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Unwind by Neal Shusterman
4.0
So after some relentless pestering from my best friend, @markblckthorn I decided to give this book a try.
The first problem I had with this book, is that the Purge is more likely to become a thing than Unwinding. There’s no way in hell this would ever happen. So it’s a little hard to get into. Also they’re so…blunt about it. “Harvest camps”? Gross.
So this book starts out a little bit slow and at first, the only character I really liked was Connor. Even though he does some really stupid things.
I mean, really, Connor? You didn’t think about ditching your cell phone. Also why doesn’t government make it mandatory to put tracking devices into at least 13-18 year olds, so they can be sure that they don’t run away if their parents/guardians decided that they should be unwound?
Also the moment I found out that caffeine is illegal, that was the moment I realized that I would never survive this world.
“Good. Let them think he’s grateful. Let them think they’re earning his trust. And once they’re lulled into their own false sense of security, he’ll make sure they both get exactly what they deserve.”—page 43
At first Lev is a really creepy kid and really annoying.
“All the while, Lev watches him. At first the boy’s eyes had been lazy and his head lolling to one side, but now those eyes are sharp. Even in the dimness of the dying fire Connor can see them. Chilly blue. Calculating. This kid is an odd bird. Connor’s not quite sure what’s going on on Planet Lev, and not quite sure he wants to know.”—page 44
While Lev is being an odd bird, Risa and Connor are busy starting to form a pretty good relationship.
Shusterman does an interesting thing where he’ll sometimes have chapter title that are from the perspective of other characters like “Teacher”, “Cop”, “Mother”, and many more.
“As she hurries down the street, she thinks how wonderful it is that she can get a second chance. How wonderful it is that she can dismiss her responsibility so easily.”—page 55
This is from this mother’s perspective and it nicely helps develop the world while also setting up there’s a baby near our main characters. So eventually Connor takes the baby and explains a little bit of his backstory. Which is really sad.
Eventually while they’re hiding in a high school, Lev slips away and about his kidnapping.
“‘That can’t be right,’ says Lev, ‘I was kidnapped, or…uh…at least they think I was. That should be in the news.’”—page 58
I’m surprised Risa and Connor didn’t see it coming, I mean look at this stellar acting.
When the school is being evacuated, Risa and Connor are hiding in a science lab but the baby, Didi, isn’t making it easy. A teacher named Hannah discovers them.
“She will help them. Whoever they are, she will do her best to get them to safety. What kind of example would she be setting if she didn’t?”—page 84
Thankfully she’s only of the only decent human beings and decides to help them. Connor, Risa and Didi are told to go to an old antique shop where they meet an old woman named Sonia who runs a safehouse for unwounds. There they meet Roland, Mai and Hayden.
While this is going on Lev has realized what a giant mistake he’s made after calling Pastor Dan and is on the lamb. He runs into an umber kid, the future’s new terms for “black”. Side note sienna is the new term for “white”. His name is CyFy and at first he’s kind of annoying, he talks very stereotypical ganster but somehow CyFy simultaneously makes himself and Lev less annoying.
CyFy’s back story is that someone had hit him by a car and he suffered brain damage. His dads pay off the doctor to give him a full part of a brain that he need instead of little bits. So there’s this part of CyFy that’s this unwound kid. The unwound kid, Tyler, is forcing CyFy to steal things and is compelling him to go to Joplin, Missouri. Lev decides to help him and eventually there’s this really heartbreaking scene where Lev basically forced Tyler’s parents to tell the part of Tyler that he’s not going to be unwound to calm him down.
It’s really terrifying and sad. Lev has some great development, he really wants to help CyFy. My favorite part was the pawnshop scene. Mostly because until this point I’ve been kind imagining Lev as an 8 year old, snot nose, brat. So imagining this annoying kid hustling this pawnshop owner is perfect.
Going back to the Risa and Connor story line, for a while they’ve been shuffled around from safe house to safe house. Until they finally get to warehouse where all the unwound kids are being sent. Roland is there and it’s clear he’s smarter than he looks and is manipulating people. Risa figures that he’s going to try and kill Connor for power. So they have to play it smart. Roland is just a giant dick.
Eventually the unwound kids are shuffled into crates, Connor avoids being in a crate with Roland. Unfortunately he’s stuck with mouth breather, who’s really annoying.
His other travel mates are Hayden, which is nice, I’m starting to really like him and a Spanish kid named Diego. Hayden eventually starts bringing up philosophical questions like he usually does, but I really like Diego’s answers to a lot of his questions.
“‘No, I’m serious. A person don’t got a soul until that person is loved. If a mother loves her baby—wants her baby—it’s got a soul from the moment she knows it’s there. The moment you’re loved, that’s when you got a soul. Punto!”—Diego, page 174
This is probably my favorite line and my friend idea on what a soul is and how you get it.
Eventually, they make it to their destination, the graveyard. It’s actually a graveyard for airplanes and the leader of it, is the hopefully benevolent dictator, the Admiral.
“‘My name is my business. Suffice it to say that I am a former admiral of the United States Navy.’ And then he grinned. ‘But now you could say I’m a fish out of water.’”—page 181
At first the Admiral seems nice, a little bit off but Connor is very suspicious of him. If I were an unwind, I wouldn’t question it, I would just be happy that I get a place to stay until I’m 18.
Then Lev arrives, it’s a bit of a mystery on how exactly he got here, but he’s here. First Connor, punches the little brat but then hugs him. Something is still off about this odd bird. He comes into Connor’s sleeping quarters and basically tells Connor to not punch him again.
Before we can think about that too much, the Admiral has Connor go out to the FedEx plane (which I’m surprised FedEx let Shusterman use their name for something like this) and find the dead Goldens. They were locked in a crate and suffocated. Connor thinks that it’s Roland but that seems a little too obvious.
While this is going on Lev is making friends with Cleaver (the pilot), Mai and Blaine. They’re obsessed with chaos. It’s really annoying because dammit, yes there’s shit going on but can’t Lev just be happy where he is. He gets to live there for the next 5 years, safe. Then it’s also revealed that this group killed the Goldens for no real reason other than chaos. But I think Risa said it best:
“‘You’re wrong about one thing,’ she says before he’s out the door. ‘You’re just as naïve as you were before. And maybe twice as stupid.’”—page 238
Thank you, Risa!
Also Connor and Risa share a random kiss.
Back to more interesting things, I totally knew that as soon as Admiral mentions his son to Connor, I knew he was Humphrey’s dad. Apparently Emby had Humphrey’s long and they’re still trying to put him back together. At first I thought with all the scars that the Admiral was actually Humphrey but nope.
Emby’s disappearance starts to make the already paranoid kids, thanks to Roland, start to riot. So they go to the Admiral’s jet and mob mentality take place. They start destroying everything, even killing Cleaver who admits to killing the Goldens. I guess it is kind of good that Roland fired all those kids up because the Admiral is doing some pretty fucked up shit but…Roland’s a dick.
While this is going on Risa is stuck in the jet with the Admiral, but more importantly Connor is sure that Roland’s the one who killed the Goldens, so he locks him the crate until Hayden comes to tell him what’s going on. Like I said he hears Cleaver admitting to killing the Goldens, he stops the riots and lets Risa out. She tells him that the Admiral is having a heart attack so they have to get him a hospital. Their only option is to use an airplane, but Cleaver is dead.
While I am disappointed that we didn’t get to see Connor and Roland’s conversation, though he we kind of hear about it, the first part of the “Fire-Year Residents” chapter was really great. It was funny how they just landed in the parking lot but then Roland devises a plan by turning Connor and Risa in, the bastard.
Once the Juevy-cops are there he tells them about the graveyard, however the cops know and they’re not going to anything about it. Unless the Admiral dies or someone takes over. However they are going to send the three of them to a harvest camp for various reasons. I’m sad that Connor and Risa are getting sent but it feels so good to see Roland’s plan be foiled.
So they arrive at the harvest camp, Happy Jack and it’s not definitely strange. It’s all happy and the people are always smiling which is really weird and make it even more uncomfortable.
We soon fine out that Lev is here along with Mai and Blaine, they have become clappers. Clapping is dangerous. However at this point neither Lev or Connor know that they’re in Happy Jack.
Eventually Roland is sent to be unwound and the process is just disgusting. There’s this nurse sitting there saying everything is fine as he slowly loses himself to wherever you go after you’re unwound.
“‘Not at all,’ she says. ‘By law, we’re required to keep you conscious through the entire procedure.’ The nurse takes his hand. ‘You have a right to know everything that’s happening to you, every step of the way.’
‘What if I don’t want to?’
‘You will,’ says one of the surgical asistants, wiping Roland’s leg down with brown surgical scrub. ‘Everyone does.’”—page 288
And now I’m scarred for life.
Lev has been taken by persists because they’re concerned about him while Blaine and Mai are in the chop shop. They’re both waiting for someone to go first, but they don’t have to because a guard hits Blaine with a tranq dart, causing the explosion and then that gets Mai to do it. Unfortunately, Risa is at the top of the building playing music.
In the end Connor and Risa survives, Connor has been given a new identity, but he also has unwind parts. A new eye…and:
“OH GOD HE HAS ROLAND’S ARM! HE HAS ROLAND’S ARM! I’M GONNA BE FUCKING SICK!”—My reaction to finding out that Connor has Roland’s arm.
At least they beat the system, they return to the graveyard, there Hayden, Risa and Connor are the leaders and they’re going to make a change. It ends on a surprisingly hopeful note.
There’s also this really weird end part where you see the Dunfees, who aren’t crazy but they’ve kind of brought all the people with Harlan’s parts. It’s really weird.
But that was Unwind, it was certainly a roller coaster, was a little bit irritating at the beginning but I really liked it and hopefully will be getting the next one real soon.
The first problem I had with this book, is that the Purge is more likely to become a thing than Unwinding. There’s no way in hell this would ever happen. So it’s a little hard to get into. Also they’re so…blunt about it. “Harvest camps”? Gross.
So this book starts out a little bit slow and at first, the only character I really liked was Connor. Even though he does some really stupid things.
I mean, really, Connor? You didn’t think about ditching your cell phone. Also why doesn’t government make it mandatory to put tracking devices into at least 13-18 year olds, so they can be sure that they don’t run away if their parents/guardians decided that they should be unwound?
Also the moment I found out that caffeine is illegal, that was the moment I realized that I would never survive this world.
“Good. Let them think he’s grateful. Let them think they’re earning his trust. And once they’re lulled into their own false sense of security, he’ll make sure they both get exactly what they deserve.”—page 43
At first Lev is a really creepy kid and really annoying.
“All the while, Lev watches him. At first the boy’s eyes had been lazy and his head lolling to one side, but now those eyes are sharp. Even in the dimness of the dying fire Connor can see them. Chilly blue. Calculating. This kid is an odd bird. Connor’s not quite sure what’s going on on Planet Lev, and not quite sure he wants to know.”—page 44
While Lev is being an odd bird, Risa and Connor are busy starting to form a pretty good relationship.
