Book Review: Tsura

Tsura (Tsura #1) Written by: Heather Anastasiu

Release Date: August 18th, 2015/September 20th, 2015

Publisher: Self Published/Net galley

Format of Novel: E-book arc on Nook

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary (from good reads): In WWII Romania, Tsura, a young Roma (gypsy) woman, has no choice but to leave her lover, Andrei, behind and marry the grandson of the man whose basement she and Andrei have been hiding in. An epic WWII saga, for fans of The Bronze Horseman and Outlander.

“It won’t be a real marriage.” Tsura put her hands to Andrei’s shirt and pulled him in close. “I’ll never share a bed with him. I love you. I only do what I must to keep us all safe. Once the war ends, it’ll be as if it never was.” She caught his face in her hands. “I am only yours, Andrei.”

“Yes, you’re only mine,” Andrei bent over and growled in her ear. “When you put on that dress for him and walk down the aisle in that ugly goy church,” he kissed her hard before putting a strong hand to the back of her neck, pulling her forehead to his, “you think of me, here. When you say your vows to that man, you remember that it’s me who has owned your body tonight.” He again pressed his lips to hers. It was a claiming.

(Received this book from Net galley in exchange for honest review)

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This novel was the first one I've ever read from this author, I couldn't believe how much I loved it once I started it. I loved learning about the WWII era so this completely caught my eye once I saw it on Net galley. There was so much emotion and angst elements into this that I almost cried and I rarely cry when it comes to books. I was quickly able to tell how much research Anastasiu put into this novel without groaning in complaint about it. She did an amazing job with the research so it made the story so realistic in my eyes.

Plot wise, this book was different because I've never read a lot of historical fiction other than The Book Thief so I was happily surprised about it. We follow the gypsy by the name Tsura and her struggles to stay alive and have a happy ending with her beloved Andrei whose Jewish. She's forced into a marriage with a friend of her lost brother's to keep up with appearances. Over the course of the time, she ends up learning the truth about her brother and starts making a change for herself and for others that she meets along the way. I can't really explain as much, but this book was powerful in that dynamic.

Since this is a duology, I'm not going to explain much of this expect telling you about how fantastic this book was to read on my nook when not working away at retail haha. Yes there is a lot of information dumping with the short number of chapters, but in the end, its worth it because of how strong willed Tsura as a woman and keeping to her role as gypsy in tack because it brought out a awareness to me that things were a struggle for not only Jewish people, but to others as well that weren't considered 'normal' in the Nazi's eyes. Overall, this story was strong, emotional, and this reader here is waiting for the stunning conclusion of this duology.

Anti-Heroes: Vicious revenge for All

Hey guys, I recently brought this lovely book in paperback, and holy crow did I love it! (Hence forth the special title down below). This review is basically going to have me fan-girling like a crazed lunatic, but I'll try to maintain an honest review about this lovely book. So let's begin shall we?

Vicious (book #1) by V.E Schwab

Release Date: September 24th, 2013

Publisher: Tor

Format of Novel: Paper back

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (from good reads): Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

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When I first heard about this story, the premise was the one thing that got me hooked so fast that I wanted it so badly. But, I wanted it in paper back so I waited, and waited until I got up and brought it with joy. I was so stoked and let's just say I wasn't disappointed in this book. The flow of the writing was so fluid, it was almost like I was reading a comic book and the twists, oh my god. I regret not reading this book sooner. I was literally going bananas in front of my dad while he was watching his Mets game and took in the jokes when they started over my fan girling. And the way the chapters were set, it was literally like watching a movie in your head. I wanted to take my time with this book, but everything in V.E Schwab's writing kept forcing me to read this book till very end.

But, let's get real here guys, what really brought us to enjoying this book? You guessed it, the characters. Victor, Eli, Mitch, etc. They're all so amazing! I'm forever Team Victor because of his personality and his way to stay loyal to his motives. He's shown to be a introverted, brilliant person, yet I felt that he wanted to be loved. He was lonely and I kept thinking, if he was more open with his emotions, than maybe things would be okay for him. But then again, he wouldn't be the Victor I love if he didn't act the way he did in the book. I loved the growing bonds he, Mitch, and Sydney are creating throughout the present chapters. They're almost like a family unit and it brought a little bit of normalcy into this story.

Eli was also an interesting person because he was the one that came up with the theory of E.Os. In someway, he did dragged Victor into it with their growing curiosity melding together as a single unit, and turned this one thing into something huge. I almost seemed to see Eli as a possible cult leader. He was charming and gentle enough to lure people into his revenge against Victor for accidently killing his girlfriend (and Victor's friend). But, I don't like the way how he thought himself as God of the E.Os. It was a little too much in my opinion, but it was necessary because of the events that unfolded in the 'past' between the two friends. His 'girlfriend' was also a nice additional into his adventure to killing the other E.Os. She reminded me of Lillith/the serpent. And I almost cheered very loudly when she died in the end, but also felt bad because of certain things I cannot really explain until the second book comes out.

