because it’s without a doubt the largest and most incredible bookstore I’ve ever been to. Marissa even deemed it “the most hipster bookstore ever.”

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I always love going to book signings, just being around everyone who’s into the same books and authors you are and feeling surrounded by people who understand is such an amazing thing. If you guys get the chance to go see any of your favorite authors, I highly recommend doing so!

They did a poll with people placing their votes with post-it notes for their favorite Marissa Meyer couple and Cinder and Kai from the Lunar Chronicles won! If you guys have read her books, who’s your favorite couple? Mine is definitely Cress and Thorne, but that’s because they’re my favorite characters.

She was on my bucket list of authors I’d like to see, but I will always go to hers from here out if I get the chance. I’d love to go to a Marie Lu, Jay Kristoff, or Sarah J Maas signing if I ever get the opportunity.

Who’s an author you’d like to meet if you get the chance?

-Laurenxx

dystopian, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Top Ten Tuesday, Young Adult

Top Ten Tuesday (#11): Books I Own and Still Need to Read

Hello, lovely readers! It’s Tuesday and I absolutely LOVE this topic! I’ve got so many books that  I still need to get through and I own so many of them!

If you guys haven’t heard of Top Ten Tuesday yet, then check out where it began, at: The Broke and the Bookish and where it moved to, at: That Artsy Reader Girl !!



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1. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

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2. The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

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3. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

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4. Circe by Madeline Miller

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5. Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

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6. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

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7. The Cydonian Pyramid by Pete Hautman

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8. A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

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9. Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

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10. Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray


-Laurenxx