Shusterman does an interesting thing where he’ll sometimes have chapter title that are from the perspective of other characters like “Teacher”, “Cop”, “Mother”, and many more.
“As she hurries down the street, she thinks how wonderful it is that she can get a second chance. How wonderful it is that she can dismiss her responsibility so easily.”—page 55
This is from this mother’s perspective and it nicely helps develop the world while also setting up there’s a baby near our main characters. So eventually Connor takes the baby and explains a little bit of his backstory. Which is really sad.
Eventually while they’re hiding in a high school, Lev slips away and about his kidnapping.
“‘That can’t be right,’ says Lev, ‘I was kidnapped, or…uh…at least they think I was. That should be in the news.’”—page 58
I’m surprised Risa and Connor didn’t see it coming, I mean look at this stellar acting.
When the school is being evacuated, Risa and Connor are hiding in a science lab but the baby, Didi, isn’t making it easy. A teacher named Hannah discovers them.
“She will help them. Whoever they are, she will do her best to get them to safety. What kind of example would she be setting if she didn’t?”—page 84
Thankfully she’s only of the only decent human beings and decides to help them. Connor, Risa and Didi are told to go to an old antique shop where they meet an old woman named Sonia who runs a safehouse for unwounds. There they meet Roland, Mai and Hayden.
While this is going on Lev has realized what a giant mistake he’s made after calling Pastor Dan and is on the lamb. He runs into an umber kid, the future’s new terms for “black”. Side note sienna is the new term for “white”. His name is CyFy and at first he’s kind of annoying, he talks very stereotypical ganster but somehow CyFy simultaneously makes himself and Lev less annoying.
CyFy’s back story is that someone had hit him by a car and he suffered brain damage. His dads pay off the doctor to give him a full part of a brain that he need instead of little bits. So there’s this part of CyFy that’s this unwound kid. The unwound kid, Tyler, is forcing CyFy to steal things and is compelling him to go to Joplin, Missouri. Lev decides to help him and eventually there’s this really heartbreaking scene where Lev basically forced Tyler’s parents to tell the part of Tyler that he’s not going to be unwound to calm him down.
It’s really terrifying and sad. Lev has some great development, he really wants to help CyFy. My favorite part was the pawnshop scene. Mostly because until this point I’ve been kind imagining Lev as an 8 year old, snot nose, brat. So imagining this annoying kid hustling this pawnshop owner is perfect.
Going back to the Risa and Connor story line, for a while they’ve been shuffled around from safe house to safe house. Until they finally get to warehouse where all the unwound kids are being sent. Roland is there and it’s clear he’s smarter than he looks and is manipulating people. Risa figures that he’s going to try and kill Connor for power. So they have to play it smart. Roland is just a giant dick.
Eventually the unwound kids are shuffled into crates, Connor avoids being in a crate with Roland. Unfortunately he’s stuck with mouth breather, who’s really annoying.
His other travel mates are Hayden, which is nice, I’m starting to really like him and a Spanish kid named Diego. Hayden eventually starts bringing up philosophical questions like he usually does, but I really like Diego’s answers to a lot of his questions.
“‘No, I’m serious. A person don’t got a soul until that person is loved. If a mother loves her baby—wants her baby—it’s got a soul from the moment she knows it’s there. The moment you’re loved, that’s when you got a soul. Punto!”—Diego, page 174
This is probably my favorite line and my friend idea on what a soul is and how you get it.
Eventually, they make it to their destination, the graveyard. It’s actually a graveyard for airplanes and the leader of it, is the hopefully benevolent dictator, the Admiral.
“‘My name is my business. Suffice it to say that I am a former admiral of the United States Navy.’ And then he grinned. ‘But now you could say I’m a fish out of water.’”—page 181
At first the Admiral seems nice, a little bit off but Connor is very suspicious of him. If I were an unwind, I wouldn’t question it, I would just be happy that I get a place to stay until I’m 18.
Then Lev arrives, it’s a bit of a mystery on how exactly he got here, but he’s here. First Connor, punches the little brat but then hugs him. Something is still off about this odd bird. He comes into Connor’s sleeping quarters and basically tells Connor to not punch him again.
Before we can think about that too much, the Admiral has Connor go out to the FedEx plane (which I’m surprised FedEx let Shusterman use their name for something like this) and find the dead Goldens. They were locked in a crate and suffocated. Connor thinks that it’s Roland but that seems a little too obvious.
While this is going on Lev is making friends with Cleaver (the pilot), Mai and Blaine. They’re obsessed with chaos. It’s really annoying because dammit, yes there’s shit going on but can’t Lev just be happy where he is. He gets to live there for the next 5 years, safe. Then it’s also revealed that this group killed the Goldens for no real reason other than chaos. But I think Risa said it best:
“‘You’re wrong about one thing,’ she says before he’s out the door. ‘You’re just as naïve as you were before. And maybe twice as stupid.’”—page 238
Thank you, Risa!
Also Connor and Risa share a random kiss.
Back to more interesting things, I totally knew that as soon as Admiral mentions his son to Connor, I knew he was Humphrey’s dad. Apparently Emby had Humphrey’s long and they’re still trying to put him back together. At first I thought with all the scars that the Admiral was actually Humphrey but nope.
Emby’s disappearance starts to make the already paranoid kids, thanks to Roland, start to riot. So they go to the Admiral’s jet and mob mentality take place. They start destroying everything, even killing Cleaver who admits to killing the Goldens. I guess it is kind of good that Roland fired all those kids up because the Admiral is doing some pretty fucked up shit but…Roland’s a dick.
While this is going on Risa is stuck in the jet with the Admiral, but more importantly Connor is sure that Roland’s the one who killed the Goldens, so he locks him the crate until Hayden comes to tell him what’s going on. Like I said he hears Cleaver admitting to killing the Goldens, he stops the riots and lets Risa out. She tells him that the Admiral is having a heart attack so they have to get him a hospital. Their only option is to use an airplane, but Cleaver is dead.
While I am disappointed that we didn’t get to see Connor and Roland’s conversation, though he we kind of hear about it, the first part of the “Fire-Year Residents” chapter was really great. It was funny how they just landed in the parking lot but then Roland devises a plan by turning Connor and Risa in, the bastard.
Once the Juevy-cops are there he tells them about the graveyard, however the cops know and they’re not going to anything about it. Unless the Admiral dies or someone takes over. However they are going to send the three of them to a harvest camp for various reasons. I’m sad that Connor and Risa are getting sent but it feels so good to see Roland’s plan be foiled.
So they arrive at the harvest camp, Happy Jack and it’s not definitely strange. It’s all happy and the people are always smiling which is really weird and make it even more uncomfortable.
We soon fine out that Lev is here along with Mai and Blaine, they have become clappers. Clapping is dangerous. However at this point neither Lev or Connor know that they’re in Happy Jack.
Eventually Roland is sent to be unwound and the process is just disgusting. There’s this nurse sitting there saying everything is fine as he slowly loses himself to wherever you go after you’re unwound.
“‘Not at all,’ she says. ‘By law, we’re required to keep you conscious through the entire procedure.’ The nurse takes his hand. ‘You have a right to know everything that’s happening to you, every step of the way.’
‘What if I don’t want to?’
‘You will,’ says one of the surgical asistants, wiping Roland’s leg down with brown surgical scrub. ‘Everyone does.’”—page 288
And now I’m scarred for life.
Lev has been taken by persists because they’re concerned about him while Blaine and Mai are in the chop shop. They’re both waiting for someone to go first, but they don’t have to because a guard hits Blaine with a tranq dart, causing the explosion and then that gets Mai to do it. Unfortunately, Risa is at the top of the building playing music.
In the end Connor and Risa survives, Connor has been given a new identity, but he also has unwind parts. A new eye…and:
“OH GOD HE HAS ROLAND’S ARM! HE HAS ROLAND’S ARM! I’M GONNA BE FUCKING SICK!”—My reaction to finding out that Connor has Roland’s arm.
At least they beat the system, they return to the graveyard, there Hayden, Risa and Connor are the leaders and they’re going to make a change. It ends on a surprisingly hopeful note.
There’s also this really weird end part where you see the Dunfees, who aren’t crazy but they’ve kind of brought all the people with Harlan’s parts. It’s really weird.
But that was Unwind, it was certainly a roller coaster, was a little bit irritating at the beginning but I really liked it and hopefully will be getting the next one real soon.
Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes
5.0
I finally got the money to finally order the next book in the Falling Kingdoms series and I couldn’t be more excited. Also I’ve been watching Arrow and that young man on the cover with the red hood reminds me an awful lot of someone else in Arrow.
So our story begins with Lysandra’s village being burned down because her people didn’t think tell a guy nicknamed “the king of blood” no, would end up with them dead.
“The king’s lips stretched back from his teeth in a smile that would look warm and genuine to all who did not know the darkness behind it. ‘I hope you are as pleased as I am about this road. I know it’s been a difficult time for everyone and I take no pleasure in the blood spilled in the process.’”—page 16
His nickname is “the king of blood”, so doubtful.
It’s then revealed that King Gaius plans about creating this imperial road. He also reveals that he’s ending Aron and Cleo’s engagement. Instead Cleo will be marrying Magnus.
“‘Huh.’ Brion said. ‘I wasn’t expecting that at all.’”—page 19
Really? Because I totally was. I’m rapidly discovering that one problem with this series is it’s predictable. I can generally tell who’s going to die and what’s going to happen. Despite this, it does manage to be enjoyable because the world itself is still really interesting.
Over with Jonas, he recruited Lysandra to his rebel group, Lys is kind of annoying. She just whines about wanting to do something. So they finally go to a road building camp and she sees someone from her old town. This girl turns out to be crazy soon all hell breaks lose and the only that really stops it is a tornado. In the sanctuary the watchers and immortals think that their magic is going to the mortal world and their world is dying so that’s going on.
Speaking of the sanctuary, the king has a new advisor who’s a 4,000 year old watcher who he has dream sex with. He also wants to find the power and take over the world (Of course.) and Melenia has heard a prophecy that the King will make her, the queen. This book is fucking weird.
Now Jonas has a plan to kidnap Cleo, I at first thought this was a horrible idea but he actually had a someone what decent plan. He manages to kidnap Cleo and I feel really bad for Nic first he finds out Cleo has been kidnapped and then the king snaps Mira’s neck. I actually kind of didn’t really see that coming. But any way I feel bad for the guy.
Back at the palace with Magnus, Lucia wakes up but it’s revealed that Queen Althea has been keeping her daughter asleep because the Queen believes that Lucia’s power will consume her and turn her evil. Going back to this story being predictable I did see that Althea was actually making Lucia sleep and I predicted that the queen was going to die. Which I was really sad about because up until she talked about killing Lucia and making all those blood sacrifices I really liked the queen. She was such a sad character because she just has this awful husband and has had a really poor life. So that sucks.
