Happy August everyone. It's me, well the odd-ball that hasn't post a jack load of stuff since what the beginning of July? Well damn it all, I do apologize. However, I figured it was time to tell you all why I haven't been around. If you all have read my previous posts or the small sentences of me moving and work, well that is completely true. I've begun the moving process with the boyfriend and it's a very, very slow process. Let me explain it to you all in some shape or form.
After almost exactly two months since the boyfriend officially moved to my hometown, he finally landed a full time job. (Woo!) He's been searching and searching until a couple of weeks ago my uncle somehow presented my boyfriend with a opportunity and he grabbed it with force. He landed the job two days later, which was awesome yet ehh at the same time. The main reason I say that is I'm now the one with two jobs and with little to no time for us to clean and pack up for this house. (Yes two jobs..) I nabbed a second job, so as a result to it, I have no free time other than when I have a complete day off from both jobs. The second one is a Halloween season job so I can live with it, but its a struggle to keep at it when the other job is my number 1 priority.
Another reason why things are slow is due to the moving process. We literally gotten the electric turned on a few days ago and with the sudden heat waves of death, we barely did anything to clean up the house we are going to be living it. I wanted us there by the beginning or end of this month, but shit happens.
And finally, the real reason. I've been in a horrible slump. I've been somewhat reading, somewhat writing, and so forth. However, I just never had the motivation to keep notes to review the books up until now. I'm going to making a goal to actually keep up with being a writer and reviewer of books for you all and that's a pinky promise and hope to die cross. So I do hope that you'll stick around when I can give you more content in this journey. But, until then keep strong and howl my fellow wolves. I'll be back soon!
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Friday, July 1, 2016
Book Review: Secret Saturdays
Release Date: April 15th, 2010
Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Format of Novel: Paperback
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: A poignant look into one fatherless twelve-year-old’s struggles with friendship and trust. Sean is Justin’s best friend, at least Justin thought he was. But lately Sean has been acting differently. Sean’s been telling lies, getting into trouble at school, and hanging out with a tougher crowd, even getting into fights. This isn’t like Sean at all.
When Justin finally discovers that Sean’s been secretly going to visit his father in prison and is dealing with the shame of that, Justin wants to do something to help before his friend spirals further out of control. But what if confronting Sean means Justin loses his very best friend? In the end, he decides it doesn’t matter; he’s got to man up.
Set in one of New York’s most dangerous neighborhoods, Secret Saturdays is an affecting read highlighted by strong characters and an authentic, heartening voice.
When Justin finally discovers that Sean’s been secretly going to visit his father in prison and is dealing with the shame of that, Justin wants to do something to help before his friend spirals further out of control. But what if confronting Sean means Justin loses his very best friend? In the end, he decides it doesn’t matter; he’s got to man up.
Set in one of New York’s most dangerous neighborhoods, Secret Saturdays is an affecting read highlighted by strong characters and an authentic, heartening voice.
- - - -
This middle grade story was one of the fastest books I've ever read in a long time. I picked up at the local book festival my old high school had back in May and got it because I wanted to explore diversity and middle grade fiction. This story was about Justin and his two friends who are just reaching teen hood and figuring out what their other friend Sean has been doing while attempting to maintain their 'normal' lifestyle. The entire story involves the 'secret' of Sean's weekend trips and odd behavior when around them, which made the story pretty straightforward once you get into it.
While I did enjoy the simplicity of the story and the little development the main character gains throughout the book, I did have minor problems with it. One I can quickly think of was the general plot. Even though the story is more focused on how the kids are growing up in a rough environment and without fathers; I did have issues with how narrow the overall concept of secrets. I didn't feel that the story was resolve in any shape or form and for a middle grade novel, I feel that kids within that age group would feel the same as well. Another issue I had with this story was the characters, while they quite relatable and young, they were also faded in a way. I mean, the only focused character we get is the narrator Justin and like the other ones, he is at odd standstill, and we don't get to see much growth from him as well. We only got to see bits and pieces of it, but nothing exciting at all.
Overall though, the story was a straightforward read and the message of being honest is quite strong within Maldonado's writing. I believe that the younger age group would enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I'm in my early twenties so I couldn't really enjoy it as much as I wanted too. This book is a great addition to the diversity we need in books, but I wish this was a little bit stronger in terms of plot and the characters had more growth than they did in the short amount of time we got to know them. :)
Overall though, the story was a straightforward read and the message of being honest is quite strong within Maldonado's writing. I believe that the younger age group would enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I'm in my early twenties so I couldn't really enjoy it as much as I wanted too. This book is a great addition to the diversity we need in books, but I wish this was a little bit stronger in terms of plot and the characters had more growth than they did in the short amount of time we got to know them. :)
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Book Review: The Body Electric
The Body Electric by Beth Revis
Release Date: October 6th, 2014
Format of Novel: E-book/On the Nook
Publication: I think it was self published? Not sure.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary from Goodreads: The future world is at peace.
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is as it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is as it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust
- - -
Recently, I've been trying to expand my reading tastes and try stuff that I'm not normally into like science fiction. Beth Revis is a very popular author and I do enjoy her Paper Heart series since it was very honest and enjoyable to read. So as a result, I figured why not try out her other books. I've had this one on my nook for a while and gave it a whirl. Meaningless to say that I fairly enjoyed it. The characters were interesting to say the least with each of them having their own goals following this sudden take over of the upcoming battle between the government and the uprising rebel group. Etta sparked by interest because she is a stubborn one and has that powerful passion to go out of her way to save her mother and uncover the mysteries of her father's death and this unknown group. The other characters were cool as well, but at the same time, I didn't really connect with them. They were there for one second, then they weren't, especially during the action packed scenes. And the main guy character, Jack, was annoying as heck. I wanted to deck him in the fact for Etta. He was annoyingly set on being with Etta and at times I wanted him to be more mysterious and cunning instead of 'oh here you go, I screwed up your past!' to Etta.
As for the plot, it was the typical dystopian plot with the world going to shit and the main female protagonist is the source of saving the shitty world. I enjoyed the idea of Revis' world building and the scientific elements for this book. However, I felt that it was lacking and the pacing and the short chapters made it a little difficult to the overall concept of this book. I'm not sure if this was because I didn't read her Across the Universe trilogy before I picked this one up or what. Who knows.
Even though I wanted something more from this book, it was still an generally decent book to read. It was filled with action and passion. The characters were easy to follow and enjoyable and the plot was on point for a person that enjoys books within the sci-fi genre. I wish I can that I fell in love with it, but I didn't. But, I did enjoy it.
What are your opinions about this novel? Let me know in the comments below. :) Bye for now my fellow wolves!
As for the plot, it was the typical dystopian plot with the world going to shit and the main female protagonist is the source of saving the shitty world. I enjoyed the idea of Revis' world building and the scientific elements for this book. However, I felt that it was lacking and the pacing and the short chapters made it a little difficult to the overall concept of this book. I'm not sure if this was because I didn't read her Across the Universe trilogy before I picked this one up or what. Who knows.
Even though I wanted something more from this book, it was still an generally decent book to read. It was filled with action and passion. The characters were easy to follow and enjoyable and the plot was on point for a person that enjoys books within the sci-fi genre. I wish I can that I fell in love with it, but I didn't. But, I did enjoy it.
What are your opinions about this novel? Let me know in the comments below. :) Bye for now my fellow wolves!
Monday, June 6, 2016
Book Review: Falling Kingdoms
Release Date: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Format of Novel: Paperback
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Summary from good reads: In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.
As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?
It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.
Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.
Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....
As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?
It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.
Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.
Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....
- - - -
Did you ever wanted to read a book that sparked your love for adventure? A drama that screams love and despair, and loads of swoon of men and spunky girls? Well, that's what I got from this book. As it was blurb to be the 'YA of Game of Thrones", Morgan Rhodes delivered it to full justice. I absoultly fell in love with Falling Kingdoms. It had everything I was craving for at the time I read and I speeded right through it in a matter of days. The world building and the characters, holy crap the characters were cool. Even though they had similar to some of the modern fantasy character tropes that we see in YA fantasy, each of the focused characters had their own arc and it was wonderful. Jonas was the acting avenger like Sasuke from Naruto. Cleo was a semi humble yet sharp princess, and Magnus, oh my poor prince, such a tragic character. Almost like a darker version of Halmet. Lucia was this naïve and innocent girl yet she held her own and kicked ass in the end too. Man, I wanted to hug all of them at once while I was embracing myself in their story till they lost some air from the constant hugging..
The world building was (in my opinion) very standard to a fantasy series. However, it was presented very well with the right amount of pacing when it came down to it. The magical and political systems are somewhat revealed, yet at the same time, we are only touching the basics of it all and that's perfectly fine with me. I want to enjoy the world that our characters are enduring so I don't have to feel out of the loop and with the semi-slow info dump and the multiple point of views, it was good.
Another thing I also truly enjoyed was a couple of hidden stuff I've noticed in terms of tropes. Can we be grateful that the main four are literally like realistic young adults?? As a twenty two year old reader, I'm starting to crave the realistic stuff like "Teens drinking, smoking, sex before marriage' shindig as I'm reading and I was so happy when I read that Cleo wasn't a virgin. It's such a minor thing, but that small detail made me respect Cleo so damn much as a young lady. She's flawed, but she's becoming her own being or queen in a sense for her kingdom. She quickly became my favorite with her attitude and willingness to do shit for her family. Yet she's a snarky little bitch with her quick impulse when taking action. The other thing did also shine in their own way, but I think Cleo shinned a little more in this own. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other three and their point of views, but Cleo took my heart in this own.
