Girl of Fire and Thorns Trilogy-- Part Deux

Part one can be read here.

The Crown of Embers (Girl of Fire and Thorns)

Carson, Rae

It just needs to be noted that I LOVED this series. LOVED it. I loved the symbolism and otherworldliness and magic and romance and MORALITY it encompassed. Crown of Embers is a quick/easy read and when it was done I pre-ordered The Bitter Kingdom. I wanted it in my hot little hands, and quite frankly was a little bummed I didn't have a magic stone of my own to aid me in this endeavor--or to help me set the stink bugs inundating my life on fire.  As you can see, I'd totally use my Godstone for GOOD. I enjoyed the plot turns which kept the reader guessing, and the growth we witnessed as our child queen grew into her powers/responsibilities. I love a good love story and Carson delivered. One more than the other. I won't get into it because spoiler. Let's just say hallelujah Rae Carson for involving a male lead who didn't smirk and smolder and sparkle every ten seconds. I'm just sayin. It's nice to have a love interest who is gorgeous because of his character and strength as a human being, rather than his copper locks and temperamental moodiness. Daughters take note: real men are honest, kind, moral, intelligent, and humble. They want to protect you, but realize you are strong and beautiful and that they have as much to learn from you as you from them. Climbs off soap box. Enough of this pretty boy nonsense. Mumble mumble. I have to admit I read this book six months ago and as such the details are a bit muddled, but I did love this series and would absolutely let my littles who are morphing into bigs (STOP!!!) read them when of age.

Crazy ladies say-- 4.4 Dobbies.

The Bitter Kingdom (Girl of Fire and Thorns)

Carson, Rae

So!! This one I just finished. And can remember more of the plot than say, who died and who did not. Win. Also? My mind is a steel trap. Which is why I can, and do, read books over and over and over again....  All in all The Bitter Kingdom was a lovely conclusion to a fabulous series. For whatever reason I found myself plodding through it a bit, but that may be more because of the genre flip I've made lately than Carson's writing. Apparently I'm all about the adult political thrillers these days. Obsessed really. And moving back into the YA section felt forced. BUT! I thought Carson wrapped up most of the plot lines quite nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed the final turns. Well written. Beautiful story. Great moral. Two thumbs up. The best in the series? No. In fact I probably enjoyed it the least of the three, but again that might have more to do with me than the book.

4 Dobbies.

I'M GETTING BEHIND.

Blah. We knew this would happen, yes? Yes. The addiction beats the writing. Every. Time. Meh. So! Brushes off hands, stretches back, let's begin. Because I've got ten to talk about. No, not all in this post. And four more are in the mail, and I'm about done with another, and it's a viscous VISCOUS cycle.

It also needs be noted that while typing this little ditty, I'm currently using THIS, like a freaking geriatric patient. And it has become THE PRECIOUS. No one understands me like my healthmate forever massage, pulse, electric shocker device. NO ONE. That I only just started using it recently (uh, today. i started today.) shames me.

Moving on.

The Immortal Beloved series by Kate Tiernan
Immortal Beloved
Darkness Falls
Eternally Yours

Meh. I didn't hate them, I didn't love them. I obviously kept ordering more, so there you have it. Although, I almost didn't make it through the first 50 pages of book one. It is SO POORLY WRITTEN.

Nastasya is an immortal who has spent the past 400 something years partying. After some troubling events, she decides to change her ways and become Amish? No, not really. But a little bit yes. Which quite frankly is fine. Great even. I'm all for simplification and self-reflection. My problem lies with the main character herself. She's just so unlikeable. And I don't care how immature you are, if you've lived 400ish years you don't speak/think like an obnoxious 14 year old. Period.

Whatever. She's on a quest for zen immortality living/purpose and meets a viking god character (of course she does) who she love/hates (because of course she does). Drama ensues and we spend the next few books watching Nastasya "grow" and escape other immortals trying to kill her/steal her power.

There might have been head banging. Mine. But really? It's my own fault because I kept reading them. It's brainless entertainment and makes for a fun little read on the beach for a teenager. There is no sex, which I LOVED. The more YA fiction I read the more I'm surprised by how commonplace intercourse is between characters. And how explicit. Tiernan keeps away from the sexy sex, but IMO doesn't exactly spend enough time developing the romance either. The best characters are not the main characters.

All in all, it's clean, with a little violence. I'd let my future teenage girls read them, though not for their literary merit. Will I read them again? No. They're already listed on Amazon for sale.

Three Dobbies.

Wherein I am lazy. Three books.

I know. Enough of me already. I'm a little bugged too. But if I get too far behind I'll just stop and I don't want to stop, so... skim?