Over in the wild lands Cleo is kind of getting the hang of living with the rebels. When it’s revealed that the king is sending all his soldiers to find her because he won’t meet the rebel’s demands to stop the road being built. The soldiers are just murdering anyone who gets in their way. The soldiers also find the rebels’s camp so they have to scatter. Jonas and Cleo hide together they fight and then they kiss.
Jonas and Cleo, it was a little less insta-love-y than Theon and Cleo but boy did it come out left field. Rhodes writing romance is so weird because it’s like she foreshadows and sets up that two characters are going to get together and immediately they get together. There’s no build up, there’s no real character interaction. Which I guess is kind of nice because you don’t have to really sit through the love banter but…still is so odd. Also poor Nic, he aint leaving that friend zone.
So that happens then they devise a plan for Jonas and his group to kill Magnus and Gaius during the wedding. Some red wedding shit really. Cleo goes back to the palace and then Jonas meets up with his group.
Cleo returns and the king is really suspicious of Cleo. However we don’t have time for that because Magnus is really sad about his mom being dead. It’s a pretty sad scene when he starts crying in front of Cleo. Then he tells Cleo about Mira being dead. So heartbreaking.
Things aren’t going well for Jonas. Falling apart.
“Magnus gave her a look. ‘Oh, not at all. Since helping to take her father’s kingdom and destroy her life, I couldn’t help but fall really in love with her. Yes, obviously it was arranged.’”—page 235
That sass, though.
So the wedding begins and just before Magnus and Cleo get married Jonas and the rebels reveal themselves. Jonas has Magnus with blade against his neck. But like an idiot Jonas monologues. Turns out the king had a bunch of guards hidden in the crowd. So the rebels are overwhelmed and then all hell breaks lose. An earth quake happens and nearly kills Gaius but Magnus saved him.
Despite this being as bloody as the red wedding Gaius is dick, after slapping Cleo around and nearly killing her they continue. In the ruined temple, Magnus and Cleo are married.
Meanwhile Lucia is getting magic lessons from a witch.
“‘I can do fire magic myself. Allow me to demonstrate.’ The witch’s forehead wrinkled as she studied the bare wicks of the candles. It was an amusing sight as she strained, her face scrunching with effort as if she was seated upon a chamber pot.”—page 265
She’s not as good as Lucia. So Lucia nearly murders her. Which I fully understand, I always want to murder incompetent teachers. But seriously, this is our first look at how Lucia’s magic is corrupting her.
At the after wedding feast in the palace the king is being a lying bastard. Cleo gets seriously drunk and Ashur gives Cleo a dagger incase she wants to kill Magnus. She doesn’t because Magnus is too quick for her. There’s this really weird not sex scene between Magnus and Cleo. This whole marriage thing is so weird.
Then the wedding tour starts at Limeros, and this part is pretty boring. The only really interesting thing is that Cleo’s ring lights up when she touches this wheel thing that watchers made, Magnus nearly gets assassinated by Lys’s brother and Cleo and Magnus kiss.
After the wedding tour, Magnus joins Aron on a hunt for Jonas and also to follow the king’s request to go meet up with Xanthus. The guy in charge of making the king’s road. This is when I really start to hate Aron. Brion gets captured and the bastard Aron killed Brion. Brion has been my favorite character and predicted that he was going to die but dammit it made me so sad. Then Aron nearly rapes a girl. Then it’s revealed that undering the kid’s command Aron killed Althea. My other kind of favorite character. Fuck Aron and I know Magnus was like it was so unsatisfying to kill Aron but for me it was beautiful. Magnus is now my favorite character for killing the fucker.
Back in Auranos, we see Cleo and Lucia meet for the first time and Cleo’s ring acts up. But we also see Cleo getting under Lucia’s skin which I kind of like. Later Nic confuses his love for Cleo and asks her to run away with him but she rejects him. He gets drunk and Ashur shows and up. Then Ashur kisses Nic and I totally called that Ashur would be gay.
Back in Paelsia, Jonas and the rebels decide to invade the camp sight so that they kidnap Xanthus and Magnus. Jonas tries but is killed then is brought back to life by Phaedra who takes her human form. Magnus shows up and than Xanthus. Xanthus kills Phaedra and leaves. Then the camp burst into magical flames. Jonas runs away.
Lys has been captured with 5 other rebels, Lys is put in a cell with her brother. It’s revealed that Lucia will be sacrificed and the whole world will burn.
The story ends with Cleo promising to help Lucia with her powers.
Over all this book had similar problems to the first book, it’s predictable and romance comes out of nowhere. However, it was still really fun and I will continue with the series.
Spoiler
So our story begins with Lysandra’s village being burned down because her people didn’t think tell a guy nicknamed “the king of blood” no, would end up with them dead.
“The king’s lips stretched back from his teeth in a smile that would look warm and genuine to all who did not know the darkness behind it. ‘I hope you are as pleased as I am about this road. I know it’s been a difficult time for everyone and I take no pleasure in the blood spilled in the process.’”—page 16
His nickname is “the king of blood”, so doubtful.
It’s then revealed that King Gaius plans about creating this imperial road. He also reveals that he’s ending Aron and Cleo’s engagement. Instead Cleo will be marrying Magnus.
“‘Huh.’ Brion said. ‘I wasn’t expecting that at all.’”—page 19
Really? Because I totally was. I’m rapidly discovering that one problem with this series is it’s predictable. I can generally tell who’s going to die and what’s going to happen. Despite this, it does manage to be enjoyable because the world itself is still really interesting.
Over with Jonas, he recruited Lysandra to his rebel group, Lys is kind of annoying. She just whines about wanting to do something. So they finally go to a road building camp and she sees someone from her old town. This girl turns out to be crazy soon all hell breaks lose and the only that really stops it is a tornado. In the sanctuary the watchers and immortals think that their magic is going to the mortal world and their world is dying so that’s going on.
Speaking of the sanctuary, the king has a new advisor who’s a 4,000 year old watcher who he has dream sex with. He also wants to find the power and take over the world (Of course.) and Melenia has heard a prophecy that the King will make her, the queen. This book is fucking weird.
Now Jonas has a plan to kidnap Cleo, I at first thought this was a horrible idea but he actually had a someone what decent plan. He manages to kidnap Cleo and I feel really bad for Nic first he finds out Cleo has been kidnapped and then the king snaps Mira’s neck. I actually kind of didn’t really see that coming. But any way I feel bad for the guy.
Back at the palace with Magnus, Lucia wakes up but it’s revealed that Queen Althea has been keeping her daughter asleep because the Queen believes that Lucia’s power will consume her and turn her evil. Going back to this story being predictable I did see that Althea was actually making Lucia sleep and I predicted that the queen was going to die. Which I was really sad about because up until she talked about killing Lucia and making all those blood sacrifices I really liked the queen. She was such a sad character because she just has this awful husband and has had a really poor life. So that sucks.
Over in the wild lands Cleo is kind of getting the hang of living with the rebels. When it’s revealed that the king is sending all his soldiers to find her because he won’t meet the rebel’s demands to stop the road being built. The soldiers are just murdering anyone who gets in their way. The soldiers also find the rebels’s camp so they have to scatter. Jonas and Cleo hide together they fight and then they kiss.
Jonas and Cleo, it was a little less insta-love-y than Theon and Cleo but boy did it come out left field. Rhodes writing romance is so weird because it’s like she foreshadows and sets up that two characters are going to get together and immediately they get together. There’s no build up, there’s no real character interaction. Which I guess is kind of nice because you don’t have to really sit through the love banter but…still is so odd. Also poor Nic, he aint leaving that friend zone.
So that happens then they devise a plan for Jonas and his group to kill Magnus and Gaius during the wedding. Some red wedding shit really. Cleo goes back to the palace and then Jonas meets up with his group.
Cleo returns and the king is really suspicious of Cleo. However we don’t have time for that because Magnus is really sad about his mom being dead. It’s a pretty sad scene when he starts crying in front of Cleo. Then he tells Cleo about Mira being dead. So heartbreaking.
Things aren’t going well for Jonas. Falling apart.
“Magnus gave her a look. ‘Oh, not at all. Since helping to take her father’s kingdom and destroy her life, I couldn’t help but fall really in love with her. Yes, obviously it was arranged.’”—page 235
That sass, though.
So the wedding begins and just before Magnus and Cleo get married Jonas and the rebels reveal themselves. Jonas has Magnus with blade against his neck. But like an idiot Jonas monologues. Turns out the king had a bunch of guards hidden in the crowd. So the rebels are overwhelmed and then all hell breaks lose. An earth quake happens and nearly kills Gaius but Magnus saved him.
Despite this being as bloody as the red wedding Gaius is dick, after slapping Cleo around and nearly killing her they continue. In the ruined temple, Magnus and Cleo are married.
Meanwhile Lucia is getting magic lessons from a witch.
“‘I can do fire magic myself. Allow me to demonstrate.’ The witch’s forehead wrinkled as she studied the bare wicks of the candles. It was an amusing sight as she strained, her face scrunching with effort as if she was seated upon a chamber pot.”—page 265
She’s not as good as Lucia. So Lucia nearly murders her. Which I fully understand, I always want to murder incompetent teachers. But seriously, this is our first look at how Lucia’s magic is corrupting her.
At the after wedding feast in the palace the king is being a lying bastard. Cleo gets seriously drunk and Ashur gives Cleo a dagger incase she wants to kill Magnus. She doesn’t because Magnus is too quick for her. There’s this really weird not sex scene between Magnus and Cleo. This whole marriage thing is so weird.
Then the wedding tour starts at Limeros, and this part is pretty boring. The only really interesting thing is that Cleo’s ring lights up when she touches this wheel thing that watchers made, Magnus nearly gets assassinated by Lys’s brother and Cleo and Magnus kiss.
After the wedding tour, Magnus joins Aron on a hunt for Jonas and also to follow the king’s request to go meet up with Xanthus. The guy in charge of making the king’s road. This is when I really start to hate Aron. Brion gets captured and the bastard Aron killed Brion. Brion has been my favorite character and predicted that he was going to die but dammit it made me so sad. Then Aron nearly rapes a girl. Then it’s revealed that undering the kid’s command Aron killed Althea. My other kind of favorite character. Fuck Aron and I know Magnus was like it was so unsatisfying to kill Aron but for me it was beautiful. Magnus is now my favorite character for killing the fucker.
Back in Auranos, we see Cleo and Lucia meet for the first time and Cleo’s ring acts up. But we also see Cleo getting under Lucia’s skin which I kind of like. Later Nic confuses his love for Cleo and asks her to run away with him but she rejects him. He gets drunk and Ashur shows and up. Then Ashur kisses Nic and I totally called that Ashur would be gay.