The overall plot and battle between the three kingdoms was epic and emotional. It was predictable with some of the stuff like Jonas' character and how the battle was going to be foretold. Which is why I didn't give this book a five star rating on good reads. But, in the end, it was very exciting. I highly recommend this book to anyone truly starting in the fantasy genre while reading. This book is a start to an epic series that will knock the wind out of you and will make you crave more than you realize after flipping the last page.
Friday, June 3, 2016
The Wolf Pages Series: Page two What do I write about? Let's Experiment.
Hey guys, happy Saturday to you all. Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been feeling under the weather so I wanted to take a sit back and ponder some ideas for you for this series. Also, this series is now called "The Wolf Pages" because let's face it, everything about my general writing is solely focused on wolves and paranormal creatures... (lol).
Today's topic involves a conversational object I feel that roams around whenever writing or watching random vlogs like 'Shaelin Writes' on youtube. It's basically a 'who are you?' sort of deal because once you declare yourself as a writer, you have start asking yourself this particular question- "What the heck do I write about??", and I don't mean just fan fiction and random cliché story that's already has been done before. I'm talking about the topics that gravitate within your subconscious. Do you want to embrace nerdy side and go with Fantasy, Science-Fiction, etc. Or do you want to be a romantic with fluff or loads of adult content? Or do you want to be the psychological and twisted?
Anything of these sort of questions should be one of the first things that should be popping in your head while embracing the writing world you're beginning to shape up. However, at times I believe that a writer should want to challenge themselves whenever facing a project. It's what gets us motivated to write our beloved stories to the general public. I mean, I'm facing about ten projects (Nine if you don't count one of them and the one that is a co-authored project) and generally they're all within the same paranormal-fantasy element. And that's normally because I came to terms with my identity of being a fantasy, but that is why I want to experiment as well.
Let's take my stories Soldiers and Penumbrae. My Soldiers is a modern paranormal-fantasy, which is my comfort zone. It involves the typical young adult elements you see in books like the Mortal Instruments, Harry Potter, etc. However, it does involve one of my favorite research topics, the Grim Reaper. :P I intend to make it 'original' for readers to love, but at the same time, I want to have fun as the author in the field of Young adult.
As for Penumbrae, I'm leaving the comforts of reaching for my norm by going after a genre I don't hear a lot of women go for and that is horror. As a lover of the blood, gore, and all things psychotic in books and movies, I've been dying to let my horror loving mind take over and do whatever the hell I want with it. And you know what? This story is easily becoming a favorite of mine to write. By the time this book may enter the hands of a reader, he/she will think that I'm belong in the electric chair. That's how glorifying and creepy I crave it to be. It may hit the adult genre if it is published, but I'm not gonna give a flying goat.
Anyway, upon discovering your particular genre in the writing field; you think that you got it all down right? Hehe, no. You don't. You are going to constantly get the 'what ifs' and craving to experiment of the endless opportunities for your writing. You may want to try happy rom-com, or western, or hell erotica. Your mind is an endless possibility if you let it be. I mean, yeah you will be afraid to write. You may think that you're not good enough. But, once you find what you want to write about, embrace it. The experimentation is the most wonderful action to take while being a artist. It helps you explore new challenges and you get away with it too when people begin to question it in person. It's okay to take risks! (Just ask all of the odd famous writers out there... I.E: JK Rowling).
So my question for you guys involve this: what type of writer or you? Are you a standard 'stick to one genre' writer or a experimental writer and go crazy in all of the genres? :)
- - - - - -
Today's topic involves a conversational object I feel that roams around whenever writing or watching random vlogs like 'Shaelin Writes' on youtube. It's basically a 'who are you?' sort of deal because once you declare yourself as a writer, you have start asking yourself this particular question- "What the heck do I write about??", and I don't mean just fan fiction and random cliché story that's already has been done before. I'm talking about the topics that gravitate within your subconscious. Do you want to embrace nerdy side and go with Fantasy, Science-Fiction, etc. Or do you want to be a romantic with fluff or loads of adult content? Or do you want to be the psychological and twisted?
Anything of these sort of questions should be one of the first things that should be popping in your head while embracing the writing world you're beginning to shape up. However, at times I believe that a writer should want to challenge themselves whenever facing a project. It's what gets us motivated to write our beloved stories to the general public. I mean, I'm facing about ten projects (Nine if you don't count one of them and the one that is a co-authored project) and generally they're all within the same paranormal-fantasy element. And that's normally because I came to terms with my identity of being a fantasy, but that is why I want to experiment as well.
Let's take my stories Soldiers and Penumbrae. My Soldiers is a modern paranormal-fantasy, which is my comfort zone. It involves the typical young adult elements you see in books like the Mortal Instruments, Harry Potter, etc. However, it does involve one of my favorite research topics, the Grim Reaper. :P I intend to make it 'original' for readers to love, but at the same time, I want to have fun as the author in the field of Young adult.
As for Penumbrae, I'm leaving the comforts of reaching for my norm by going after a genre I don't hear a lot of women go for and that is horror. As a lover of the blood, gore, and all things psychotic in books and movies, I've been dying to let my horror loving mind take over and do whatever the hell I want with it. And you know what? This story is easily becoming a favorite of mine to write. By the time this book may enter the hands of a reader, he/she will think that I'm belong in the electric chair. That's how glorifying and creepy I crave it to be. It may hit the adult genre if it is published, but I'm not gonna give a flying goat.
Anyway, upon discovering your particular genre in the writing field; you think that you got it all down right? Hehe, no. You don't. You are going to constantly get the 'what ifs' and craving to experiment of the endless opportunities for your writing. You may want to try happy rom-com, or western, or hell erotica. Your mind is an endless possibility if you let it be. I mean, yeah you will be afraid to write. You may think that you're not good enough. But, once you find what you want to write about, embrace it. The experimentation is the most wonderful action to take while being a artist. It helps you explore new challenges and you get away with it too when people begin to question it in person. It's okay to take risks! (Just ask all of the odd famous writers out there... I.E: JK Rowling).
So my question for you guys involve this: what type of writer or you? Are you a standard 'stick to one genre' writer or a experimental writer and go crazy in all of the genres? :)
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Tometopple read-a-thon
Hey guys! Today's blog post is going to be about a read-a-thon I found within the booktube community and that is the 'Tometopple' challenge. It's a two week read-a-thon created by Sam over at ThoughtsonTomes on you tube and it's all about reading large books. (500+ pages). After recently buying a few books with over five hundred pages, I decided to take part of it because why the hell not right? I'll leave the video ThoughtsonTomes created down below, but for those that don't want to watch it, I'll explain the rules she set up for you guys down below and also explain my TBR pile for this read-a-thon. (Though you may want to watch it because she's also hosting a giveaway too and she's a pretty awesome book tuber!) *hint, hint* ;) Also, best of luck to you in your reading my fellow wolves!
- - - - -
~(The Rules)~
So the challenges for this read-a-thon are really simple and easy to follow. There's no winning or losing, the readathon is suppose to enjoy the large books you read or jump start one if you are afraid to read larger books that are 500+ pages long. It's time span is two weeks from June 5th at midnight (in any part of the world) to June 19th at 11:59pm (In any part of the world). :)
~(The Challenges)~
1. Read more than one tome (500+ pages)
2. Take a graphic novel break (doesn't need to be over 500 pages!)
3. Read a tome that is part of a series
4. Read over 500 pages in one week
5. Read an adult novel
2. Take a graphic novel break (doesn't need to be over 500 pages!)
3. Read a tome that is part of a series
4. Read over 500 pages in one week
5. Read an adult novel
- - - -
~(TBR Pile)~
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
May Wrap up & June To Be Read Pile
Happy June first everyone! I'm still at a lost on how it can already be June already, oh boy right? Considering I am a idiot for not posting much like I hoped in May, I'm going to combine the wrap up with the TBR pile for the month of June in order to make short, simple, and sweet for you all. Let's get to it shall we?
~(Wrap up)~
In the month of May, I've read a total of six books which I am honestly surprised about to be honest here. One book was a bind up of a classic book, a middle grade book, a starter to a epic series, a graphic novel, and a book I've been slowly reading since March.. (Is that vague enough or should I just explain my books now? hehe. sorry!).
1 and 2. Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
I finally read Alice in Wonderland and it's sequel! It was enjoyable and I gave both a 4/5 star rating.
3. Sandman Volume one by Neil Gaiman
This is seriously one of the comics I've ever read and Neil Gaiman is hands down one of my most favorite authors of 2016. 5/5 stars
4. Secret Saturdays by Torry Maldonado
I got this short book from the local book festival in my hometown. It's middle grade and I fairly enjoyed it. I read in one sitting and I gave it a 4/5 stars because of the message this author was pointing out to kids. Plus, the author was a sweetheart to talk too in person.
5. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
This book easily became one of my top faves of this year. 4.5/5 stars.
and finally 6. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
After two full months, I finally finished this and am on the last one! It was a fun read, but at the same time, I had the urge to read other books so this one took a back burner for a period of time. However, I did enjoy Percy and the gang and I'm excited to read the next one in the near future. 4/5 stars.
