The Saturday Review - 16 February 2019

The Saturday Review is a weekly meme hosted by me (Taylor Fenner's Bookish World) where fellow book bloggers and readers can share what books they've recently reviewed. 

Soul In Darkness by Wendy Higgins

Blurb:

People travel from afar to the small isle in the Aegean Sea hoping for a single glimpse of Princess Psyche. Their adoration for the mortal woman is so all-consuming that citizens begin to shower her with the very gifts and offerings they once left at the alter of Venus, goddess of love and beauty.

But gods are known for their jealousy.

Cupid, the god of love, takes pleasure in causing strife and mischief in the lives of humans. He uses love as a weapon, humoring in the weakness of people at the whims of their feelings. When his mother Venus approaches him about punishing the human girl who dares to steal her offerings and affections from the people, Cupid gladly accepts.

Psyche's punishment is to be given to a mysterious creature who only comes to her in the dark of night under the pact that she will never lay eyes on him. She is terrified of this stranger, who the oracle described as a serpent. Her mate, however, is masterful in his dealings with his bride. He takes his time, morphing her fears into different sensations completely.

Based on the Roman/Greek mythology of Cupid and Psyche by Lucius Apuleius, New York Times bestseller Wendy Higgins brings the tale to life, weaving layers that show exactly how a sacrificial lamb can be enchanted by an unseen monster.

Adult Historical Fantasy. Standalone.

My Review:

I feel conflicted about this one. I usually love this author's books, even going so far as to say I'd read and love anything she wrote. Then I read Soul in Darkness.

I'll start off by saying that even though I love mythology, I'm not familiar with the Cupid and Psyche myth. When I first heard about this book I was excited about the premise and I still think it's kind of a cool idea and I liked the setting, I just was not fond of Psyche. I found her really immature and annoying at times. In the beginning of the novel it gets old real quick that Psyche's thought wave is basically "everyone thinks I'm beautiful so I can get away with anything" and even though she claims to hate being treated that way she uses it to her advantage.

Despite this being by my favorite author I nearly DNF'd it a couple time, finally forcing myself to get to the halfway point before deciding to keep going or stop.

At times the story dragged and was a bit predictable but it does get better (more exciting) toward the end of the book which redeemed it enough for me to give it 3 stars.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟

3 of 5 Stars!

Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle

Blurb:

Attempted murder, that's how sixteen-year-old Princess Charlotte's engagement starts. It seems like the only thing she has in common with Prince Young of Vires is their mutual discontent.

When her kingdom's attacked, Charlotte's parents renegotiate her hand in marriage to a handsome stranger with a sinister plan. With the people Charlotte loves dying around her, and her kingdom's future at stake, the only person she can turn to is the prince she betrayed. But, should she save her kingdom or her heart?

One must fall.

My Review:

As far as fantasies go, Kingdom Cold is relatively short. It switches between the perspectives of Princess Charlotte, her fiancé, and two other characters throughout the story. If you're looking for the basic requirements for an enjoyable read you'll find them: humor, adventure, action, and romance. 

But if you peel those things away and take a closer look at the story, you'll see a princess that acts like a child throwing a temper tantrum, a queen who is basically a rotten human being, and a prince who wants to prove his worth. 

The villain in this one almost gets overshadowed by Charlotte's mother's behavior toward her - a stark contrast to her father's indulgences.

Overall, I liked aspects of this book while at other times I just wanted to hurry up and get through it and the ending made me say "are you serious?" out loud.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟

3 of 5 Stars!

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi

Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes The Gilded Wolves, a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change—one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires...

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. 

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood. 

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history—but only if they can stay alive.

My Review:

What can I say about this book? I absolutely loved it, from the first chapter on. I'd been skeptical about picking this one up since I haven't read anything by the author previously but this book was everything I could hope for and more.

Take the dynamic and diverse characters of Six of Crows place them in the city of lights, Paris, during the industrial revolution, toss in a plan to steal an irreplaceable artifact, sexual tension, and a forgotten sect out to start the beginning of the end of civilization as they knew it and you come out with this gem of a book. 

I loved the characters and shipped Laila and Severin something fierce while wondering about the Enrique/Zofia/Hypnos dynamic. Zofia has what sounds like Aspergers syndrome but around Enrique she blooms and then there is Hypnos who adds the humor. Will Enrique go for Hypnos or Zofia - or why not both?? 

Then add these characters to the glittering, gorgeous world of magic and the social climate of Paris in the late 1880s and wow... I cannot gush about this one enough. I can't wait for the next book so I can see what will happen next.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.

Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, Grim Lovelies is an epic and glittering YA fantasy. Prepare to be spellbound by the world of Grim Lovelies, where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price.

My Review:

“You thirst for magic so you can exact revenge. You want to destroy, to tear down. I see it in your eyes."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, my dear, as long as you don't mind living in a broken world.”

 - Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Initially I requested this book because I loved the cover, heard great things about the book, and was interested in reading more after reading an excerpt on ew.com. I eagerly started this book and liked the beginning - until Mada Vittora's death. 