Back in Paelsia, Jonas and the rebels decide to invade the camp sight so that they kidnap Xanthus and Magnus. Jonas tries but is killed then is brought back to life by Phaedra who takes her human form. Magnus shows up and than Xanthus. Xanthus kills Phaedra and leaves. Then the camp burst into magical flames. Jonas runs away.
Lys has been captured with 5 other rebels, Lys is put in a cell with her brother. It’s revealed that Lucia will be sacrificed and the whole world will burn.
The story ends with Cleo promising to help Lucia with her powers.
Over all this book had similar problems to the first book, it’s predictable and romance comes out of nowhere. However, it was still really fun and I will continue with the series.
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
4.0
TBR Jar Challenge: Published in 2016.
Review:
So our story begins with a kid named Kit Rook at the Shadow Mark, we get a few things, first Jessa is walking around and then Emma comes to Johnny Rook’s table with her boyfriend Cameron Ashdown. Even after 5 years Emma has still been obsessing over what happened to her parents and she’s trying to get some answers from Johnny Rook. That’s the last we see of Kit for a bit.
We’re then introduced to Cristina Rosales, who seems pretty cool and has good chemistry with Emma. We also discover that Jules is in England with an Aunt who will probably be in the Last Hours.
Emma is obviously in love with Jules but we’ll deal with that laster.
“The Law is annoying but the Law is flexible” and “Quip fast, die young” are two pretty good lines. Emma is pretty funny, she does seem a bit like just a female Jace, to me.
So after finding a dead body, Emma and Cristina head back to the Institute where we are introduced kind of to the Blackthorns, we’re shown their rooms and what they like. Tavvy has nightmares, Dru likes horror movies, Livvy like girly things, Ty is a giant nerd, they both like computers, Jules is an artist. Thanks for establishing character.
Alright, here’s the first problem I have with this book, I don’t care about what the other TMI characters are up to. This is the Emma and Blackthorn story, I don’t care that Clary created a stupid birth control rune because she and Jace like to fuck. Sometimes they’re relevant to the plot like at the end. Most of the time, it’s just really annoying and I don’t care. It also makes the story grind to a fucking halt just to be like “Ooooo, are Jace and Clary going to get married? What are they up to in New York?” I don’t care.
By the way, the birth control rune will always be really stupid.
So we’re still trying to investigate, we get to know the Blackthorns a little more and then Malcolm comes to try and help…and to watch romantic movies.
Apparently Witchlight can power things and Livvy and Ty learned how to use a computer.
Jules has this weird monologue about love and I don’t care how “romantic” someone is, no human being has ever uttered those words.
I know that Tessa and Jem have been looking for something but yknow, they are your family, you could check on them and make sure they’re okay. I’m sure Tessa would know that something is wrong with Arthur. They need an adult.
I don’t like how Jules is making the Tarot cards. It just doesn’t match how I picture his style. I like the style of the cards, don’t get me wrong but they just don’t fit.
I kind of like how these Shadowhunters know more about pop culture, like them arguing who the hottest Avengers was funny.
A little annoyed with Mark that he’s being really selfish, he has to stay with this siblings, Jules desperately needs it. I get that he loves Kieran or whatever his name was but seriously you’re siblings need you. Jules has made a million sacrifices for this family.
So Emma and Jules go to Rook’s place and Ty snuck in, he attacks Kit because he thinks that he’s going to attack Jules and Emma. Even in a platonic way, I’m kind of shipping Kit and Ty…mostly because their ship name would be Tit. I have the mind of a 12 year old boy shut up.
They get back and I would have killed them all if they destroyed my kitchen especially Dru, she’s 13 and she doesn’t know that this is a horrible idea. Ivvy was a least in her room, Mark kind of doesn’t know better, Ty was not there and of course Tavvy is 7 so.
Back to TMI references being annoying and stupid. Really? Even in this book we needed a Clace make out scene? God I hate this.
Jules and Emma just started fucking on the beach. First of all that has to be itchy and second of all abut time!
So it’s revealed the asshole who shot Jules, is Perfect Diego. Didn’t see that coming.
How could Jules keep Arthur’s secret? Really, in the last like 5 years none of the Blackthorns, Emma or anyone from the Clave found it a little weird. I think he must be like schizophrenic since he’s hearing voices. It’s kind of interesting and horrifying how the Clave is so behind the times when it comes things like mental illness or autism. It’s incredibly sad and hope that someone really becomes an advocate for these Shadowhunters. To think that they just shove them all into a place so they can stay out of the way, is just awful and sickening.
Kieran or whatever his name is really interesting. He really fucked up, I’m glad that Mark didn’t choose to stay with him. I hope we see more of Mark’s ex in the future, he seems like a really sad character. Also a way to see that Faeries aren’t awful.
Why does Tatiana get a painting? She’s only a Blackthorn by marriage and her father turned into a giant demonic worm and ate Rupert Blackthorn.
I totally called that Malcolm was going to be the bad guy, I was in a state of denial because he was so sweet and I loved him in City of Heavenly Fire, the bastard. So there’s a giant battle between the Blackthorns, Diana and Emma versus Malcolm and his followers. We learn why Malcolm did it and he’s just a total asshole, Emma ends up killing him.
Robert Lightwood needs to stop being a dick, your kids have done much worse.
“If we’re careful.” Jules, you two can’t keep your hands off each other for more than two minutes, I’m you’re not careful.
Okay, I really didn’t see coming that Kit was a Herondale, I knew that there was something with a lost Herondale, I theorized that he was maybe related to Emma. But nope he’s a Herondale.
I’m so mad at this whole Emma lying to Jules, it’s so stupid. We don’t need more forbidden love. Also I think Mark is doing this because of the whole Cristina and Diego thing and he’s just really confused about what he did to Ty. Ugh, I don’t like this. Make it stop.
First female villain?
Overall, it had some problems, compared to City of Bones, Clockwork Angel and City of Fallen Angels I would say it’s just bellow Clockwork Angel for best series openers. I enjoyed it, I’m excited to see what happens next besides the whole Mark, Emma, Jules, Cristina love-square going on.
Review:
So our story begins with a kid named Kit Rook at the Shadow Mark, we get a few things, first Jessa is walking around and then Emma comes to Johnny Rook’s table with her boyfriend Cameron Ashdown. Even after 5 years Emma has still been obsessing over what happened to her parents and she’s trying to get some answers from Johnny Rook. That’s the last we see of Kit for a bit.
We’re then introduced to Cristina Rosales, who seems pretty cool and has good chemistry with Emma. We also discover that Jules is in England with an Aunt who will probably be in the Last Hours.
Emma is obviously in love with Jules but we’ll deal with that laster.
“The Law is annoying but the Law is flexible” and “Quip fast, die young” are two pretty good lines. Emma is pretty funny, she does seem a bit like just a female Jace, to me.
So after finding a dead body, Emma and Cristina head back to the Institute where we are introduced kind of to the Blackthorns, we’re shown their rooms and what they like. Tavvy has nightmares, Dru likes horror movies, Livvy like girly things, Ty is a giant nerd, they both like computers, Jules is an artist. Thanks for establishing character.
Alright, here’s the first problem I have with this book, I don’t care about what the other TMI characters are up to. This is the Emma and Blackthorn story, I don’t care that Clary created a stupid birth control rune because she and Jace like to fuck. Sometimes they’re relevant to the plot like at the end. Most of the time, it’s just really annoying and I don’t care. It also makes the story grind to a fucking halt just to be like “Ooooo, are Jace and Clary going to get married? What are they up to in New York?” I don’t care.
By the way, the birth control rune will always be really stupid.
So we’re still trying to investigate, we get to know the Blackthorns a little more and then Malcolm comes to try and help…and to watch romantic movies.
Apparently Witchlight can power things and Livvy and Ty learned how to use a computer.
Jules has this weird monologue about love and I don’t care how “romantic” someone is, no human being has ever uttered those words.
I know that Tessa and Jem have been looking for something but yknow, they are your family, you could check on them and make sure they’re okay. I’m sure Tessa would know that something is wrong with Arthur. They need an adult.
I don’t like how Jules is making the Tarot cards. It just doesn’t match how I picture his style. I like the style of the cards, don’t get me wrong but they just don’t fit.
I kind of like how these Shadowhunters know more about pop culture, like them arguing who the hottest Avengers was funny.
A little annoyed with Mark that he’s being really selfish, he has to stay with this siblings, Jules desperately needs it. I get that he loves Kieran or whatever his name was but seriously you’re siblings need you. Jules has made a million sacrifices for this family.
So Emma and Jules go to Rook’s place and Ty snuck in, he attacks Kit because he thinks that he’s going to attack Jules and Emma. Even in a platonic way, I’m kind of shipping Kit and Ty…mostly because their ship name would be Tit. I have the mind of a 12 year old boy shut up.
They get back and I would have killed them all if they destroyed my kitchen especially Dru, she’s 13 and she doesn’t know that this is a horrible idea. Ivvy was a least in her room, Mark kind of doesn’t know better, Ty was not there and of course Tavvy is 7 so.
Back to TMI references being annoying and stupid. Really? Even in this book we needed a Clace make out scene? God I hate this.
Jules and Emma just started fucking on the beach. First of all that has to be itchy and second of all abut time!
So it’s revealed the asshole who shot Jules, is Perfect Diego. Didn’t see that coming.
How could Jules keep Arthur’s secret? Really, in the last like 5 years none of the Blackthorns, Emma or anyone from the Clave found it a little weird. I think he must be like schizophrenic since he’s hearing voices. It’s kind of interesting and horrifying how the Clave is so behind the times when it comes things like mental illness or autism. It’s incredibly sad and hope that someone really becomes an advocate for these Shadowhunters. To think that they just shove them all into a place so they can stay out of the way, is just awful and sickening.
Kieran or whatever his name is really interesting. He really fucked up, I’m glad that Mark didn’t choose to stay with him. I hope we see more of Mark’s ex in the future, he seems like a really sad character. Also a way to see that Faeries aren’t awful.
Why does Tatiana get a painting? She’s only a Blackthorn by marriage and her father turned into a giant demonic worm and ate Rupert Blackthorn.
I totally called that Malcolm was going to be the bad guy, I was in a state of denial because he was so sweet and I loved him in City of Heavenly Fire, the bastard. So there’s a giant battle between the Blackthorns, Diana and Emma versus Malcolm and his followers. We learn why Malcolm did it and he’s just a total asshole, Emma ends up killing him.
Robert Lightwood needs to stop being a dick, your kids have done much worse.
“If we’re careful.” Jules, you two can’t keep your hands off each other for more than two minutes, I’m you’re not careful.
Okay, I really didn’t see coming that Kit was a Herondale, I knew that there was something with a lost Herondale, I theorized that he was maybe related to Emma. But nope he’s a Herondale.