~(TBR Pile)~
The pile is going to be short because I'm taking part of the 'Tomestopple' read a thon and I'm going to be enduring some personal stuff along the way this month. So here's the list my fellow wolves<3
1.Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
2. Redemption by Julie Chibbaro
3. The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simmons
4. A Court of Mist and Furry by Sarah J Maas
Friday, May 20, 2016
The Page Series: Number One "I am a Writer"
"I am a Writer"
These are the words that I tell myself on a regular basis. Even when I'm sitting on my ass pondering about how to function in the reality that is adulthood. As a recent college graduate, I'm struggling to find jobs that are related to my choice of lifestyles. I want to be a published author, I want to educated others to take on the world with a smile and stories that only exist in our heads, I want to make a difference. However, I'm by no means a teacher. I went to school to be an writer to only get an idea that I have a potential be a teacher instead of living in the multiple world of fantasies that I created. You don't have to have a English literature degree to be a writer by the way. You can be a lawyer, a homemaker, a gym coach and still write a damn book. But, I chose the lather and decided to be a wanderer. I'm a English Literature graduate, aiming to write a best seller as I write this to you. But, I have little to no confidence at times.
As of right now, I'm making this pledge to state that I am a writer to you all and while I don't always show my works or talk about it every single day; I have to prove it by revealing myself as a writer. This is only the beginning, however, I've been around for a while now in silence. I've been observing the area and I believe that I will hit the milestones to become a writer in the future. I want you all to feel the same way, even if you are afraid to speak out, even if you are not ready to be the artist that you are. You are still a beautiful artist. You don't have to be published or well known to the oddity that is the public. If you think and feel that you are a writer, musician, painter- anything within the status of an artist. Then you are one. Got it? Don't let others fool you, be yourself and kick some ass with your art. Okay?
Good. Now, repeat after me, "I AM A WRITER."
"I AM AN ARTIST."
"I AM ME.."
Monday, May 16, 2016
May TBR pile
I know I'm horrible with these sort of things. I'm sorry, but I have one set up for this month if that helps. To make this short and sweet, I'm discussing what I am going to be reading this month. I would include some images into this, but I just don't want too. I'll do it in the wrap up. So let's get started!
This month, I plan to read at least five books since I have some stuff going on this month like packing to move out with my boyfriend, job hunting, and mainly writing for potential publication. (I've finally got the groove back -dances a little-). A couple of books are books that I've started in late April so they just traveled to my pile for this month. :P
1. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (I've been dying to read start this series since I've heard that its like a young adult version of Game of Thrones. Plus it doesn't hurt to hear about how hot Magnus apparently is o.O)
2. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (I started this in March and I plan to finish it.)
3. The Body Electric by Beth Revis (I'm about half way through this on my nook and I plan to finish and have a review up before the end of the month).
4. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (By the time you see this post, I may or may not have finished this one already hehe..)
5. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (I need to read this and "The Raven King" before I attend her signing with my boyfriend >.> I love the boys and Blue so much so I need to get started on finishing this series right away!)
This month, I plan to read at least five books since I have some stuff going on this month like packing to move out with my boyfriend, job hunting, and mainly writing for potential publication. (I've finally got the groove back -dances a little-). A couple of books are books that I've started in late April so they just traveled to my pile for this month. :P
- - - - -
1. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (I've been dying to read start this series since I've heard that its like a young adult version of Game of Thrones. Plus it doesn't hurt to hear about how hot Magnus apparently is o.O)
2. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (I started this in March and I plan to finish it.)
3. The Body Electric by Beth Revis (I'm about half way through this on my nook and I plan to finish and have a review up before the end of the month).
4. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (By the time you see this post, I may or may not have finished this one already hehe..)
5. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (I need to read this and "The Raven King" before I attend her signing with my boyfriend >.> I love the boys and Blue so much so I need to get started on finishing this series right away!)
Friday, May 13, 2016
The Page Series: Page One- An introduction
Hey guys. As you can tell from the title of this blog post, I am going to be discussing something completely out of the ordinary. You guessed it, I'm going to be talking about writing (Totally original huh? No, not really lol). I figured it was time to bring myself as an adult and discuss my writing journey with you all. Of course, I am going to be continuing on with the book reviews, but I also wanted to spice things up a bit on here. So I hope this series will help you guys and possibly laugh at another writer struggles to get possibly published one day. I want it to be a fun experience for all of us and yeah.. I dunno.
Anyway, this blog series is mainly writing focused. It involves story writing, screenwriting, prompt writing, or whatever the heck else is involve with writing. I will be doing the page series every Friday to keep it simple and fun. If you guys have any suggestions, let me know through any social media or in the comments below. I want us all to create the books that the future generations will read and express themselves with. It will keep the inspiration for all things creative fresh and open minded.
I hope you guys stick around for this series and I'll see you guys on Monday with a hopefully a book review. Happy Howling my fellow wolves!
Anyway, this blog series is mainly writing focused. It involves story writing, screenwriting, prompt writing, or whatever the heck else is involve with writing. I will be doing the page series every Friday to keep it simple and fun. If you guys have any suggestions, let me know through any social media or in the comments below. I want us all to create the books that the future generations will read and express themselves with. It will keep the inspiration for all things creative fresh and open minded.
I hope you guys stick around for this series and I'll see you guys on Monday with a hopefully a book review. Happy Howling my fellow wolves!
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Assassin's Creed Book Tag
What is up guys?! Happy Wednesday! It's time for another book tag because I'm too lazy to do a book review or a writing discussion post! -Dances a little- So if you guys haven't heard of the app books amino, I highly suggest that you download it on your phone or Ipod or something because holy crow; so many cool posts on there! Especially the one (and the two people) that created this particular book tag. :) I've never played any of the Assassin's Creed video games, but this tag seemed like a lot of fun to do and we're gonna do it! This tag was created by ItskeLaufeyson and her friend Shannon on the Books Amino (go follow her :D) Let's get started!!
I personally loved the first book to Lisa Mangum's trilogy The Hourglass door. It was the book that got me into avidly reading and it's been in my heart ever since. I also love A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab and Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. Both were also fantastic starters to their respected series. :)
Victor's death in Vicious. I was just so caught up in the action between him and Eli that it was weird to watch him die. O.o
(All opinions are my own and mine alone.)
1. Assassin's Creed 1: Best series starter?
I personally loved the first book to Lisa Mangum's trilogy The Hourglass door. It was the book that got me into avidly reading and it's been in my heart ever since. I also love A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab and Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. Both were also fantastic starters to their respected series. :)
2. Brotherhood: Best book friendship?
For this one, I picked Karou and Zuzana from Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy because they are a great pair when together and their relationship just feels really realistic to me when I read it for the first time.
3. Templars: Favorite Villain
Out of a lot of villains I've read about in my years of reading, I really enjoy Eli & Victor from Vicious. Both are anti-heroes and those are the best types of villains in my opinion. I also like Aeduan from the Truthwitch series. He reminds me of the boys from Vicious and I want more from him when the series picks up again next year. Manon from Throne of Glass. She is what I wanted in a female villain and I can see her kicking ass in book five soon!
4. Stealth: Favorite book/series featuring Assassins
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. It's the only one I can think of on the top of my head. I know there are more books out there featuring assassins, but that was the one I can think of right away.
5. Hidden Blade: A Character that surprised you.
I was really surprised by Delia from A Darker Shade of Magic and the two sisters from Warbreaker. These three girls developed really well in their respective books and I wanted to high five them for being queens instead of whiny little things like I've been noticing in books lately. :)
6. Ezio Auditore: A Swoon-worthy male character
I'm just gonna say Kell from ADSOM and Carol from TOG, they are wonderful beings.
7. Leap of Faith: A book you're glad that you took a chance with
The first book to the Summoner series "The Novice" by Taran Matharu. It was a fun and quick read and the cover drew me in along with the magical system he created. I want to see where this takes off once I get my hands on the second book.
8. Death from Above: A character's death you didn't see coming
9. Assassin's Creed Black Flag: A book with Pirates
Merik's pirates from Truthwitch. Peter Pan by JM Barrie. Lani Lenore's Nevermor trilogy
10. Assassin's Creed Rogue: A character who is a bit of a lone wolf
Again, Kell from A Darker Shade of Magic. Umm who else, Carol from the Throne of Glass series. Nix from the Nevermor trilogy. I'll have to research some past books I've read to figure out more for you guys sorry.
11. Assassin's Creed Syndicate: A book set in Victorian London
The infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. I'm also going to put down the Something Strange and Deadly trilogy by Susan Dennard even though it takes place in Philadelphia. Its also set in the Victorian era.
12. Jacob Frye: A character who could start his own gang
For this one, I'm going to go with Day from the Legend trilogy. While I was reading the trilogy, I felt he was able to form his very own gang without the help of June or anyone near him. He's a good leader and a compassionate person overall, so it would be awesome to see him having a gang around my area. (And for the kids of the future as well.)
and finally, 13. Evie Frye: Favorite bad-ass female character
Deila Bard from A Darker Shade of Magic. Oh my god, I have so much respect for this thief. She was a star in this book. I need to pick up the sequel soon to see more of her upcoming adventures.
Alright guys, that was the Assassin's Creed book tag! What are your answers for this tag? Let me know in the comments below and on social media and I'll be back soon for another post soon. Happy Howling! :)
Monday, May 9, 2016
Unpopular Opinions Book tag
Hey guys. I think we've known each other for a while now and I think it's time to do this tag. If you didn't read the title yet, then read because we are going to be doing the unpopular opinions book tag! This tag has been lingering for so long on you tube and I thought it was time to do this. That way, we can develop some conversation with each other for the fun of it. And also, I may or may not make a video for this on my you tube channel, but we'll see in the near future. So let's get started!!
Tag creator: The Book Archer
I tag: All of you.