Overall, this book was fantastic. It was filled with suspense, anti-heroes, and paranormal elements that shinned nicely throughout the tale. This entire story almost felt like a biblical movement, but I enjoyed it because of how crazy every character was portrayed. I can't wait for the second book now even though I thought the ending to this book was a great way to end Victor's story. If this was your favorite book, tell me in the comments below about your thoughts. I'll see you guys soon with another review. Happy howling!

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Book Review: A Court of Thorns & Roses

A Court of thorns & Roses: Written by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: May 5th, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury's Children USA

Format of Novel: ARC (from a giveaway)

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (from good reads): When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discover that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin-- one of the lethal, immortal faeires who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it.. or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.

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Ahh a brand new book from one of my top faves. Isn't beautiful to the naked eye? Yeah I know, I'm late with this review, its been what seven months since its release and only a week since her new TOG series book came out? Oops. Haha. So I hope you peeps can forgive me and read my review on this book anyway okay? (o-o)

Moving on... This book was hands down one of the tops ones for my 2015 reads. I was so moved by how Sarah J. Maas took on the newer genre to her advantage and still managed to kick ass with it like the bad ass that she is. The characters were different compare to the TOG cast, they were more elegant and depressing, but still maintained a personality that brighten the plot in some shape or form. I loved Lucian more when it comes to him and Tamlin because he's snarky and will be blunt about everything Feyre will question once she moved into the castle. He reminded me of Hamlet from Shakespeare because of his 'tragic' past in the story. Tamlin was a interesting and lovable character. He had the elements that matched the Beast and a little bit something more to it as well (like the fae thing).

And Rhysand, holy crap I loved him to bits. He was a darker version of Lucian in my eyes and I was sort of rooting for him to get with Feyre already. And, after hearing about the theories of this story being based on Hades and Persephone's 'romance', I think its safe to say that it will happen, it will. How else are you going to explain their 'agreement' with the rest of the trilogy? I also loved Feyre, she was completely different from Maas's other protagonist, Celaena. She's more driven into her curiosity and her artistic abilities. I like the idea that even though she did match Belle in some shape or form, she does have qualities that are completely different. For example, the inability to read. I found that to be the most interesting part about her as a character. It created a flaw that I haven't seen in books in a while and I wanted to jump right into the book and teach her how to read, (and possibly hug her to death).. Anywho, let's discuss the climax and ending.

The scenes when Feyre entered the queen's castle were a mixture of meyhh and epic. Although I did enjoy the way the sinister the queen was and the trials were gripping with action. But, I didn't like the riddle, it felt to Disney for me. The book is suppose to be New Adult and the riddle's answer sort of took that away from me at the end.

Overall, this book was exciting and I'm glad Sarah J. Maas has another series for us to enjoy. What are your favorite books from this wonderful author? Tell me in the comments below and I'll be back soon with another post, happy howling!

Book Review: Ever Mine

Ever Mine (Novella): written by Eden Ashe

Release Date:

Publisher:

Format of Novel: Nook

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Summary (from good reads): Can a kidnapped fairy and a human find love despite all odds?

Nathan Alexander’s batty aunt has done it again. This time she’s sent him a rare plant he doesn’t want. Imagine his surprise when he finds a kidnapped fairy hidden within its leaves. As a man who heads a non-profit organization for abused women and children, Nathan makes it his mission to help her find her way home.

All her life Katenia was warned about the evilness of humans. Never was that proved more true than when she was kidnapped from her quiet valley home. Thrust into the human world, Katenia must fight her very instincts to trust Nathan if she ever hopes to return to her rightful place…and to her normal thumb-sized fairy form.

But with their lives in danger, finding home…and love…will be a journey worthy of a fairy tale.

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I'd read this novella a couple of months ago and I still remember bits and pieces of it. I think this book was really light hearted, yet it still maintain the fae concept within the story. I loved the overall romance that developed between Nathan and Katenia. They were complete opposites (physically and probably mentally a little bit), plus they shared such an natural curiosity for both worlds.

The pacing and the characters were rushed and that was okay for a novella. Though at the same time, I do wish that this book was a little bit longer just so I could've explored more character development with the cast. Speaking of characters, I loved Nathan. He is a sweetheart and very loyal to his mission to protect those that suffered abuse. You can see that he cares and even though he was feeling the 'lust' over Katenia due to her fae appearance, he maintain the idea of returning her home to her family. The antagonist (whose name I completely forgotten) was in a nice way, bat-shit crazy. She and her partner-in-crime were well executed.