I’m so mad at this whole Emma lying to Jules, it’s so stupid. We don’t need more forbidden love. Also I think Mark is doing this because of the whole Cristina and Diego thing and he’s just really confused about what he did to Ty. Ugh, I don’t like this. Make it stop.
First female villain?
Overall, it had some problems, compared to City of Bones, Clockwork Angel and City of Fallen Angels I would say it’s just bellow Clockwork Angel for best series openers. I enjoyed it, I’m excited to see what happens next besides the whole Mark, Emma, Jules, Cristina love-square going on.
The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
3.0
TBR Jar Challenge: Read a book part of a series
Yet another Rick Riordan book, the beginning of this book was kind of slow. It starts out with Apollo falling into garbage dumpster and being roughed up by some hooligans.
This is where we meet Meg.
“Meg sang, ‘I’ve got your money, I’ve got your money.’”—Page 17
Who is pretty annoying in the beginning and I honestly she didn’t get a lot better as the book went on. I’m sure she’ll get better as this series progresses, but for now boy did I want Apollo to ditch her.
So Apollo’s bloodied up and now Meg’s slave. They go to Percy Jackson’s place where:
“Standing behind the kitchen counter, making a smoothie, was a strikingly attractive mortal woman of about forty. Hey long brown hair had a few gray streaks, but her bright eyes, quick smile, and a festive tie-dyed sundress made her look younger.”—Page 29
IT’S MY BABY SALLY JACKSON! And she’s gonna have a baby! I wish I hadn’t been spoiled for it but oh well. Clearly Olympus needs better Sex Ed classes because Apollo doesn’t know how mortal pregnancy works.
Oh, how I’ve missed Sally Jackson, she’s such a good mom and I love her. She’s so sweet with Meg and Apollo. I hope she and Percy show up again in this book series again.
“I examined the black T-shirt Percy had given me. Emblazoned on the front was Led Zeppelin’s logo for their record label: winged Icarus falling from the sky. I had not problem with Led Zeppelin. I had inspired all their best songs. But I had a sneaking suspicion that Percy had given me this shirt as a joke—the fall from the sky.”—Page 32
Perseus Jackson that is so mean! And hilarious. So Percy basically explains to Apollo (and the audience) that he’s not going to be a main player in this series because he wants to get on with his life. Which I suppose is nice.
I don’t understand why they need a prophecy to go on a quest. In the Son of Neptune Mars was just like “Hey, go to Alaska and free death”. So, why can’t the Greeks?
“‘You’re gonna be like Aquaman?’ she asked. ‘Get the fish to fight for you?’
‘Thanks,’ Percy said. ‘I haven’t heard enough Aquaman jokes for one lifetime.’
‘I wasn’t joking!’ Meg protested.”—Page 51
Meg is totally Nico from the Titan’s Curse and at the end of this book she runs away like Nico did in the Titan’s Curse.
So there’s these plague spirits and Percy gets a cold, so he’s out of this book until the climax.
Okay, so Apollo addressing the whole Nico-Will thing to the audience was kind of forced. Apollo kind of turned into a mouthpiece for Rick. But it did end pretty well with him getting distracted so I guess I’ll give it a pass.
Okay so there’s this three-legged death race. Why the hell would Chiron allow this to happen? Like yeah Harley’s adorable and after he apologized to Apollo after Austin and Kayla got taken into the forest. But c’mon Chiron would never allowed this. He banned chariot racing for goodness sake!
I knew that Meg would be a daughter of Demeter!
Will, Austin and Kayla are such sweethearts. I love them so much and I hope they stick around.
“I rested my hand on Will’s shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll be back by dawn.’
His mouth trembled ever so slightly. ‘How can you sure?’
‘I’m the sun god,’ I said, trying to muster more confidence than I felt. ‘I always return at dawn.’”—Page 214
Probably my favorite part of the book, such a cool line. So Apollo and Meg go into the forest to find the hostages. They meet some cute geysers and then some giant ants capture Meg. Then we meet Rhea, who is surprisingly not evil.
I’m pretty sure Rhea is the poster child for why godlings should never smoke ambrosia. You’ll become high as Olympus and won’t know what millennia it is.
Apollo singing about his flaws made me tear up, right in the feels. I love his character so much.
I knew Nero would be Meg’s step dad.
So basically the trees tell Meg that Nero is evil and going to burn them, Meg tries to stop him with Peaches however he still starts a fire. Some dryads come and sacrifice themselves, which is really sad. Apollo gets the new quest, Meg runs away and now the hostages have to get back to camp. Apollo sings to get his giant adoptive ant mommy’s attention; she gives a ride back to camp to discover that a giant naked statue of Apollo is trying to destroy CHB.
Holy fuck this is weird.
Couple of cool moments:
“‘You guys go,’ Will told me. ‘The chariot is only designed for three, and after that shadow-travel, Nico is going to pass out any second.’
‘No, I’m not,’ Nico complained, then passed out.
Will caught him in a fireman’s carry and took him away. ‘Good luck! I’m going to get the Lord of Darkness here some Gatorade!’”—Page 326
That was adorable.
“Another time, in a Stockholm tavern, I met this god who was smoking hot, except his talking sword just would not shut up.”—Page 326
That was totally Jack and Frey from MCGA.
Then Percy Jackson arrives! Only to slip in hellhound pee…
“Percy put his hand on my shoulder. ‘You’re Apollo. We need you. You can do this. Besides, if you don’t, I will personally throw you off the top of the Empire State Building.’”—Pages 336-337
Percy Jackson: Master Pep Talker.
So with the power of hay fever Apollo makes the giant Apollo sneeze his head off…literally. Leo and Calypso arrive back, the book ends with Leo, Calypso and Apollo deciding they’re going to Indiana on Festus.
So I enjoyed this book. It did have a decent amount of problems; it wasn’t as funny or enjoyable as Magnus Chase was. However I think I’ll continue with this series. So excited for the Hammer of Thor though.
Yet another Rick Riordan book, the beginning of this book was kind of slow. It starts out with Apollo falling into garbage dumpster and being roughed up by some hooligans.
This is where we meet Meg.
“Meg sang, ‘I’ve got your money, I’ve got your money.’”—Page 17
Who is pretty annoying in the beginning and I honestly she didn’t get a lot better as the book went on. I’m sure she’ll get better as this series progresses, but for now boy did I want Apollo to ditch her.
So Apollo’s bloodied up and now Meg’s slave. They go to Percy Jackson’s place where:
“Standing behind the kitchen counter, making a smoothie, was a strikingly attractive mortal woman of about forty. Hey long brown hair had a few gray streaks, but her bright eyes, quick smile, and a festive tie-dyed sundress made her look younger.”—Page 29
IT’S MY BABY SALLY JACKSON! And she’s gonna have a baby! I wish I hadn’t been spoiled for it but oh well. Clearly Olympus needs better Sex Ed classes because Apollo doesn’t know how mortal pregnancy works.
Oh, how I’ve missed Sally Jackson, she’s such a good mom and I love her. She’s so sweet with Meg and Apollo. I hope she and Percy show up again in this book series again.
“I examined the black T-shirt Percy had given me. Emblazoned on the front was Led Zeppelin’s logo for their record label: winged Icarus falling from the sky. I had not problem with Led Zeppelin. I had inspired all their best songs. But I had a sneaking suspicion that Percy had given me this shirt as a joke—the fall from the sky.”—Page 32
Perseus Jackson that is so mean! And hilarious. So Percy basically explains to Apollo (and the audience) that he’s not going to be a main player in this series because he wants to get on with his life. Which I suppose is nice.
I don’t understand why they need a prophecy to go on a quest. In the Son of Neptune Mars was just like “Hey, go to Alaska and free death”. So, why can’t the Greeks?
“‘You’re gonna be like Aquaman?’ she asked. ‘Get the fish to fight for you?’
‘Thanks,’ Percy said. ‘I haven’t heard enough Aquaman jokes for one lifetime.’
‘I wasn’t joking!’ Meg protested.”—Page 51
Meg is totally Nico from the Titan’s Curse and at the end of this book she runs away like Nico did in the Titan’s Curse.
So there’s these plague spirits and Percy gets a cold, so he’s out of this book until the climax.
Okay, so Apollo addressing the whole Nico-Will thing to the audience was kind of forced. Apollo kind of turned into a mouthpiece for Rick. But it did end pretty well with him getting distracted so I guess I’ll give it a pass.
Okay so there’s this three-legged death race. Why the hell would Chiron allow this to happen? Like yeah Harley’s adorable and after he apologized to Apollo after Austin and Kayla got taken into the forest. But c’mon Chiron would never allowed this. He banned chariot racing for goodness sake!
I knew that Meg would be a daughter of Demeter!
Will, Austin and Kayla are such sweethearts. I love them so much and I hope they stick around.
“I rested my hand on Will’s shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll be back by dawn.’
His mouth trembled ever so slightly. ‘How can you sure?’
‘I’m the sun god,’ I said, trying to muster more confidence than I felt. ‘I always return at dawn.’”—Page 214
Probably my favorite part of the book, such a cool line. So Apollo and Meg go into the forest to find the hostages. They meet some cute geysers and then some giant ants capture Meg. Then we meet Rhea, who is surprisingly not evil.
I’m pretty sure Rhea is the poster child for why godlings should never smoke ambrosia. You’ll become high as Olympus and won’t know what millennia it is.
Apollo singing about his flaws made me tear up, right in the feels. I love his character so much.
I knew Nero would be Meg’s step dad.
So basically the trees tell Meg that Nero is evil and going to burn them, Meg tries to stop him with Peaches however he still starts a fire. Some dryads come and sacrifice themselves, which is really sad. Apollo gets the new quest, Meg runs away and now the hostages have to get back to camp. Apollo sings to get his giant adoptive ant mommy’s attention; she gives a ride back to camp to discover that a giant naked statue of Apollo is trying to destroy CHB.
Holy fuck this is weird.
Couple of cool moments:
“‘You guys go,’ Will told me. ‘The chariot is only designed for three, and after that shadow-travel, Nico is going to pass out any second.’
‘No, I’m not,’ Nico complained, then passed out.
Will caught him in a fireman’s carry and took him away. ‘Good luck! I’m going to get the Lord of Darkness here some Gatorade!’”—Page 326
That was adorable.
“Another time, in a Stockholm tavern, I met this god who was smoking hot, except his talking sword just would not shut up.”—Page 326
That was totally Jack and Frey from MCGA.
Then Percy Jackson arrives! Only to slip in hellhound pee…
“Percy put his hand on my shoulder. ‘You’re Apollo. We need you. You can do this. Besides, if you don’t, I will personally throw you off the top of the Empire State Building.’”—Pages 336-337
Percy Jackson: Master Pep Talker.
So with the power of hay fever Apollo makes the giant Apollo sneeze his head off…literally. Leo and Calypso arrive back, the book ends with Leo, Calypso and Apollo deciding they’re going to Indiana on Festus.