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1. A Popular book or series that you didn't like
Don't kill me, but here's a small list I somehow compile:
Evermore Series
House of Night series
House of Night series
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Goddess Test Trilogy
Tryille Trilogy
Attachments
The Grisha Trilogy (Its iffy because I'm on the last book, but I got bored with it while reading the second book. Yet, I'm excited to read the Six of Crows. Maybe I'll read the last book soon.)
The Grisha Trilogy (Its iffy because I'm on the last book, but I got bored with it while reading the second book. Yet, I'm excited to read the Six of Crows. Maybe I'll read the last book soon.)
2. A popular book or series everyone seem to hate, but you love?
I'm pretty much neutral when it comes to dealing with enjoying and disliking popular series among our book reviewing community. But, I really enjoyed Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett and the Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin. Both received very mixed reviews on good reads, but I thought they were great books, especially since I'm a lover for horror focused novels.
3. A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with OR an OTP that you don't like.
I don't really care for love triangles.. As long as it's being done really well in the book and the characters are not crazily idiotic, then I don't mind it. Most of the time I don't really focus or realize that they're in books so oops. In real life, they are not real things unless your inner group of humans enjoys the crap load of drama, so what's the point of them to begin with? Just stick to one person or have no romance in your book. And as for OTPs, I could go on for days on who I don't like together, but that would take another blog post discussion in the near to go over with you guys. Sorry. :P
4. A popular book genre that you hardly reach for.
Contemporary. I've never read a huge reader of that genre. If I like the premise of the novel, then I'll probably pick it up to try out. Its also the same with the High Fantasy genre. Though I've actually started reading some books from this genre; even though I am impatient with the density of some of the descriptions and plot of the story. There's always room to expend in the reading world right?
5. A popular or beloved character that you don't like.
Hmm, this one is pretty tricky because I had to explore the depths of my goodreads page to remember most of the characters from various books. But then, I remembered Wendy Everly from the Trylle trilogy. She was one of the worst character I've ever encountered. I lost my patience with her every time she was doing something. Umm who else.. Oh I also don't like Kate from The Goddess test series, and the main girl from the Shiver trilogy. I lost my patience with them like I did with Wendy.. There's a lot of characters I rather hit, but I don't want to list them all. I'll make a blog post eventually about them. :P
6. A popular author that you can't seem to get into.
3. A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with OR an OTP that you don't like.
I don't really care for love triangles.. As long as it's being done really well in the book and the characters are not crazily idiotic, then I don't mind it. Most of the time I don't really focus or realize that they're in books so oops. In real life, they are not real things unless your inner group of humans enjoys the crap load of drama, so what's the point of them to begin with? Just stick to one person or have no romance in your book. And as for OTPs, I could go on for days on who I don't like together, but that would take another blog post discussion in the near to go over with you guys. Sorry. :P
4. A popular book genre that you hardly reach for.
Contemporary. I've never read a huge reader of that genre. If I like the premise of the novel, then I'll probably pick it up to try out. Its also the same with the High Fantasy genre. Though I've actually started reading some books from this genre; even though I am impatient with the density of some of the descriptions and plot of the story. There's always room to expend in the reading world right?
5. A popular or beloved character that you don't like.
Hmm, this one is pretty tricky because I had to explore the depths of my goodreads page to remember most of the characters from various books. But then, I remembered Wendy Everly from the Trylle trilogy. She was one of the worst character I've ever encountered. I lost my patience with her every time she was doing something. Umm who else.. Oh I also don't like Kate from The Goddess test series, and the main girl from the Shiver trilogy. I lost my patience with them like I did with Wendy.. There's a lot of characters I rather hit, but I don't want to list them all. I'll make a blog post eventually about them. :P
6. A popular author that you can't seem to get into.
I had to think of it for a while. But, I really don't care for authors like John Green, Kiera Cass, or Jenny Han. I may give them a chance, but I can't right now. I'm also very, very iffy with Cassandra Clare and Rick Riordan. With Cassandra Clare, I only read up to book four in the TMI series and I've been avoiding it lately since I have a lot of books I do want to read. Rick Riordan is pretty the same thing. I will read more from them soon, but not right now because I'm edging for more adult styled books. Also don't kill me when I also mention Tolkin because if you sat in my fantasy class in college and listened about the comparisons of it to Harry Potter over and over again, then you understand my hatred for the Lord of the Ring trilogy.. I almost chucked my book at someone's skull in class because I got so annoyed and the majority of the book was dense with the overload of walking they did while finding the damn thing.
7. A popular book trope that you're tired of seeing. (examples 'lost princess', corrupt ruler, love triangles, etc).
Ohh I'm going to attack this question because I have a lot of hatred for many tropes in books. I can tolerate them if they are presented well, but damn let the attacking begin. I hate the 'held my breath I didn't realize I had' one, the virgin Mary (loosing it to their one true love), the portrayal of sex (go to magical molly and Emmma Books's channels for this one because I agree with them 100%.), the lack of diversity in the characters in looks because people create the standard 'good looking' shit-tards with unrealistic appearances and attitudes. I hate how the boy changes a girl's life completely trope. Girl, go find yourself a girlfriend, or a book or do you first. Be a queen and make the boy change for you instead. Too many, just too many.. >->
8. A popular series that you have no interest in reading.
Umm.. I'm not sure, I'll get back to you on that one in another post? Sorry, I can't think of anything at the moment.
9. The saying goes 'The book is always better than the movie', but what movie or T.V show adaption did you prefer more than the book?
The Maze Runner, hands down. The trilogy was good and a quick read, but I ended up giving it to my little sister because my tastes in books changed a little bit and I realized it was too meyhh for me. But the movie was so exciting and fast paced. Dylan was awesome as Thomas, and his handsome appearance.. Yum.. just saying. And The Book Thief. I love both equally. The director and the actors did a beautiful job in creating an adaption to such a beautiful book. I'll admit that they did leave a few things out from the book, but it was still a beautiful movie.
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So that was the Unpopular Opinions book tag! Please note that these are my personal opinions and I don't judge anyone who thinks differently of these answers. Let me know in the comments below some of your answers to these questions and I'll see you guys soon with another blog post. Happy Howling! :)
Friday, May 6, 2016
Top 2 Books From 6 Genre Book Tag
Happy Friday everyone! It's time for a book tag! Woo (hell knows I don't do enough of these xD). So today I decided to do the 'Top 2 books from 6 genre' tag *hence the title* which was created by Benjamin of Benjaminoftomes on youtube and the creator of the 'Oftomes' micro publishing company. Let's get started on this tag shall we?
Tag information: This tag is mainly what two books I would recommend as reading material from these six genres (dystopian, fantasy, romance, paranormal, sci-fi, and historical) to you guys if you are looking for new books to enjoy. Although a couple of them are probably going to well known if you have been in the reading community for a while now.
Tag information: This tag is mainly what two books I would recommend as reading material from these six genres (dystopian, fantasy, romance, paranormal, sci-fi, and historical) to you guys if you are looking for new books to enjoy. Although a couple of them are probably going to well known if you have been in the reading community for a while now.
(Warning: These are my own opinions, please don't judge and enjoy!)
Genre no one: Dystopian
1. Legend trilogy by Marie Lu
2. The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken
Genre two: Romance
1. Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett
2. The Hourglass Door trilogy by Lisa Mangum
Genre three: Fantasy
1. Nevemor trilogy by Lani Lenore
2. The Raven Cycle Quartet by Maggie Stiefvater
Genre four: Paranormal
1. The Last Werewolf by Glenn Duncan
2. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Genre five: Sci-fi *I'm not a huge reader of this genre, sorry!*
1. Illuminae by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff
2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Genre six: Historical *Pretty much the same ordeal as the Sci-fi genre*
1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
2. The Scarlett Litter by Nathanial Hawthorne
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Book Review: Warbreaker
Warbreaker written by Brandon Sanderson
Release Date: June 9th, 2009
Publisher: Tor Books
Format of Novel: Paperback
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary (from good reads): Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.
Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.
By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.
Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.
By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.
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Ever since I started watching book tube videos full time, I've noticed a lot of people raving about this particular author. As a curious person, I decided to give him and the genre of High/Epic fantasy a shot. Normally I am not one to reach for high fantasy, but this book caught my eye. As a result to it, I really enjoyed it. Each of the characters were their own persona, making them original and fresh in the mind. Their relationships were slow burning yet they held onto a certain meaning that made this particular story so fresh in my head. Not only that, the political system and the concept of using breath to gain power was a very unique idea to bring into this sort of story.
However, what really brought this story to life was the different subplots. Whenever Brendon Sanderson mentions a significant character, he was able to make their growths come to life in a realistic level. For example, Lightsong. For a god, he reminded me of a teenage and as the story progress, he starts changing into a much mature 'god' and I was really pleased with how his story came to an end as the finale took place. (And also a little sad as well).
While this book was major plus in my newfound love for high fantasy, I had a couple of issues with it as well (two issues mainly). Issues number one was my patience. While the story was fast pace and the story was really compelling, It literally took me till the end of April to read it and I obtained the novel in mid December and didn't start it till the very beginning of January. I did have very personal issues with the duration of that time, but I ended up getting very distracted by other books that were shorter and exciting for me during that time instead of reading a 657 paged novel. I don't know why, but a few of the chapters were unnecessary in my opinion and that slowed the book down for me (coming from someone that has read the first novel to Game of Thrones in two weeks flat). And the final issues was remembering a couple of the characters. At first I thought Lightsong was Siri's godly husband, but when I read that it was someone completely different, I almost threw my book in annoyance before I looked up the full summary. And all of the gods and the political system were also a tad annoying to follow during that time. (like I said, personal reason blocked my '5/5' rating).