I could definitely see the comparisons to Cinderella with the animals turned into teenagers by witches then needing magic to remain human, I was even intrigued by the witch boys. I just had trouble connecting with Anouk. From the beginning I saw her as weak and naive; she acted so young and innocent from being so sheltered by Mada Vittora. While she seemed so attached to Mada Vittora and so torn up about her murder is unclear to me since by accounts from the other Beasties she was far from motherly, even going so far as to cut off some of Anouk's toes so her feet would better fit into her shoes. 

Then there was the strange tangle of relationships with Anouk. Beau loved Anouk but she saw him like a brother. Anouk claimed Luc was also like a brother to her but she fixated on wanting to know where he was and finding him so much at the beginning of the book I thought she was interested in him. And the proposition from Prince Rennar which wasn't really an option at all. And what was that with Viggo? Real attraction or the backlash of some spell? 

Overall, I liked the concept and the setting of the story and the glimpse of world-building we see (sort of) but I had trouble connecting with the main character and the supporting characters. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟

3 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Blurb:

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

My Review:

I wanted to love this book. I really did. The blurb sounded amazing, the cover is gorgeous, the genre is right on... so what's the problem?

The book started out well enough, although I'm used to fantasy novels set entirely in fantasy worlds, not set in the "normal" world them brought into the fantasy world. I really don't want to read about microwaves and tv shows and Target when I'm reading a fantasy novel, but I pushed past that. 

I got about sixty pages in and while the writing wasn't bad and the world building was decent, I just absolutely hated the characters and there is the problem. The story can be expertly crafted but if I hate the characters reading a book becomes torture. 

Jude whines, Taryn is weak, Vivi is an obnoxious, spoiled brat type trying to get back at her dad, and Cardan is the textbook example of romanticizing relationship abuse. 

I tried skimming ahead but this book dragged and reading was a chore so I dropped it. I'm sure some people will love this book but it's not for me. I prefer my fantasy to be pure fantasy unless it's urban fantasy which is not what this book was promoted to be. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟

3 of 5 Stars

(And that's mainly because I like the cover)

Book Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb:

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

My Review:
Have you ever seen a movie preview and it looks good, but then they really start promoting it and when you finally see the movie its not what you were expecting or hoping for?

That was ACOWAR for me. The ending of ACOMAF was agonizing - I wanted to find out what was going to happen so badly and then I had to wait a whole year for ACOWAR to come out, which was excruciating. But I let the excitement build, I bought into the hype, I preordered three different copies, and worst of all, I sped through other amazing books while waiting for ACOWAR to arrive in the mail.

And on May 3rd, the day after the release when I received two of my copies, I eagerly began reading. Now, two weeks later I just can't do it anymore and it makes me want to cry. I'm stopping at page 320.

Why, you ask? Because I am so unbelievably bored.

Let's start at the beginning (and I'll try not to be too spoilery):

Back in the Spring Court with Tamlin: 
I was expecting that Feyre would make Tamlin pay for what he'd done. I wanted her to torture him and make him suffer. Did I get that? No :( it was pretty unexciting. She turned his people against him. Big whoop. I mean I loved what she did Ianthe but Tamlin got off way too easy. And I also expected him to put up more of a fight. I never did see him reenter the story because I stopped before that.

Return to the Night Court, Rhys, and the Inner Circle:

Is it just me or is Rhys completely boring in this book? I know, I know.. you're hating me right about now. I'm hating myself. But he just wasn't as good in this book. He was kind of a pushover when it came to Feyre, just kind of... soft. Where was the cockiness and the swagger? I saw hints, but it wasn't the same.

Nesta & Cassian: Are they mates? I never got that far so I don't know but dammit I just wanted them to hop in the sack and put everyone else out of their misery.

Elain: Possibly the most depressing character of all. Seriously, someone get the girl some uppers! I felt so sorry for Lucien as Elain sat staring out a window whining that her human fiance wouldn't want her anymore. Hell, I wouldn't even have minded if she'd gotten with Azriel!

Ok, mini rant over... Basically what it boils down to is that I've read and loved three novels by SJM: ACOTAR, ACOMAF, and Empire of Storms (because I'm reading that series in reverse). SJM was a major contributor to me falling in love with the High Fantasy genre in the first place.

Maybe the excitement and the pacing of EOS ruined me but this book really seemed to drag. As far as I got, there were a few sections of action, but mostly it was stagnant and inactive. Instead of the story progressing it was repetitive: Feyre trains with Cassian, Feyre trains with Azriel, Feyre has fairly boring sex with Rhys (more on that later), Feyre coddles Elain and squabbles with Nesta. Yawn. Where was the action? Where was the adventure? Did SJM really cram all the epic battle scenes into the end and I just not get there?

Back to the sex scenes - I know a lot of people say SJM's scenes are too steamy but I disagree. For me they usually pack the perfect amount of heat - but hey, I'm 24 and I like it dirty. But in all honesty I found the sex scenes in ACOWAR to be rather dull and again repetitive. There was no heat for me.

Overall, I had so much excitement riding on this book and in the end I was left feeling let down and disappointed. Feeling like my fandom let me down. Will I read another SJM book in the future? Probably. I need to see how the TOG series ends. I just need a break after ACOWAR.


My Rating:
2.5 of 5 Stars