So I enjoyed this book. It did have a decent amount of problems; it wasn’t as funny or enjoyable as Magnus Chase was. However I think I’ll continue with this series. So excited for the Hammer of Thor though.
Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes
5.0
TBR Jar Challenge: Listen to an audiobook
Review:
So our story begins with the fire from the last book still raging on, there’s this watcher who claims to be a god that a couple of Limerian guards come across. He then kicks their asses.
Back to Jonas, he continues to suck as a rebel leader then this guy named Felix comes and helps him fight off some guards.
We get our first look at Asher’s twin sister Amara. Who seems more evil than her brother or at least it’s more obvious. Lucia and Cleo are kind of teaming up together to fight off Amara. Magnus on the other hand isn’t so lucky. He seems pretty easily seduced by her.
Back with Alexius we find out that Melenia is manipulating King Gaius and that she’s also sucking all the other Watchers for their magic.
In Limeros, Gauis ends up killing Lys’s brother and that kind of breaks her.
Magnus starts finally standing up to his father, maybe even planning on killing him but then Gauis reveals that Sabina was his real mother and not Althea. So that plan’s out the window. So I guess it wasn’t Aron who killed Magnus’s mother, it was Lucia.
“Wrapped around his little finger? Pretty net? What exactly did Amara think she knew?
Nic was not wrapped around anyone’s little finger. Except Cleo’s perhaps, and that was entirely his choice. Cleo was family—the only family he had left.” —Page 154-155
Nic is so cute. So Nic starts to kind of form a bond with the siblings. Which is a very bad idea.
Jonas and Felix work with Nic to help Lys and Tarus escape the king killing them. They devise a plan to create an explosion to stop the ceremony. They escape but Lucia ends up getting lost in a crowd, she meets up with Amara and they find Petros (the boy who started the explosion) and Amara ends up killing him like the bitch that she is.
Later, Magnus being the angst-y brooder that he is gets drunk and Cronus has to take him back to the palace. On their way back he sees a temple for Cleiona being guarded by guards. He discovers that Cleo is in there praying and confronts her. They talk for a while and Cleo almost gets through to him before he reminds her of him killing Theon. Then Magnus fucks Amara because of course he does.
“But it seems that you’re experiencing a flurry of angst today.”—Nic, Page 219
Every YA character, ever.
So back to the whole Kindred story line, Alexius creates a magic map and with the help of Cleo’s ring they find the locations to ¾ of the crystals. Cleo feeds this information back to Jonas and he and set out to find them. Now I thought that touching the crystals would end up turning you mad but it doesn’t seem like it.
Back at the palace, Lucia is paranoid that Cleo betrayed her, so she sets a trap for and realizes that Cleo is lying to her. She nearly kills Cleo before letting her go back she realizes that her magic is incredibly dark. Cleo escapes Lucia but then is taken by the Limeros guards by the King’s orders. Things never go right for Cleo, do they?
And Alexius and Lucia just had sex and now they’re gonna get married.
So Gauis orders Magnus to question Cleo, but that’s kind of useless because he gives Cronus the order to just kill her after the question. However Magnus decides last minute to kill Cronus and another guard. He saves Cleo and they head for Limeros to find Lucia.
Nic overhears that the king is going to send guards after Amara and Ashur so he dash off to warn them. Turns out that they were just using him for information. Because of course they were.
Cleo and Magnus make it to Limeros stay at a noble woman’s house, say that they hate each other and then make out. But before things go any further Amara and Ashur show up with Nic and few guards. They demand that they take them to where the water crystal is or they’ll kill Nic. So they do.
Back at Paelsia, the Rebel trio only managed to get the earth and air crystals but the fire crystal is mysteriously missing. However Nerissa tells Jonas that Felix was an assassin for the king. Jonas tells Lys this, he’s about to go confront Felix but then Felix explains that he changed and is pretty hurt that Jonas wouldn’t even ask Felix to explain. He would have just killed him. Felix takes the air crystal that he got with his blood and then leaves.
At the Valoria temple Alexius stabs Lucia and then stabs himself. In his last dying moments he tells Lucia some important information.
Later Magnus, Cleo, Amara and Ashur arrive at the temple. They try to summon the water crystal but it’s revealed that Nic actually gotten there first with the help of Ashur. Then Amara like the bitch she is destroyed my Nic/Ashur ship and killed Ashur. I’m so sad, I shipped them so hard!
Amara leaves with the water crystal, Nic is grieving (like I am), Cleo and Magnus manage to kill all the guards before the guards can kill them. They’re now going to go after Amara so they can get the water crystal.
“Magnus had come to a horrible realization. One he knew would cause him nothing but pain and suffering from that day forward.
But there was not changing the truth of it.
He had fallen in love with her.”—Page 397
Well at least one ship is still going strong.
Final chapter, Melenia is now in Mytica but is still immortal. This is where things get kind of confusing. I guess Lucia summoned Melenia’s old lover the fire god. But then the fire god is like “I don’t love you anymore” and the Lucia kills Melenia. Then the fire god asks Lucia to help him release him, destroy the watchers and the entire world. Lucia agrees and now the world is going to burn.
And that was the third Falling Kingdoms book. It took me such a long time to read it but dammit it was so good. I can’t wait to get the first Spirit and Thieves book along with the next book in the Falling Kingdoms series. This was such a great ending. I loved it so much.
Review:
So our story begins with the fire from the last book still raging on, there’s this watcher who claims to be a god that a couple of Limerian guards come across. He then kicks their asses.
Back to Jonas, he continues to suck as a rebel leader then this guy named Felix comes and helps him fight off some guards.
We get our first look at Asher’s twin sister Amara. Who seems more evil than her brother or at least it’s more obvious. Lucia and Cleo are kind of teaming up together to fight off Amara. Magnus on the other hand isn’t so lucky. He seems pretty easily seduced by her.
Back with Alexius we find out that Melenia is manipulating King Gaius and that she’s also sucking all the other Watchers for their magic.
In Limeros, Gauis ends up killing Lys’s brother and that kind of breaks her.
Magnus starts finally standing up to his father, maybe even planning on killing him but then Gauis reveals that Sabina was his real mother and not Althea. So that plan’s out the window. So I guess it wasn’t Aron who killed Magnus’s mother, it was Lucia.
“Wrapped around his little finger? Pretty net? What exactly did Amara think she knew?
Nic was not wrapped around anyone’s little finger. Except Cleo’s perhaps, and that was entirely his choice. Cleo was family—the only family he had left.” —Page 154-155
Nic is so cute. So Nic starts to kind of form a bond with the siblings. Which is a very bad idea.
Jonas and Felix work with Nic to help Lys and Tarus escape the king killing them. They devise a plan to create an explosion to stop the ceremony. They escape but Lucia ends up getting lost in a crowd, she meets up with Amara and they find Petros (the boy who started the explosion) and Amara ends up killing him like the bitch that she is.
Later, Magnus being the angst-y brooder that he is gets drunk and Cronus has to take him back to the palace. On their way back he sees a temple for Cleiona being guarded by guards. He discovers that Cleo is in there praying and confronts her. They talk for a while and Cleo almost gets through to him before he reminds her of him killing Theon. Then Magnus fucks Amara because of course he does.
“But it seems that you’re experiencing a flurry of angst today.”—Nic, Page 219
Every YA character, ever.
So back to the whole Kindred story line, Alexius creates a magic map and with the help of Cleo’s ring they find the locations to ¾ of the crystals. Cleo feeds this information back to Jonas and he and set out to find them. Now I thought that touching the crystals would end up turning you mad but it doesn’t seem like it.
Back at the palace, Lucia is paranoid that Cleo betrayed her, so she sets a trap for and realizes that Cleo is lying to her. She nearly kills Cleo before letting her go back she realizes that her magic is incredibly dark. Cleo escapes Lucia but then is taken by the Limeros guards by the King’s orders. Things never go right for Cleo, do they?
And Alexius and Lucia just had sex and now they’re gonna get married.
So Gauis orders Magnus to question Cleo, but that’s kind of useless because he gives Cronus the order to just kill her after the question. However Magnus decides last minute to kill Cronus and another guard. He saves Cleo and they head for Limeros to find Lucia.
Nic overhears that the king is going to send guards after Amara and Ashur so he dash off to warn them. Turns out that they were just using him for information. Because of course they were.
Cleo and Magnus make it to Limeros stay at a noble woman’s house, say that they hate each other and then make out. But before things go any further Amara and Ashur show up with Nic and few guards. They demand that they take them to where the water crystal is or they’ll kill Nic. So they do.
Back at Paelsia, the Rebel trio only managed to get the earth and air crystals but the fire crystal is mysteriously missing. However Nerissa tells Jonas that Felix was an assassin for the king. Jonas tells Lys this, he’s about to go confront Felix but then Felix explains that he changed and is pretty hurt that Jonas wouldn’t even ask Felix to explain. He would have just killed him. Felix takes the air crystal that he got with his blood and then leaves.
At the Valoria temple Alexius stabs Lucia and then stabs himself. In his last dying moments he tells Lucia some important information.
Later Magnus, Cleo, Amara and Ashur arrive at the temple. They try to summon the water crystal but it’s revealed that Nic actually gotten there first with the help of Ashur. Then Amara like the bitch she is destroyed my Nic/Ashur ship and killed Ashur. I’m so sad, I shipped them so hard!
Amara leaves with the water crystal, Nic is grieving (like I am), Cleo and Magnus manage to kill all the guards before the guards can kill them. They’re now going to go after Amara so they can get the water crystal.
“Magnus had come to a horrible realization. One he knew would cause him nothing but pain and suffering from that day forward.
But there was not changing the truth of it.
He had fallen in love with her.”—Page 397
Well at least one ship is still going strong.
Final chapter, Melenia is now in Mytica but is still immortal. This is where things get kind of confusing. I guess Lucia summoned Melenia’s old lover the fire god. But then the fire god is like “I don’t love you anymore” and the Lucia kills Melenia. Then the fire god asks Lucia to help him release him, destroy the watchers and the entire world. Lucia agrees and now the world is going to burn.
And that was the third Falling Kingdoms book. It took me such a long time to read it but dammit it was so good. I can’t wait to get the first Spirit and Thieves book along with the next book in the Falling Kingdoms series. This was such a great ending. I loved it so much.
רוחות וגנבים by Morgan Rhodes
5.0
First off, there will probably be a few references to the Falling Kingdoms series in this review so if you haven’t read up to Gathering Darkness, then I suggest you don’t read this review.
Hey, Crystal you should be more appreciative. You’re in Canada, I’m pretty sure you get free college unlike us Americans.
Crystal and Becca’s mom get a mysterious book from their aunt. It then makes Becca collapse.