But basically, this story was a great start to this wonderful and complex fantasy author. I just wish that I was enjoy Warbreaker more without dealing with the funk I was in for the majority of my time reading it. The story was simple yet very compelling with the overall fantastical elements, political system, and original characters. I will be continuing on reading more of this author's works when I get the chance too and understand more of the epic fantasy genre that he gracefully writes on a regular basis. ^_^
However, what really brought this story to life was the different subplots. Whenever Brendon Sanderson mentions a significant character, he was able to make their growths come to life in a realistic level. For example, Lightsong. For a god, he reminded me of a teenage and as the story progress, he starts changing into a much mature 'god' and I was really pleased with how his story came to an end as the finale took place. (And also a little sad as well).
While this book was major plus in my newfound love for high fantasy, I had a couple of issues with it as well (two issues mainly). Issues number one was my patience. While the story was fast pace and the story was really compelling, It literally took me till the end of April to read it and I obtained the novel in mid December and didn't start it till the very beginning of January. I did have very personal issues with the duration of that time, but I ended up getting very distracted by other books that were shorter and exciting for me during that time instead of reading a 657 paged novel. I don't know why, but a few of the chapters were unnecessary in my opinion and that slowed the book down for me (coming from someone that has read the first novel to Game of Thrones in two weeks flat). And the final issues was remembering a couple of the characters. At first I thought Lightsong was Siri's godly husband, but when I read that it was someone completely different, I almost threw my book in annoyance before I looked up the full summary. And all of the gods and the political system were also a tad annoying to follow during that time. (like I said, personal reason blocked my '5/5' rating).
But basically, this story was a great start to this wonderful and complex fantasy author. I just wish that I was enjoy Warbreaker more without dealing with the funk I was in for the majority of my time reading it. The story was simple yet very compelling with the overall fantastical elements, political system, and original characters. I will be continuing on reading more of this author's works when I get the chance too and understand more of the epic fantasy genre that he gracefully writes on a regular basis. ^_^
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic (#1) Written by V.E Schwab
Release Date: February 24th, 2015
Publisher: Tor Books
Format of Novel: Paperback
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary (From Good reads): Kell is one of the last Antari, a rare magician who can travel between parallel worlds: hopping from Grey London — dirty, boring, lacking magic, and ruled by mad King George — to Red London — where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire — to White London — ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne, where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back — and back, but never Black London, because traveling to Black London is forbidden and no one speaks of it now.
Officially, Kell is the personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see, and it is this dangerous hobby that sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to take her with him for her proper adventure.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save both his London and the others, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — a feat trickier than they hoped.
Officially, Kell is the personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see, and it is this dangerous hobby that sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to take her with him for her proper adventure.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save both his London and the others, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — a feat trickier than they hoped.
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Hey all, I am officially back! It's about damn time huh? Haha. No but seriously, I'm back for good. I will be blogging regularly now every day expect for the weekends so I hope you don't mind it. ;) Now, let's get too it shall we with the first book review of May shall we?
Do you all remember me posting a review about "Vicious" and pretty much fan girled all over the place? Well guess what, I'm doing it again with this book. Holy crap, Victoria Schwab- you are my hero! I really love her as a person and writer. I've never met her, but when you see the stuff she posts on Instagram and twitter, it makes you feel warm yet devious at the same time. She is such a writing goddess in my eyes because she is not only an adventurous writer, she is a visual author. Victoria Schwab is someone that can break your soul in half with memorable characters, visuals, and memorable quotes that hit you right in the feels. It's a dream of mine to actually meet her in person and express how much she inspires me to take the risks in my writing and to not be afraid.
Now to the focus on this book. Considering that this is the first novel of an fantasy trilogy, I cannot really speak much about this book without fan-girling like a idiot. The plot of the novel was very fascinating. I've never really read much about parallel worlds that are basically the same exact thing or world so to speak and it was really cool to experience this first hand when reading about Kell's 'lonely' journey to the different London(s). Another thing I liked about the general plot of this story was the way it had a pirate-y vibe into it. It is mainly because of the characters, but at the same time, no one is really safe. Even the minor characters acted like thieves and everyone had their own goals to follow in order to achieve a personal greatness.
As for the characters, I loved how Kell's character is flawed, which made him so interesting to follow. He is one of the last Antari (a person of magic) and yet he is common thief. He smuggles things from the other London(s) and its ironic because you want him to be a good guy, but he's also a bad guy. Prince Rhy was a character and a half. He's a self-centered prince, but I felt he was something more than that and I wish he wasn't such a minor character since he did care for his 'brother' in some shape or form. And Lila, damn I love her so much. She was a pirate alright and I was so glad she was a major part of this story. In a way, I felt as so she was a mirrored version of Kell and the other Antari even though she didn't have their magical abilities. I really hope that she will have her own spin off story or something because she is so far my most favorite female character of 2016.
The villains in this story were also pretty bad ass. The twins reminded me of the antagonists from the Game of Thrones series with their twisted ideals and quest for more power regardless of the fact they already had too much power. They were just so fantastic and I silently cheered every time they made their grand appearance in the story.
Overall, this story was a wonderful start to this trilogy and I am dying to get my hands on the sequel very soon. V.E Schwab did a fantastic job in creating such a beautiful concept with fantastic characters and yeah, she's just that awesome and her newest book is being release sometime this year and you better believe I'm going to pick up when I get a single chance.
Happy Howling!!
Friday, April 15, 2016
A Writer's Life for Me Tag
Hey all!
Today we are going to do this fun tag call "A writer's life for me". This was created by Sara Ella and Sara Crawford on you tube. I'll post a link down below for you guys to give this a shot on your blogs or book tube channels. I figure it was time to do something fun because I'm prepping some book reviews for the month of May instead of this one since I've been on and off with reading for the last couple of months. This tag is mainly to describe what time of writer I am and how my process goes in the writing. Let's begin!
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Question one: What kind of writer are you?
I am mainly a fiction writer. I dabble in screen writing, but I'm mostly a fiction writer. I mostly write Young adult paranormal, urban fantasy, and horror. There are mixes of other genres along with it, but those are my main crazed areas.
Question two: When did you start writing? What made you want to try it?
I've started experimenting with writing since I was eight years old. However, I didn't really get serious with it till I was seventeen and started my Soldiers and my Wolves series.
Question three: What inspires you to write?
Music, anime, books, history, forests, wolves, the paranormal, movies, video games, my family, my favorite human/writing partner.
Question four: What themes do you like to explore in your writing?
I like to explore the anti-hero and understand the importance of the Hero's journey. Along with the develop of the story's world and the growth of characters.
Question five: Are you a punster? Plotter? A little of Both?
It truly depends on the story I'm working on. With Soldiers, I'm a mixture of both, and with my wolves manga, I'm more of a plotter rather than both. Each story is a like a small child, its one way or another when you work on them individually.
Question six: Where are you at in your journey? Querying? Finalized? Publishing?
Question seven: Have you ever entered any writing contests? Finaled? Won?
Nope, I've never entered any writing related contests. I'm somewhat of a big coward when it comes to sharing my works to people. However, I'm slowly growing out of that fear. I've tried to show my works to websites like fiction press and watt pad. But, since I'm trying to publish my work in the near future, I took it all down. Sorry, not sorry...
Question eight: Who are your writer/ing heroes?
Victoria Schwab, Neil Gaiman, Edgar Allan Poe, Maggie Stiefvater, Sarah J Maas, Alexandra Bracken. (To name a few..).
Question nine: Have you ever been to a writing conference? Share your best or worst conference experience.
I've never been to one, but I will like to attend one eventually. :)
Question ten: Top three advice you'd give to newbie writers.
1. Let yourself daydream and be loud with them no matter what people say to you.
2. It's okay to be afraid, you are worth all of the effort you put into your books.
3. Always keep a notebook and five pens/pencils in your person. Inspiration will spark like hellfire if you let it.
Alright guys, that was the 'A Writer's life for me' tag! If you guys did the tag already, post it in the comments below or send them to me. I would love to see what your answers are! See you soon, happy howling my fellow wolves!
Link of the video: A Writer's Life for Me
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Book Review: The Child Thief
The Child Thief by Brom
Release Date: August 25th, 2009
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Format of Novel: Paperback
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary (From good reads): Peter is quick, daring, and full of mischief—and like all boys, he loves to play, though his games often end in blood. His eyes are sparkling gold, and when he graces you with his smile you are his friend for life, but his promised land is not Neverland. Fourteen-year-old Nick would have been murdered by the drug dealers preying on his family had Peter not saved him. Now the irresistibly charismatic wild boy wants Nick to follow him to a secret place of great adventure, where magic is alive and you never grow old. Even though he is wary of Peter's crazy talk of faeries and monsters, Nick agrees. After all, New York City is no longer safe for him, and what more could he possibly lose?
There is always more to lose.
Accompanying Peter to a gray and ravished island that was once a lush, enchanted paradise, Nick finds himself unwittingly recruited for a war that has raged for centuries—one where he must learn to fight or die among the "Devils," Peter's savage tribe of lost and stolen children.
There, Peter's dark past is revealed: left to wolves as an infant, despised and hunted, Peter moves restlessly between the worlds of faerie and man. The Child Thief is a leader of bloodthirsty children, a brave friend, and a creature driven to do whatever he must to stop the "Flesh-eaters" and save the last, wild magic in this dying land.