Farthing by Jo Walton-- 3.5 Dobbies

Every time I rank a book I think back on my Dobby status for the Storyteller. (You: are you still yammering about that book? let. it. go.) The writing was soooo good, but I only gave it a four. FOUR. Is Farthing in the same league as Storyteller? No. Definitely not. Every time I review another book on this blog I end up bumping up the Storyteller's ranking. Because it haunts me. And that really has to count for something. And LOOK here I am yapping about it again while I should be talking about Farthing. Wretched.

(In the event of full disclosure I'm having a very sad day and 6 days ago swore off sugar and Diet Coke like some kind of maniac. I'm not entirely sure the two are unrelated. But I'm crankier than usual. Which is saying something.)

(In the event of full disclosure the second, I am drinking a Diet Coke as we speak because it's that bad. Just one. I don't even have more in the house. And it's tepid, because somehow that makes me less of an oathbreaker? Let's move on.)

Farthing. Eh. It was okay. I kept reading it, which is more than I can say for The Thief. Of which I tried and got half way through, but just. didn't. care...

It's some kind of what-if historical fiction novel and comes across as a bit Sherlock Holmesy. Minus Robert Downey Jr. And therein lies (full disclosure the third, enlies is not a word. therin lies? yes. i just asked cousin google. we're all welcome.) the problem. Just meh. It's a period novel (WWII-ish) and one of the leads (a Jew) is framed. I don't know, I just think there's so much that could have been done with the storyline. The writing was okay, not gripping. And I really wasn't pulled one way or the other in terms of funny or sad. Just meh. I won't be reading it again, but am not angry that I spent time reading it in the first place.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson --- 4.5. Dobbies

This one, I loved. Not LOVED, but loved. I didn't sleep with it under my pillow is basically what that translates into. Therapy. I'm aware. I'll look into it.

It's got a kick butt heroine who defies all the norms for your typical "queen." She doesn't look like a queen, she doesn't act like a queen. Basically, she's awesome. The writing's not quite as thoughtful/smooth as Bitterblue, but still very very good. The plot moves along quickly and Queen Elisa and I will most definitely be exchanging Christmas cards. I. have. a. crush. on. her.

It's fantasy and it's got some fabo morals woven through the storyline. I LOVED the symbolism. At times a wee bit simplistic, but it's certainly one that when my littles are bigger will be shoved into their hot little hands. I'm all about strong female characters on a mission. (aren't we all really?) I'm off to order number two. And three.

Legend by Maire Lu --- 4.5 Dobbies

And speaking of kick butt heroines... another resounding YES. Face paced, great plot, intrigue, fantasy (i'm noticing a theme in my selections)... the writing isn't as lyrical as The Girl of Fire and Thorns but that might be on purpose (probably on purpose). It's a futuristic society where people are basically shipped into "careers" from the age of ten onward according to how well they performed on their trial. Things are not as they seem and I gasped, hand over heart more than once while reading this book. Marie Lu has no compunction showing the severity of consequences for those who do not hearken to the rules of the Republic.

It's great. I read it in a day and loved it. I loved that it's written from two different points of view and that it's fast paced and smart. I DID NOT like the "ending," if you can call it that.  No closure. I like my books to end. Even if there's another one or two or six coming down the pipeline. Lazybones. Others have managed, you can too. Will I be purchasing book number two? It's already done. Should be here tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Goodness. I LOVED THIS BOOK. If you haven't read the Graceling series, run don't walk to your nearest well, are there even bookstores anymore? That's a sad sad. To Amazon then, I'll wait. Bitterblue is the who knows what in the series of Graced friends. It's number three, but I'm not sure if it's the final. One thing I love about Kristin Cashore's books is that she finishes them. I know, NOVEL. But in the day and age of, everything must be a series, I find myself extremely bugged by books that don't end. Just hang. I just finished Marie Lu's "Legend," and it was fantastic, but it was as if she just got tired of writing and so she stopped. Makes for a longer second and third book? I don't know, but I don't like it. I think it's lazy and rude. (perhaps momma needs a few more real people friends?)

Anyway, back to Bitterblue and its awesome. The writing is witty and sharp, and the characters very likable. (or should i say "my friends"--which of course they're likable, they're my friends.) Graceling is just a punch in the gut YES. Fire? Meh. Did she have an editor for this book? Did they read it? I don't know. Meh. Bitterblue rivals Graceling.

If you are looking for great books for your younguns to read, would I recommend them? Well... It's different for everyone. I'd have no problem with my girls someday reading the first two, but might hold off a bit on Bitterblue. The end, oh the end. It's so... adult. And horrible.  (The end itself is not adult and horrible, but rather the unveiling of past events and the ultimate consequences for beloved friends characters, is very mature.) So I'd definitely preview the last one before letting the kids have a go. And honestly, it opens the door for some interesting albeit hard conversations about the evils and political mechanisms of the world. But, it's a matter of timing and personal discretion.

This was one of those books where I finished the book sad because I wanted to be able to read it again for the first time.

4.85 Dobbies