We then meet Farrell (stupid name) who is getting drunk when his little brother, Adam, texts him asking for help. Farrell goes and his new friends basically want to rape this drunk/drugged woman. Stay classy.
Then we meet Maddox who gets stupidly tricked by a thief but then his abusive guardian, Livius, helps him out. Maddox goes to this noblemen’s house to “purge” an evil spirit. They’re actually just conning a gullible rich guy. However Maddox doesn’t have some kind of special power to see spirits because then he sees Becca.
This brings up an interesting question, how do these time lines work? Maddox is in “ancient Mytica” and since Valoria is still around I’d assume this takes place far before Falling Kingdoms. But then in our world it’s modern day. How does that work? Does time in Mytica just move way faster than it does in our world?
Back to the story, so Crystal’s sad that her sister is a Coma and reaches out to her dad for answers.
So Farrell is from this really rich family and they got this secret society called the Hawkspear Society and it’s time for Farrell’s younger brother to join the club. So they go through these secret underground tunnels to get to this theater.
Before the meeting starts, Lucas calls over Farrell. Lucas is Farrell’s dead older brother, Connor’s best friend. Lucas says that Markus King, the leader of this society wants to bring Farrell into his inner circle. Farrell really can’t say no but the meeting starts.
Then things go from weird to what the fuck because Markus calls up Adam, they bring out this drug dealer. They decide that he’s evil and so Markus just straight up murders him because that’s his job, to destroy evil. The blood of the drug dealer gives the members of the society power because it’s blood magic. Then Adam is offered to join, he says yes because he’s not an idiot, Markus carves a symbol into Adam’s arm and now he’s part of this fucked up cult. Farrell’s parts are intense.
“‘It’s a daguerreotype,’ she said, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose. She had already known the answer, but there was a descriptive plague right next to it that explained everything which she read from. ‘‘Named for Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, iodine-sensitized silver plate and mercy vapor.’’
‘Sounds like a lot of effort.’
‘Too much. I wonder what this guy would have thought of digital.’”—Page 83
Hey! It’s totally worth to get that sharp, reflective style! It’s like a mirror. Sad face. If you don’t get this reference please go play Life is Strange.
I’m a quarter of the way through and I really don’t give a shit about Crystal.
“‘Yes, really. With Connor, I had such high hopes—that he would be famous artist, that he’d soon get married and give me grandchildren. That he’d carry on the Grayson name. For Adam, his teachers say he has an incredible mind, that he’s meant for medicine, law, business. Whatever he chooses, they believe he’ll be successful. But you…’ Her discerning gaze swept him from head to toe. ‘I have no reason to think you’ll ever amount to anything of note. Therefore, I expect very little from you.’”—Page 101
Well, Farrell’s mother is officially irredeemable. Who the hell says that to their kids? Rhodes better not try to make this character sympathetic because there’s no coming back from this. I’m pretty sure when she and King Gaius die, they’re gonna meet up in hell and high five each other because they were both equally horrible parents.
Also your eldest son committed suicide, I’m pretty saying shit like this is only going to make the number of your dead sons only increase.
Maddox and Livius are in the dungeon and they’re going to meet Valoria.
Livius will not be missed.
Farrell is now a part of Markus’s inner circle, he’s given a mark that makes him a tineye, like in Mistborn.
I just realized something Markus…Mark us. Well played Rhodes, well played.
Farrell’s first assignment is to see what Crystal is up to.
Why are Limerian guards, no matter what time period it is, always just fucking dicks? Is it because they’re always under a repressive regime? Like first was Valoria and then King Gaius who’s basically Valoria.
I ship Becca and Maddox so hard, Becca trying to motivate him and saying that she’s his friend is just so nice.
So crazy Barney comes into the cell with Maddox (and Becca) but he turns out to not be crazy. His name is Barnabas, he knows about Maddox, he wants to break out of jail and destroy Valoria before she can destroy Mytica. Why is Mytica always hanging in balance and about to be destroyed?
It is revealed that Valoria is looking for the golden dagger that Markus has.
So Farrell was attempting to flirt with Crystal to try to do his mission but Crystal (kind of hilariously) rejected his efforts to focus on Becca. Now Farrell is incredibly pissed off but he’s no a date with Felicity, a girl his mom wants to hook up with. He decides to get his little brother because he’s drunk and coked up. It ends with Farrell almost beating a dude to death, clearly this is Markus’s mark doing this.
So, with Maddox, Barnabas escape the Limerian palace, killing Valoria’s snake and stealing this magic box. Barnabas reveals that Maddox is a necromancer and seems to know a lot about who Maddox is…
Any way, with Crystal she’s walking along when she’s Farrell in his car and sees that Lucas in the limo with him. She recognizes him as the guy who mugged her and realizes that he’s been playing her for a fool.
She then meets with Markus, who is also the golden boy at the university. He reveals that he and Crystal’s grandfather had cofounded the Hawkspear society.
“‘Why were you at the university that day?’ she asked.
‘Simply because I take classes there.’”—Pages 255-256
See Crystal? Even possibly evil immortals understand the importance of higher education.
Also that motherfucker Markus knows about Vega and the Bronze Codex. He knows pretty much everything, let’s be honest.
Crystal you just spring all this Hawkspear shit on your mom, when she’s barely had her coffee? Cruel. But seriously we get a whole bunch of plot twists. First that Jackie and Markus were madly in love with each other, had a baby and that baby was Becca.
Back in Mytica, Maddox is drunk and tells Becca how he’s so sad that she has to leave. My poor baby.
So Julia goes to pick up Jackie, Crystal goes to Vega to find out that he was mugged by Markus’s goons and got a bunch information out of him, including that Becca is in a…book induced coma? Then it’s discovered that Becca has been kidnapped by Markus. Crystal gets a call from her dad to get the Bronze Codex and she’ll be picked up in 1 hour.
So the ugly witch’s sister “betrays” them to Valoria and it’s revealed that Barnabas is the hunter that Eva fell in love with. I didn’t see that coming, but I did see coming that Barnabas was Maddox’s daddy. Also the fact that Sienna didn’t really betray them and this was all a trick to get Valoria there.
Valoria was stealing magic before it was cool.
The trap doesn’t work but Maddox ends up using his magic, that will probably turn him crazy like Lucia, to make her go away. I’m surprised that Barnabas is still alive but now they’re going on a quest to find the lost heir.
And finally, Markus decides to give Crystal and Becca all three marks, however Daniel double crosses them. He had called Adam to pick them up in the elevator of the fancy restaurant. Daniel ends up snapping Lucas’s neck, but lets Farrell because…main character, let’s be honest.
Then Markus, I think is making Farrell his right hand man. He forces Farrell to kill Daniel, then gives him the third mark. Now Farrell is under Markus’s complete control.
Hey Adam, you better not get in the way of my Maddox-Becca ship.
But the book ends with Jackie taking Crystal and Becca into hiding. This was an amazing book, Crystal still hasn’t really grown on me but I still really enjoyed it. I’m excited to see where the story goes and I think the next book comes out soon, so I’m excited to read it! On to Frozen Tides!
Hey, Crystal you should be more appreciative. You’re in Canada, I’m pretty sure you get free college unlike us Americans.
Crystal and Becca’s mom get a mysterious book from their aunt. It then makes Becca collapse.
We then meet Farrell (stupid name) who is getting drunk when his little brother, Adam, texts him asking for help. Farrell goes and his new friends basically want to rape this drunk/drugged woman. Stay classy.
Then we meet Maddox who gets stupidly tricked by a thief but then his abusive guardian, Livius, helps him out. Maddox goes to this noblemen’s house to “purge” an evil spirit. They’re actually just conning a gullible rich guy. However Maddox doesn’t have some kind of special power to see spirits because then he sees Becca.
This brings up an interesting question, how do these time lines work? Maddox is in “ancient Mytica” and since Valoria is still around I’d assume this takes place far before Falling Kingdoms. But then in our world it’s modern day. How does that work? Does time in Mytica just move way faster than it does in our world?
Back to the story, so Crystal’s sad that her sister is a Coma and reaches out to her dad for answers.
So Farrell is from this really rich family and they got this secret society called the Hawkspear Society and it’s time for Farrell’s younger brother to join the club. So they go through these secret underground tunnels to get to this theater.
Before the meeting starts, Lucas calls over Farrell. Lucas is Farrell’s dead older brother, Connor’s best friend. Lucas says that Markus King, the leader of this society wants to bring Farrell into his inner circle. Farrell really can’t say no but the meeting starts.
Then things go from weird to what the fuck because Markus calls up Adam, they bring out this drug dealer. They decide that he’s evil and so Markus just straight up murders him because that’s his job, to destroy evil. The blood of the drug dealer gives the members of the society power because it’s blood magic. Then Adam is offered to join, he says yes because he’s not an idiot, Markus carves a symbol into Adam’s arm and now he’s part of this fucked up cult. Farrell’s parts are intense.
“‘It’s a daguerreotype,’ she said, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose. She had already known the answer, but there was a descriptive plague right next to it that explained everything which she read from. ‘‘Named for Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, iodine-sensitized silver plate and mercy vapor.’’
‘Sounds like a lot of effort.’
‘Too much. I wonder what this guy would have thought of digital.’”—Page 83
Hey! It’s totally worth to get that sharp, reflective style! It’s like a mirror. Sad face. If you don’t get this reference please go play Life is Strange.
I’m a quarter of the way through and I really don’t give a shit about Crystal.
“‘Yes, really. With Connor, I had such high hopes—that he would be famous artist, that he’d soon get married and give me grandchildren. That he’d carry on the Grayson name. For Adam, his teachers say he has an incredible mind, that he’s meant for medicine, law, business. Whatever he chooses, they believe he’ll be successful. But you…’ Her discerning gaze swept him from head to toe. ‘I have no reason to think you’ll ever amount to anything of note. Therefore, I expect very little from you.’”—Page 101
Well, Farrell’s mother is officially irredeemable. Who the hell says that to their kids? Rhodes better not try to make this character sympathetic because there’s no coming back from this. I’m pretty sure when she and King Gaius die, they’re gonna meet up in hell and high five each other because they were both equally horrible parents.
Also your eldest son committed suicide, I’m pretty saying shit like this is only going to make the number of your dead sons only increase.
Maddox and Livius are in the dungeon and they’re going to meet Valoria.
Livius will not be missed.
Farrell is now a part of Markus’s inner circle, he’s given a mark that makes him a tineye, like in Mistborn.
I just realized something Markus…Mark us. Well played Rhodes, well played.
Farrell’s first assignment is to see what Crystal is up to.
Why are Limerian guards, no matter what time period it is, always just fucking dicks? Is it because they’re always under a repressive regime? Like first was Valoria and then King Gaius who’s basically Valoria.
I ship Becca and Maddox so hard, Becca trying to motivate him and saying that she’s his friend is just so nice.