There is always more to lose.
Accompanying Peter to a gray and ravished island that was once a lush, enchanted paradise, Nick finds himself unwittingly recruited for a war that has raged for centuries—one where he must learn to fight or die among the "Devils," Peter's savage tribe of lost and stolen children.
There, Peter's dark past is revealed: left to wolves as an infant, despised and hunted, Peter moves restlessly between the worlds of faerie and man. The Child Thief is a leader of bloodthirsty children, a brave friend, and a creature driven to do whatever he must to stop the "Flesh-eaters" and save the last, wild magic in this dying land.
- - -
After finally re discovering my love for the classic Peter Pan, I began my search for amazing retellings of it. And after reading this book, I feel in utter love for Brom's writing. His style brought such a dark imagery and realistic vibe and as a reader of horror, I was in love with the concept. The concept of the Pan myth, the concept of Avalon/Babylon, and the religious aspects were a perfect blend of this gory tale. Not only that, I did also enjoy how realistic the vibes and the settings were in this story. Brom brought out
The cast of characters were very twisted and dangerous. Each of the key characters like Nick, Peter, Leroy, (etc) all came from various of difficult backgrounds with abuse and drug usage. The way Brom brought this to life was very well done and eye opening for the reader to emerge into the darkness that was morph throughout his writing and within the characters, and to also understand where some of the main cast came from before joining Peter Pan. Sekiu
With the general concept of Avalon/Babylon; I enjoyed the fact that the author was able to blend it along with the mythical ideal of the god Pan. It gave Peter a somewhat different purpose other than being a trickster. It reminded me of the movie "Horns" with Daniel Radcliffe with the protagonist turning into a twisted hero for the viewer's pleasure.
Overall, I thought this story to be one of the best stories I've read in late 2015 to now. The story twisted my heart in both exciting and depressing ways for the characters, the plot, and the vivid descriptions are still within my memory and I'm dying to read more of Brom's brilliant work. What are your opinions on Brom's work in general? Let me know in the comments below or on twitter and I'll be back soon with another post. Happy Howling! :)
The cast of characters were very twisted and dangerous. Each of the key characters like Nick, Peter, Leroy, (etc) all came from various of difficult backgrounds with abuse and drug usage. The way Brom brought this to life was very well done and eye opening for the reader to emerge into the darkness that was morph throughout his writing and within the characters, and to also understand where some of the main cast came from before joining Peter Pan. Sekiu
With the general concept of Avalon/Babylon; I enjoyed the fact that the author was able to blend it along with the mythical ideal of the god Pan. It gave Peter a somewhat different purpose other than being a trickster. It reminded me of the movie "Horns" with Daniel Radcliffe with the protagonist turning into a twisted hero for the viewer's pleasure.
Overall, I thought this story to be one of the best stories I've read in late 2015 to now. The story twisted my heart in both exciting and depressing ways for the characters, the plot, and the vivid descriptions are still within my memory and I'm dying to read more of Brom's brilliant work. What are your opinions on Brom's work in general? Let me know in the comments below or on twitter and I'll be back soon with another post. Happy Howling! :)
Saturday, April 2, 2016
April TBR Pile
Hello my darling wolves, happy Spring/Winter (in other countries) to you all. How are you guys today?? Well I hope.. So, today I am bringing you my TBR reads for the month of April in hopes we can talk to each other through the comments down below or on this new app I've been hearing about; "BooksAmino". It is a moble app where you can meet fellow readers, post random book/writing related things, and just random stuff for the heck of it. I'm on there as 'xthewolfwriterx' so if you wanna talk, just reach with me there! =)
Any who, let's get right to it...
I plan to read probably five to maybe seven books this month, some of them are ones I've been reading since the year started, others are brand new ones that I've collected recently, and others are just random.. o-o
1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab. ~Physical copy~ (I've been dying to read this book for a while now ever since I finished her one book 'Vicious'. Her writing so dark and vividly beautiful with the realistic characters and theme of the stories she writes. She's one of my most favorite authors and I and so ready to snatch her other books, including her brand new one that's coming out this year!)
2. Warbreaker by Brandan Sanderson. ~Physical copy~ (I've been reading this since the beginning of January.. I own the small paperback edition of the book so now you know why I'm having difficulty reading it. I'm finally in the 400s in terms of pages so we're making progress!)
3. The Body Electric by Beth Revis. ~E book~ (I've only reading the first volume to her writing help trilogy and I like the brute honesty she sets in her tone of writing. So I figured why not give it a shot and read one of her books. I'm about half way done with it already since I'm reading it from my nook.)
4. The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan ~E-book~ (Again, another E-book. It was a free one and I felt like reading it out of boredom when in bed.)
5. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan -Physical/borrowed copy~ (I'm reading this series with my little sister and she's already almost done with the fifth book. So, I'm slowly catching up..)
6. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater ~Physical copy~ (I love this series and I finally gotten a paperback edition of this book to match its 'brothers' :3 I look forward to seeing my Gansey and the rest of the cast again real soon!)
Alright guys, so that was my TBR list of April! What are books do you plan to read this month? Let me know in the comments below and I'll see you soon with another post soon. Bye for now!!
Any who, let's get right to it...
I plan to read probably five to maybe seven books this month, some of them are ones I've been reading since the year started, others are brand new ones that I've collected recently, and others are just random.. o-o
1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab. ~Physical copy~ (I've been dying to read this book for a while now ever since I finished her one book 'Vicious'. Her writing so dark and vividly beautiful with the realistic characters and theme of the stories she writes. She's one of my most favorite authors and I and so ready to snatch her other books, including her brand new one that's coming out this year!)
2. Warbreaker by Brandan Sanderson. ~Physical copy~ (I've been reading this since the beginning of January.. I own the small paperback edition of the book so now you know why I'm having difficulty reading it. I'm finally in the 400s in terms of pages so we're making progress!)
3. The Body Electric by Beth Revis. ~E book~ (I've only reading the first volume to her writing help trilogy and I like the brute honesty she sets in her tone of writing. So I figured why not give it a shot and read one of her books. I'm about half way done with it already since I'm reading it from my nook.)
4. The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan ~E-book~ (Again, another E-book. It was a free one and I felt like reading it out of boredom when in bed.)
5. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan -Physical/borrowed copy~ (I'm reading this series with my little sister and she's already almost done with the fifth book. So, I'm slowly catching up..)
6. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater ~Physical copy~ (I love this series and I finally gotten a paperback edition of this book to match its 'brothers' :3 I look forward to seeing my Gansey and the rest of the cast again real soon!)
Alright guys, so that was my TBR list of April! What are books do you plan to read this month? Let me know in the comments below and I'll see you soon with another post soon. Bye for now!!
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Book Review: Passenger
Passenger (book one) by Alexandra Bracken
Release Date: January 5th, 2016
Publication: Disney's Hyperion
Format of Novel: Hardcover
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary (from good reads): In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.
Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.
Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.
- - - -
So Passenger, the newest book from the creator of the Darkest Minds series has arrived and entered my arms with a wide, open grin. I devoured this book as soon I finished its release sister Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. And overall, as a reader, I enjoyed it very much so like a lot of people did when it was first released to the public. However, I did have minor issues with it. Hence why I dropped my rating to four stars instead of five stars on good reads. Before I go into the flaws of the book, let me explain what I truly enjoyed about this book.
Number one: Characters. This is one of the main reasons why I enjoy Alex Bracken's writing so much. Her characters are so diverse in terms of attitude, race, sexuality, etc. Every time you read a different book from this particular author, her characters are somewhat different, but they're quite enjoyable. Like Liam, I found Nicholas to be a very sweet character. But, he was very blunt, secretive, and a pirate. He was yearning for freedom, to be able to set sail for great adventures without any negative outcomes from anyone else. With Etta, she was very opposite from Ruby. She's witty, outspoken, and musical. She's the tough girl, but yet held onto a innocence of feeling desperate for answers in this world that she was suddenly thrown into after watching her teacher getting 'killed'. Plus, the romance between the two of them felt right. Yes, it was very, very rushed, but if you think about it for a moment, it felt right to have it rushed. It's probably because there's probably a good chance that these two won't ever get to see each other again after the second book. (But, only time will tell right?). The other characters were also a very nice addition to the story. They each held their roles in a great manner and I hope we'll get to see them in the sequel next year.
Moving on to my second and probably last point: The plot and world building. I enjoyed the time traveling and the adventure our protagonists had to take part for this book. We were able to explore the various times and areas along with the characters and I enjoyed how they were all different places instead of the ones we normally see in Young adult literature like European countries. Alexandra Bracken made the world building so vivid and realistic in my eyes, that she made me want to go to these places in the future.
As for the flaws, I did find a few of them. Like the pacing for example, I found it to be too fast for my taste. I almost skipped out on some of the bigger transitions simply because of how fast the pacing was in this book. The character development felt too flat as well, even though I did enjoy them. I wanted to see some growth everyone, not just the protagonists. And finally, the plot twists and dynamic of the time traveling. In my personal opinion, the significant plot twists were predictable and the time traveling wasn't that well explained. I think its mostly because of how fast the pacing was in this first book. I'm sure we'll get more explanation in the sequel since I think it may be told in more of Nicholas' point of view instead of Etta's.
In conclusion, this book was good start to this duology, but not one of my favorites in the world. Alexandra Bracken does a beautiful job in her writing style, ideas, and characters. But, this book was too flat for my taste and I can only hope that the sequel will be the grand finale of awesomeness since this is a duology. I can't wait till next year to see what else the author has in store for us. What are your opinions on this book? Let me know on good reads or in the comments below!