Ashe did a good job in creating this novella. Everything was fast pace, the tone was light-hearted with a few darker moments here and there, and the characters were likeable. I gave this book four stars because of how well written it was overall, but I didn't give it five stars because I wanted to be longer and maybe more in depth. Either way, this book was a nice read and I would read it again if I was bored or needed to get out of a reading slump. Its free on the kindle/nook as well if you're looking to purchase a book and don't have the money for it. :P

See you guys with a new post, happy howling.

Book Review: The Nutcracker Bleeds

The Nutcracker Bleeds written by: Lani Lenore
Release date: December 3rd, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published/Smash words website
Format of Book: Paperback
Summary (From goodreads): A horrific retelling of the classic Nutcracker story. On Christmas Eve in 1905, a household in London finds itself under a centuries-old curse when a strange new toy is brought into the house.

A young nanny named Anne is immersed in the horrific world of her unstable charge, Olivia, when a bite from a mouse makes her the size of a doll. She must brave a world of mangled and demented toys that have come to life. Each has his own vendetta- the most unrelenting of which is the mysterious and handsomely-carved nutcracker, who becomes Anne's only sane ally.

There is war in the lower levels of the house between the rodents and the toys, yet Anne's only concern is getting Olivia and herself back to the way they once were before it is too late for either of them.
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Words cannot expressed how much I loved reading this stand alone. Most of this review will most likely be me fan-girling up a storm. But, I will try to keep this in a semi-professional level lol. So this book is more or less a re-telling of the story Nutcracker. I'm pretty sure some of you have heard of the ballet before and seen Christmas specials based on this story. However, I have never been to New York City long enough to watch it and when I'd heard of this writer on fiction press that wrote a horror version of this, I've decided to buy this book. (Along with the first two books to her Peter Pan retelling trilogy).

Upon reading this, I never wanted to leave the fairy tale. Lani Lenore did a fantastic job with bringing this world to life with the characters and the plot in general. I've never seen the famous ballet, but now I just want to go to NYC and just to see it for myself. I loved how twisted and diabolical many of the characters were throughout the adventure, especially the rats and the humans like Todd and Olivia's father. Anne, one of the leading protagonists, brought out the 'real-life' ideal into the Nutcracker's world since 90% of the time I almost forgot about that many of the enemy forces and Armand were toys. She was young, yet became quickly adapted in both Olivia's world and the curse. From that, the author was able to blend into the 'adult' themes into this and made the story so gruesome and ironic in a sense that I thought it was beautifully written. I say the word ironic because the author was able to make the toy/rat characters more humane than toys. Plus, the aftermath of the story completely brought out that sense of irony into it and other things that I don't want to spoil you all with right now.

Overall, this story was fantastic and you can read it anytime, especially during the holidays or Halloween if you celebrate it. Pick up this book if you are in a need of a tale like the Nutcracker. Happy Howling!

Book Review: DarkFever

DarkFever written by Karen Marie Moning
Release date: October 31st, 2006
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Format of Novel: Hardcover
Summary (From goodreads.com): ~Book one in the series~ MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

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Alright, again I apologize for not posting as much. My internet was being weird and I was caught up in reading this book just so I can review it on hand. So unlike the previous of books I have review in this blog, this book is more a higher 'young' adult range or as people would say it now-- new adult fiction. This involves more sexual undertones and informational background on what fairies are.

As I read through this book, I can say that I'm not really big fan of it but I did enjoy it at the same time. No not because of the sexual stuff, but it was mainly because of the plot and characters overall. Now I get that this book is the first one to the long series, but I felt that Moning should've added a lot more than what a first book can handle. The book itself was okay and the narrative was really cool since it felt like I was personally listening to MacKayla's telling me the entire story herself. However, regardless of that fact, I did have issues with book.

The plot in my opinion felt empty. Moning did create a interesting world and characters, but the story line didn't really have much. For twenty five chapters, I wanted more. I think the story could've created a buddling romances between MacKayla and Jericho, but since I still need to read the other books I don't have much of a opinion to give a full-on review about the series as a whole. With the characters, I didn't enjoy MacKayla as much as I would like too. At first I felt as so she was really, really whining, but as the story continued on, I grew to like her snippy attitude when she arrived in Ireland. As for Jericho, I like the idea of him being a mysterious bad guy, but I really wanted him to give out a little more emotion as a person. In a way, he was dry and all he gave a crap about was the Sinsar Dubh, which is the most important object talked about in the story. 

While I did enjoy the read and the new experience on reading about fairies, I wish this story had more depth towards it. I am curious about reading the other books to this series, but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy fully since I had some issues with this one. But, like any other book, its a read and if you guys are into faes/fairies and celtic mythology, then pick up this book for your curious minds. Have fun reading and see you guys tomorrow.