So crazy Barney comes into the cell with Maddox (and Becca) but he turns out to not be crazy. His name is Barnabas, he knows about Maddox, he wants to break out of jail and destroy Valoria before she can destroy Mytica. Why is Mytica always hanging in balance and about to be destroyed?
It is revealed that Valoria is looking for the golden dagger that Markus has.
So Farrell was attempting to flirt with Crystal to try to do his mission but Crystal (kind of hilariously) rejected his efforts to focus on Becca. Now Farrell is incredibly pissed off but he’s no a date with Felicity, a girl his mom wants to hook up with. He decides to get his little brother because he’s drunk and coked up. It ends with Farrell almost beating a dude to death, clearly this is Markus’s mark doing this.
So, with Maddox, Barnabas escape the Limerian palace, killing Valoria’s snake and stealing this magic box. Barnabas reveals that Maddox is a necromancer and seems to know a lot about who Maddox is…
Any way, with Crystal she’s walking along when she’s Farrell in his car and sees that Lucas in the limo with him. She recognizes him as the guy who mugged her and realizes that he’s been playing her for a fool.
She then meets with Markus, who is also the golden boy at the university. He reveals that he and Crystal’s grandfather had cofounded the Hawkspear society.
“‘Why were you at the university that day?’ she asked.
‘Simply because I take classes there.’”—Pages 255-256
See Crystal? Even possibly evil immortals understand the importance of higher education.
Also that motherfucker Markus knows about Vega and the Bronze Codex. He knows pretty much everything, let’s be honest.
Crystal you just spring all this Hawkspear shit on your mom, when she’s barely had her coffee? Cruel. But seriously we get a whole bunch of plot twists. First that Jackie and Markus were madly in love with each other, had a baby and that baby was Becca.
Back in Mytica, Maddox is drunk and tells Becca how he’s so sad that she has to leave. My poor baby.
So Julia goes to pick up Jackie, Crystal goes to Vega to find out that he was mugged by Markus’s goons and got a bunch information out of him, including that Becca is in a…book induced coma? Then it’s discovered that Becca has been kidnapped by Markus. Crystal gets a call from her dad to get the Bronze Codex and she’ll be picked up in 1 hour.
So the ugly witch’s sister “betrays” them to Valoria and it’s revealed that Barnabas is the hunter that Eva fell in love with. I didn’t see that coming, but I did see coming that Barnabas was Maddox’s daddy. Also the fact that Sienna didn’t really betray them and this was all a trick to get Valoria there.
Valoria was stealing magic before it was cool.
The trap doesn’t work but Maddox ends up using his magic, that will probably turn him crazy like Lucia, to make her go away. I’m surprised that Barnabas is still alive but now they’re going on a quest to find the lost heir.
And finally, Markus decides to give Crystal and Becca all three marks, however Daniel double crosses them. He had called Adam to pick them up in the elevator of the fancy restaurant. Daniel ends up snapping Lucas’s neck, but lets Farrell because…main character, let’s be honest.
Then Markus, I think is making Farrell his right hand man. He forces Farrell to kill Daniel, then gives him the third mark. Now Farrell is under Markus’s complete control.
Hey Adam, you better not get in the way of my Maddox-Becca ship.
But the book ends with Jackie taking Crystal and Becca into hiding. This was an amazing book, Crystal still hasn’t really grown on me but I still really enjoyed it. I’m excited to see where the story goes and I think the next book comes out soon, so I’m excited to read it! On to Frozen Tides!
The Little Android by Marissa Meyer
3.0
From my [b:Stars Above|25689074|Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles, #4.5)|Marissa Meyer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1454218576s/25689074.jpg|45517469] review:
This was a really cute story, it’s about this little android (duh) who starts to become more human. Definitely one of the weakest. The best part was seeing Cinder, it was a really cute moment. But the whole weird romance was just kinda…weird. It was also kind of dull, didn’t really have much to do with the Lunar Chronicles. Just that 1 Cinder cameo.
This was a really cute story, it’s about this little android (duh) who starts to become more human. Definitely one of the weakest. The best part was seeing Cinder, it was a really cute moment. But the whole weird romance was just kinda…weird. It was also kind of dull, didn’t really have much to do with the Lunar Chronicles. Just that 1 Cinder cameo.
The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer
5.0
From my [b:Stars Above|25689074|Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles, #4.5)|Marissa Meyer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1454218576s/25689074.jpg|45517469] review
This story is all about the way Wolf had become the werewolf thing that he is. It was really sad to see his mom because of what happened in Winter. Also interesting to see Queen Bitchface again. Overall I really enjoyed the story.
This story is all about the way Wolf had become the werewolf thing that he is. It was really sad to see his mom because of what happened in Winter. Also interesting to see Queen Bitchface again. Overall I really enjoyed the story.
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
First let me just get this out of the law, this book really reminds me of Legend of Korra. They’re both spin offs, they take several years with descendants of the previous cast of characters, the creators were influenced by similar time periods, technology boom, AND a magical force re-populating the planet with a group of magic users that had died off in the first series. At least I’m assuming that Sazed created more Feruchemists. I’m sure Brandon and Bryke have probably heard this before.
Any way, our story actually begins with Wax accidently killing his girlfriend. Then he moves back to…Elendel…and there’s a bunch of other things named for the characters. So that’s funny and kinda depressing. Also Wax is related to Breeze. That’s really cool.
We’re also told that Mistborn are a myth but there is this new thing called “Twinborns” where you can have one allomantic power and feruchemic power. So Wax is a coin shot and he also mess with his weight with his feruchemic power. Seeing how this is in the Mistborn series I’m sure they’ll come back. Although with all these new allomantic powers, I’m sure they’re going to be even more OP than they were in the last series.
You can mix alcohol and metals? I wouldn’t recommend getting drunk while trying to practice allomancy.
“‘I have seen God, lawkeeper,’ Tan whispered. Where was he? ‘I have seen Death himself, with nails in his eyes. I have seen the Survivor, who is life.’”—Page 12
Good to know that the church of the Survivor survived. Also are you sure you’re not talking about an inquisitor?
The mists still exist for some reason. They don’t seem to come out every night.
Also Wax is 42 and Wayne is like in his 30s, that’s really odd.
I’m pretty sure Steris is related to a Kandra with this whole contract business.
“It was two fifteen. He should be getting sleep. Normal people slept at these hours.”—Page 72
Normal is overrated.
Steris and Sarene from Elantris need to meet. It would be hilarious.
“‘I once shot the tail off a dog by mistake,’ Waxillium said idly. ‘It’s kind of a funny story.’
‘Shooting dogs is hardly appropriate dinner conversation,’ Steris said.
‘I know. Particularly since I was aiming for its balls.’
Marasi just about spat her soup across the table.”—Page 89
Wax is my favorite. Also Brandon Sanderson making a penis joke. That’s hilarious.
Okay the Lord Mistborn? I’m pretty sure that it’s Spook because later they talking some High Imperial language and it’s Spook’s stupid street slang. Which is weird and there’s a story in there.
Ugh, not a most-unorthodox!-chief-of-police.
“Wayne eyed the watching men. Not a one of them had questioned him. Act like you were important, act like you were angry, and people just wanted to get out of your way. Basic psychology, that was.”—Page 161
Nice advice.
The butler is a traitor! He was kinda annoying, he just wanted Wax to stop investigating.
Ranette made a gun called “Vindication” which is ironic because Ranette kinda reminds me of Vin.
So in the epic battle Sazed shows up and gives Wax his chest of guns.
“‘Oh Survivor of Mists!’ Steris breathed, checks flushed, eyes wide, lips parted as she held to him. She didn’t look terrified. If anything, she seemed aroused.
You are a bizarre woman, Steris, Wax thought.”—Page 348
Is Steris turned on by Wax saving her? That’s beautiful.
Steris is kinda sweet, I hope we get to know her more.
I knew it that the uncle was Mister Suit.
Marsh! Sazed couldn’t fix you? That’s lame.
Time to wait for the next two books to arrive here! I’m excited to start this new series.
Any way, our story actually begins with Wax accidently killing his girlfriend. Then he moves back to…Elendel…and there’s a bunch of other things named for the characters. So that’s funny and kinda depressing. Also Wax is related to Breeze. That’s really cool.
We’re also told that Mistborn are a myth but there is this new thing called “Twinborns” where you can have one allomantic power and feruchemic power. So Wax is a coin shot and he also mess with his weight with his feruchemic power. Seeing how this is in the Mistborn series I’m sure they’ll come back. Although with all these new allomantic powers, I’m sure they’re going to be even more OP than they were in the last series.
You can mix alcohol and metals? I wouldn’t recommend getting drunk while trying to practice allomancy.
“‘I have seen God, lawkeeper,’ Tan whispered. Where was he? ‘I have seen Death himself, with nails in his eyes. I have seen the Survivor, who is life.’”—Page 12
Good to know that the church of the Survivor survived. Also are you sure you’re not talking about an inquisitor?
The mists still exist for some reason. They don’t seem to come out every night.
Also Wax is 42 and Wayne is like in his 30s, that’s really odd.
I’m pretty sure Steris is related to a Kandra with this whole contract business.
“It was two fifteen. He should be getting sleep. Normal people slept at these hours.”—Page 72
Normal is overrated.
Steris and Sarene from Elantris need to meet. It would be hilarious.
“‘I once shot the tail off a dog by mistake,’ Waxillium said idly. ‘It’s kind of a funny story.’
‘Shooting dogs is hardly appropriate dinner conversation,’ Steris said.
‘I know. Particularly since I was aiming for its balls.’
Marasi just about spat her soup across the table.”—Page 89
Wax is my favorite. Also Brandon Sanderson making a penis joke. That’s hilarious.
Okay the Lord Mistborn? I’m pretty sure that it’s Spook because later they talking some High Imperial language and it’s Spook’s stupid street slang. Which is weird and there’s a story in there.
Ugh, not a most-unorthodox!-chief-of-police.
“Wayne eyed the watching men. Not a one of them had questioned him. Act like you were important, act like you were angry, and people just wanted to get out of your way. Basic psychology, that was.”—Page 161
Nice advice.
The butler is a traitor! He was kinda annoying, he just wanted Wax to stop investigating.
Ranette made a gun called “Vindication” which is ironic because Ranette kinda reminds me of Vin.
So in the epic battle Sazed shows up and gives Wax his chest of guns.
“‘Oh Survivor of Mists!’ Steris breathed, checks flushed, eyes wide, lips parted as she held to him. She didn’t look terrified. If anything, she seemed aroused.
You are a bizarre woman, Steris, Wax thought.”—Page 348
Is Steris turned on by Wax saving her? That’s beautiful.
Steris is kinda sweet, I hope we get to know her more.
I knew it that the uncle was Mister Suit.
Marsh! Sazed couldn’t fix you? That’s lame.
Time to wait for the next two books to arrive here! I’m excited to start this new series.