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Book Review: Truthwitch
Truthwitch (#1): By Susan Dennard
Release Date: January 5th, 2016
Publisher: Tor Teen
Format of Novel: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary (from good reads): On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.
In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch
In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch
- - -
Hot off the press here, I have finally posted another book review! (After a two and a half month hiatus).. So today I'm here to talk about Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. This was one of the top books I was dying to get my hands on since I heard this wonderful author was publishing it. She's one of those authors that is a god send with everything. She's so sweet and her writing blog is simply wonderful and honest. I've never met her in person, but its a life goal to get this book signed by her someday. Any who, Truthwitch is said to be a mixture of Assassin's Creed and Avatar the Last Airbender with witty characters and action packed scenes for our viewing pleasure. I gotta say, this book had it and so much more.
As I read this, I was able to get emotionally attach to these characters. Each of them holds an inner and an general mission that maps out their future for themselves and for the world they live in. And it was done in a way that was smart and creative at the same. It was also rather interesting to understand how the threads within these individuals are what creates these special bonds. When we see it in Iseult's eyes, its more spiritual in a way since she is a Threadwitch and we are able to grasp an better understanding with it so we can fall even more in love with the characters.
Speaking of characters, can we say how amazing they are!? Safi and Iseult were two beings into one. Polar opposites yet completely in sync with each other. One is basically earth and one is air. The two block each other out but they maintain a balance that is natural so to speak. They keep each other sane and they are sassy when they have their shit together. Which was something I really enjoyed. Ryber was also an enjoyable character. Even though she was a minor character, she was still so realistic
As for the boys.. Kullan and Aeduan are in the high rankings of being my fictional boyfriends. They were just ahhh so amazingly hot in my mind. (Same with Merik, but he didn't scream 'boyfriend' to me yet). Even though they had somewhat of a minor role, I was just dying to know more about them. And Kullan, oh my poor baby.. (goes into a corner to cry). As for Merik, he was the Zuko of the cast expect he was a air bender or Airwitch in this particular series. He was completely stubborn, moody, but also very loyal and broken when focusing on restoring his honor to his family. He's so powerful and one of those flawed characters a reader will fully want to embrace and relate as the series progresses.
The only main thing I found to be somewhat weak in this book was the world building. Like a lot of reviewers who have read this book, I feel that the world building wasn't as fully detailed as I would like it to be. Normally in high fantasy series, the author takes the time to vividly describe their world within stories in lyrical word choices. However, with this story, it felt as so Susan Dennard didn't do that. I mean, she took the necessary time to describe the different type of witches, but not so much in the locations. While the author did a good job of getting to the point of how the places appeared in the eyes of our cast, it felt flat. I wanted to embrace the different locations like I did with the characters. But, maybe it will happen in the next book? Who knows.
Overall, I really loved this book and I cannot wait for the next book to come out next year. What are your opinions on Turthwitch?? Let me know in the comments and I'll be back soon with another post. Happy howling my fellow wolves!
As I read this, I was able to get emotionally attach to these characters. Each of them holds an inner and an general mission that maps out their future for themselves and for the world they live in. And it was done in a way that was smart and creative at the same. It was also rather interesting to understand how the threads within these individuals are what creates these special bonds. When we see it in Iseult's eyes, its more spiritual in a way since she is a Threadwitch and we are able to grasp an better understanding with it so we can fall even more in love with the characters.
Speaking of characters, can we say how amazing they are!? Safi and Iseult were two beings into one. Polar opposites yet completely in sync with each other. One is basically earth and one is air. The two block each other out but they maintain a balance that is natural so to speak. They keep each other sane and they are sassy when they have their shit together. Which was something I really enjoyed. Ryber was also an enjoyable character. Even though she was a minor character, she was still so realistic
As for the boys.. Kullan and Aeduan are in the high rankings of being my fictional boyfriends. They were just ahhh so amazingly hot in my mind. (Same with Merik, but he didn't scream 'boyfriend' to me yet). Even though they had somewhat of a minor role, I was just dying to know more about them. And Kullan, oh my poor baby.. (goes into a corner to cry). As for Merik, he was the Zuko of the cast expect he was a air bender or Airwitch in this particular series. He was completely stubborn, moody, but also very loyal and broken when focusing on restoring his honor to his family. He's so powerful and one of those flawed characters a reader will fully want to embrace and relate as the series progresses.
The only main thing I found to be somewhat weak in this book was the world building. Like a lot of reviewers who have read this book, I feel that the world building wasn't as fully detailed as I would like it to be. Normally in high fantasy series, the author takes the time to vividly describe their world within stories in lyrical word choices. However, with this story, it felt as so Susan Dennard didn't do that. I mean, she took the necessary time to describe the different type of witches, but not so much in the locations. While the author did a good job of getting to the point of how the places appeared in the eyes of our cast, it felt flat. I wanted to embrace the different locations like I did with the characters. But, maybe it will happen in the next book? Who knows.
Overall, I really loved this book and I cannot wait for the next book to come out next year. What are your opinions on Turthwitch?? Let me know in the comments and I'll be back soon with another post. Happy howling my fellow wolves!
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Book Review: City of Ashes
City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments #2): Written by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 25th, 2008
Publisher: McElderry Books
Format of Novel: Paperback
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary (from good reads): Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
Happy Shadow Hunters Tuesday everyone! Today we are reviewing the second book, City of Ashes in honor of the second episode of the TV series being released to our viewing pleasure. Unlike many of you, I haven't really watched the second episode yet online, so please don't spoil it for me okay? Hehe. Anyway, City of Ashes is the first dramatic sequel to the never ending Mortal Instruments series and what a emotional roller coaster right? We got action, a little bit of romance, and pretty much a better understanding of the Silent Brothers and the world Cassandra Clare created for us. (And the official Malec train finally began in this book, yay!)
One of my favorite parts was when we get to see Simon join the gang in a twisted way. By getting turned into a vampire.. Sure he turned into a vampire, but now he gets to have a lot of fun with it and be with Clary during these crazy ass adventures. I was excited for this part, but at the same time, I was a little let down. I felt as so Simon didn't need to become a vampire to be more awesome than he already was in the beginning. Maybe in a way, the author should've let him stay human throughout the entire book so we can see the flaws and the pros of being a human fighter in the Shadow hunting world. I also enjoyed Clary in this book as a character. She seemed to finally go out of her native stage a little bit and grew more mature since she grasps her newfound world a little bit more than the first book.
With everything that was presented, I've enjoyed the book for the most part. However, one of the main reasons I gave this book a four out of five stars was because of Jace. He was such a whiny little bitch, I couldn't stand his actions and the way he hurt Clary. It made me want to punch a while and throw a chair at him. He kept going up and down with everything and I understand he is emotionally imbalanced, but come on, don't be a asshole to people that give a shit about you.
Overall, this book was exciting to re read and I'm dying to grab the third book again to see more events unfold and these people grow into more of an badass than they already were in this book. And maybe, we'll finally see Jace grow a little out of the asshole stage? Maybe..
One of my favorite parts was when we get to see Simon join the gang in a twisted way. By getting turned into a vampire.. Sure he turned into a vampire, but now he gets to have a lot of fun with it and be with Clary during these crazy ass adventures. I was excited for this part, but at the same time, I was a little let down. I felt as so Simon didn't need to become a vampire to be more awesome than he already was in the beginning. Maybe in a way, the author should've let him stay human throughout the entire book so we can see the flaws and the pros of being a human fighter in the Shadow hunting world. I also enjoyed Clary in this book as a character. She seemed to finally go out of her native stage a little bit and grew more mature since she grasps her newfound world a little bit more than the first book.
With everything that was presented, I've enjoyed the book for the most part. However, one of the main reasons I gave this book a four out of five stars was because of Jace. He was such a whiny little bitch, I couldn't stand his actions and the way he hurt Clary. It made me want to punch a while and throw a chair at him. He kept going up and down with everything and I understand he is emotionally imbalanced, but come on, don't be a asshole to people that give a shit about you.
Overall, this book was exciting to re read and I'm dying to grab the third book again to see more events unfold and these people grow into more of an badass than they already were in this book. And maybe, we'll finally see Jace grow a little out of the asshole stage? Maybe..
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Book Review: Shatter Me
Shatter Me: Written by Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: November 5th, 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins
Format of Novel: Nook
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary (From good reads): Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
- - -
I'm late in the game, but I'm glad I was just so I can appreciate this series as a whole instead of waiting for the next books to review them on here. So Shatter Me, it's basically like the people have said in the past, it's a mixture of X-Men and any regular dystopian novels I've read in the past. But unlike the other dystopian novels I did read, I found this narrative of Tahereh Mafi to be very poetic. It's reminds me of Maggie Stiefvater's writing in her Raven Boys series, but it's more fluid in a angst-y sort of way. We follow Juliette's journey after being locked up and abandoned by those who was supposed to love her in an asylum for a little over 264 days. We get to meet the other characters like Adam and Warner. Each of them with their own goal and method of trying to overcome that goal.
At first I wasn't sure about reading this trilogy. I did hear mixed reviews about it, but at the same time, I wanted to give it a shot and I'm glad I did in the end. The plot of this story is quite typical for a dystopian novel in terms of its world being a wreck and the rebels vs governed forces concept, but it has it own twist since we are more focused on the protagonist's sudden ability to kill people with a single touch.
