I'm back and with more YA reading that I've done this year! (Note: memories of the books I didn't much care for are pretty foggy at this point, sorry if that's annoying!)(but really, the authors should be the ones apologizing...)
Updates to Book Series I Already Started:
1. King's Cage, by Victoria Aveyard (from the Red Queen Series)
So I was already feeling lukewarm about this series after book #2. (I did not bother reading any of the supplemental novellas.) I actually think that the universe Aveyard has set up allows for some cool conflicts and stories, and after Red Queen I was into it. Book #2 (the name escapes me) went in a direction I ended up not caring for, but I held on hope that maybe book #3 would get back on a track I liked.
It didn't. I was fully into the beginning, ready for the main character (I honestly cannot even think of her name right now) to outsmart and out-manipulate her captors. I guess that happened a little bit, but things soon after got less interesting for me.
Honestly, I think what bugs me about this series so far is that the love triangle is still a thing for the main character. It should clearly just be a just a love LINE at this point. In my mind there is an obvious person she should want to be with, and it's annoying to me that she's still even considering this other person. And beyond that, I think the love triangle aspect really weighs down the story and limits what the main character can or should do leadership-wise.
Anyway, one of the biggest disappointments about this book is the realization that it is not the conclusion to a trilogy, and there is at least another book to follow. At this point I'm leaving the series behind and don't plan on picking up the next one unless sheer boredom becomes a big enough motivator.
2. A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J Maas
Oh, was I ready for this book. I quite love these characters and the world Maas created, and I while I was sad to see this trilogy end, I was pleased to see that Prythian isn't going away.
I thought this book ended this story arc just right. The conflict previously established was high stakes and ACOWAR showed that. The final battle was intense, and even though I knew everything would end up okay (because it always does, right?) there was the huge unknown of how exactly things would end up okay that helped build suspense.
As far as criticisms go, they're fairly minor. (sorry if this is spoiler-y!) Generally speaking, I'm a little tired of characters in any kind of story who don't exactly stay dead after they die. It just lowers the stakes and the emotional impact for me. That being said, I love all of the core characters in the ACO series and don't actually want to see any of them die, so I definitely have to let that annoyance go for the sake of my characters. Secondly, I didn't love a certain character coming off as redeemable, when I'd rather just straight up hate him. And lastly, there were a few "surprises" I saw coming from miles away (even in the previous book!), but that didn't really make me like the story less.
Book #2 is still my favorite. It blew me away too much and probably couldn't be outdone by anything. But the entire ACO series is solid and fantastic and each book is important and necessary to the overall story arc.
New Books:
1. Three Dark Crowns, by Kendare Blake
Okay, I was actually kind of excited for the premise of this book. First of all, it's introduced via a short, clever poem that is both history and prophecy for this society. Frankly I haven't come across such a compelling and intriguing poem, possibly in my life:
Three dark queens / are born in a glen, / sweet little triplets / will never be friends.
Three dark sisters / all fair to be seen, / two to devour / and one to be Queen.
It was this poem that made me decide to read the book because I was fully present and accounted for any story that proceeded that creepy little rhyme.
Any story, that is, EXCEPT for the one the author gave me. I was expecting stealthy murder plots and conflicted feelings over killing sisters and brains versus brawns showdowns, and instead it somehow ended up being relationship-y and sooooo mega boring. Total and complete letdown. The little poem betrayed me and stabbed me in the heart, which alone is a higher number of violent acts than that which occurred in the entire book.
However. That ending was pretty damn good. It was a twist I didn't see coming but it fully clicked in place and made complete sense. It's because of the ending that I want to stick around for book #2 in the hopes that it will deliver what I wanted from book #1. But I actually don't have a lot of faith that that will happen, so there's no sequel-pining here from me. Just tears over an intriguing-but-wasted setup poem.
2. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman
So this series isn't actually a recent one, but it was new to me. And if I'm understanding correctly, the author didn't intend for a full series from the outset and just wrote the first book as a standalone piece. This is why my first recommendation is the first book, Unwind. If you don't want to commit to a 4-book series, the first is good enough.
Unwind is horrifying and thought-provoking. This allows for almost immediate attachment to the three teenagers of the book and their journeys as runaways in a frightening society. The paths they take and roles they play are varied, but each of the three characters are interesting and compelling with their own likable qualities and flaws. I highly recommend.
(PS: if you read a book description for Unwind and get nervous when you see "Pro-Life" and "Pro-Choice," don't worry about the book or series being overly political. The story leaves politics behind and has the characters as its focal point.)
3. Rebel of the Sands, Alwyn Hamilton
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING, I love it so much. The setting is new, the folklore in the story is rich and fresh, and the writing is solid. Multiple times throughout the book I stopped and marveled at a sentence that was just too perfect to read over and not worship properly.
I love the main character, Amani. Not only does she have some badass shooting skills, she isn't bogged down by indecisiveness or love triangles or arrogance or an unequally-skilled partner who constantly needs rescuing or coddling.
The second book in the series, Traitor to the Throne, is no sophomore slump. It is a perfect continuation of Amani's journey, and its ending shocked, thrilled, and wrecked me. I cannot wait for next year's installment.
My only fear for this series is that it will be adapted into a movie series for which I will be 100% ready for, only to be totally disappointed and annoyed. You know, as it is with every book-to-movie situation.
And that's all for now, happy reading!
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