What makes this story interesting is the idea that we get to see how somewhat crazy the focused characters are throughout the novel. The pacing doesn't really help me in a personal sense understand what going on, but I liked that. It helped build up a mystery without giving so much information. I'm still questioning what the hell happened in their world and how did the rebellions start their 'war' against Warner and his soldiers. Speaking of Warner, can we talk about him? What a psycho huh? I mean, I'm sure that there is something more about him, but for now, damn.. If he wanted love, he should've taken the lighter approach like Adam did with Juliette. Adam is also a mystery to me. While I do love his character thus far, I think there's something else to him that's darker and we can't know what's going on till the sequels.
Juliette, what can I say about her? I think she's a interesting being. While I can agree that she is a whining and jittering little being, I do admire how flawed she is in the psychotic sense. She's reminds me of Mara Dyer, but is more kindhearted I wanna say. I'm hoping she grows stronger as a character as the series continues. Also, my babies, James and Kenji, oh my god can they be real so I can hug the crap out of them??
Overall, this book is exciting and fast pace. The narrative is so realistic and poetic, I'm so dying to read more from this author in the near future. What are your opinions on Shatter Me? Tell me in the comments below and I'll see you guys soon with another blog post. Happy Howling!
At first I wasn't sure about reading this trilogy. I did hear mixed reviews about it, but at the same time, I wanted to give it a shot and I'm glad I did in the end. The plot of this story is quite typical for a dystopian novel in terms of its world being a wreck and the rebels vs governed forces concept, but it has it own twist since we are more focused on the protagonist's sudden ability to kill people with a single touch.
What makes this story interesting is the idea that we get to see how somewhat crazy the focused characters are throughout the novel. The pacing doesn't really help me in a personal sense understand what going on, but I liked that. It helped build up a mystery without giving so much information. I'm still questioning what the hell happened in their world and how did the rebellions start their 'war' against Warner and his soldiers. Speaking of Warner, can we talk about him? What a psycho huh? I mean, I'm sure that there is something more about him, but for now, damn.. If he wanted love, he should've taken the lighter approach like Adam did with Juliette. Adam is also a mystery to me. While I do love his character thus far, I think there's something else to him that's darker and we can't know what's going on till the sequels.
Juliette, what can I say about her? I think she's a interesting being. While I can agree that she is a whining and jittering little being, I do admire how flawed she is in the psychotic sense. She's reminds me of Mara Dyer, but is more kindhearted I wanna say. I'm hoping she grows stronger as a character as the series continues. Also, my babies, James and Kenji, oh my god can they be real so I can hug the crap out of them??
Overall, this book is exciting and fast pace. The narrative is so realistic and poetic, I'm so dying to read more from this author in the near future. What are your opinions on Shatter Me? Tell me in the comments below and I'll see you guys soon with another blog post. Happy Howling!
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
ShadowHunters: A Pilot Review
So guys, yesterday was the world premise of the television series, "ShadowHunters". Its the adaption that I prayed for after watching that dreadful movie version of it a few years ago. Like the books, we follow Clary, Jace, and the others in their journey for the mortal cup and to defeat Valentine and his army in order to protect both worlds. Like many people, I've been iffy on watching the show because I'm scare to see if the creators of the show royally screwed up anything that was suppose to be in the books, but isn't at all.
However, like a lot of you, I was excited to see the show and to see a very popular book series evolving into something awesome for us to see. The only other main reason was I was so skeptical about this show was because of the movie. Holy crap, that movie was horrible. (It had it good moments, but overall it was bad..). After the movie receiving such poor reviews a few years ago, we all can agree that we are on thin ice with this series because something else in the movie/tv show sort of sense. So here it is, my intake on the pilot.
However, like a lot of you, I was excited to see the show and to see a very popular book series evolving into something awesome for us to see. The only other main reason was I was so skeptical about this show was because of the movie. Holy crap, that movie was horrible. (It had it good moments, but overall it was bad..). After the movie receiving such poor reviews a few years ago, we all can agree that we are on thin ice with this series because something else in the movie/tv show sort of sense. So here it is, my intake on the pilot.
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Holy shit, this was so much better than the movie. I was cheering happily over Alec's portrayer, oh my goodness, he is beautiful! The main actors did a good job in taking their time to researching the characters' personalities and action. And Jocelyn, she is such a bad ass. I'm so glad they included the fighting scene with her and Valentine's goons, it made her shine as a character even though we won't probably see as much in the upcoming episodes. Simon was so freaking cute and natural. The actor who portrays him is perfect. The movie of him was cute as well, but I felt that he had a stick in his butt much like Jace's movie version of him. And Jace's TV actor, I enjoy him, 'nuff said.
The girls like Isabelle and Clary are perky, I like how the TV actors are bringing these characters to life in a natural way (I know I keep saying that word, sorry).
I also liked the pacing and the new minor characters that were added into this show as well. It gave me as a viewer the chance to see everything in a wider point of view. Another thing I liked was the age increase. When I'm reading the book series, I picture the characters a little older than they are because of their attitudes in fighting and jokes. Maybe you guys don't feel that way, but I feel like it was better for them to increase the ages.
The differences I've noticed in the show compare to the book are noticeable at the moment, but you can forgive the creators for them right now since we are only at the beginning of this show. But, this is just a personal opinion of mine.
Overall, this pilot kicked ass, well in my opinion it did. What are your opinions on the pilot episode and are you excited for more? Let me know in the comments below and I'll be back soon with another review of this series next week if you want or a book review. (Let me know in the comments below as well). Happy howling!! <3
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Book Review: City of Bones
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 27th, 2007
Publisher: McElderry Books
Format of Novel: Paperback
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary (from good reads): When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. And she’s more than a little startled when the body disappears into thin air. Soon Clary is introduced to the world of the Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to driving demons out of our world and back to their own. And Clary is introduced with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque monster. How could a mere human survive such an attack and kill a demon? The Shadowhunters would like to know…
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Well guys, I'm sure many of you know what this series is all about right? I figured it's only right to start reviewing this series in honor of the new television show that is appearing tonight. And also, it was time for me to semi-return to this blog. Let's get started. This is the book that started the global fan base for Cassandra Clare. It has a Supernatural meets Degrassi feel to it with the teenage drama and action packed fights we read throughout the Mortal Instruments series. Its humorous, serious, and entraining for us readers to grasp in the paranormal fantasy this author had been embracing herself for almost ten years now. Plus the love for all romance she embarks with some of the characters are a bonus as well.
City of Bones takes place in New York City (I live in the state, but not this particular city) and we follow Clary and her best friend Simon as they are thrust into this invisible after the disappearance of the paranormal. There they meet Jace and the lightwoods siblings and they begin their epic quest to stop Valentine and his growing army while learning more about the world they were born to protect.
Now I'll be honest with ya, I lost motivation to read the rest of this series after completing the Infernal Devices trilogy a while ago, but since now I gotten the new boxset, I decided to actually sit down and read the entire series this year. (I'm only on the second book so reviews for these books are gonna be slow). I really enjoyed the first book, but considering it is the introduction to this series, I can't spoil much for those that have read it. The characters were fresh, the plotline is jumpy yet keeps the readers on their toes.
I liked how Clary developed the attitude to go save her mother, but yet I felt that she was annoying in the sense that she was still naïve into the new world. Which is fine and all, but still, I would've liked the pacing to slow down a bit just show she can develop a little more as a character. Jace Wayland was a walking douche, but we already know he's going to grow a little more as the series progresses. Now Simon, Simon is my baby. I love him as a character. He is loyal, sassy, and all around good friend when needed. The Lightwoods are also cool characters, but I want them to sine a little more as the series progresses. And Magnus Bane, holy shit do I want to party with him one of these days haha. He was a kick ass character too.
Overall, this introductory novel was a great start. Even though I wasn't a fan of how fast Clary was pushed into this world, I'm excited to read the sequels ahead. I'm also excited about the tv show as well. I'll probably do a review on the show after I watch and we can have a full discussion on it. :)
Till then guys. Happy howling!
City of Bones takes place in New York City (I live in the state, but not this particular city) and we follow Clary and her best friend Simon as they are thrust into this invisible after the disappearance of the paranormal. There they meet Jace and the lightwoods siblings and they begin their epic quest to stop Valentine and his growing army while learning more about the world they were born to protect.
Now I'll be honest with ya, I lost motivation to read the rest of this series after completing the Infernal Devices trilogy a while ago, but since now I gotten the new boxset, I decided to actually sit down and read the entire series this year. (I'm only on the second book so reviews for these books are gonna be slow). I really enjoyed the first book, but considering it is the introduction to this series, I can't spoil much for those that have read it. The characters were fresh, the plotline is jumpy yet keeps the readers on their toes.
I liked how Clary developed the attitude to go save her mother, but yet I felt that she was annoying in the sense that she was still naïve into the new world. Which is fine and all, but still, I would've liked the pacing to slow down a bit just show she can develop a little more as a character. Jace Wayland was a walking douche, but we already know he's going to grow a little more as the series progresses. Now Simon, Simon is my baby. I love him as a character. He is loyal, sassy, and all around good friend when needed. The Lightwoods are also cool characters, but I want them to sine a little more as the series progresses. And Magnus Bane, holy shit do I want to party with him one of these days haha. He was a kick ass character too.
Overall, this introductory novel was a great start. Even though I wasn't a fan of how fast Clary was pushed into this world, I'm excited to read the sequels ahead. I'm also excited about the tv show as well. I'll probably do a review on the show after I watch and we can have a full discussion on it. :)
Till then guys. Happy howling!
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