REVIEW: Carve The Mark

CARVE THE MARK

by Veronica Roth

Pages: 468

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Publication Date: 18th January 2017

In a galaxy powered by the current, everyone has a gift.

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual currentgift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get this brother out alive — no matter what the cost.
The Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?

You know that feeling when your favourite author announces a new series and you just cannot wait to read it? This is how I felt when Carve The Mark was announced, as I've read the Divergent books more times than I care to mention. However, when it came around to it I just couldn't pick it up. What if its not as good? What if I end up being let down? Well over a year after it was first published I FINALLY got around to reading Carve the Mark and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed!

Carve The Mark is a story of two halves, told from two points of view. The first is Akos, a boy torn away from his family, who has to learn to survive in enemy territory and serve a family that threaten everything he holds dear. Second is Cyra, a girl fated to bring pain to anyone who touches her. As the book unfolds these two characters’ lives become intertwined as their fates are destined to play out but the path they find themselves on was nothing like they imagined. For you see, Akos may be the only relief from Cyra's current gift, a moment in time where she is able to breathe. With hostile relations between two races reaching its apex and a rebellion on the horizon, can our two main characters out run their destinies or were the fates sealed long ago? 

I'll be honest, to begin with I wasn't convinced. I don't know if it was the fact it wasn’t Tris and Four or if my expectations were just to high but I honestly thought I wasn't going to like this book. However, after a couple of chapters I found that I couldn't put this book down. I needed to know what happened next. The story line was exciting and constantly moving from one thing to the next and it kept me on my toes throughout. One of my favourite things with books like this is seeing how the author uses contemporary human behaviour to create worlds that parallel our own and the universe Roth describes is both otherworldly and relatable (which is a hard mix to pull off). 

The characters themselves are all completely and utterly imperfect, they make mistakes and fall down throughout the book, but they also find the strength within themselves and each other to fight. The growth of Cyra's character was probably one of my favourites as it shows not just the harshness of growing up and finding yourself but also the struggles of doing what's right when it's so much easier to do what's being asked of you. 

Overall, I fell in love with this story and the main characters. It was fasted paced and exhilarating, with plot twists around every corner. It was one of those books that makes me wish I hadn't waited so long to read it and I'm not making the same mistake with book 2 as I can't wait to find out what is in store for these characters next.

REVIEW: Everless

EVERLESS

by Sara Holland

Pages: 352

Publisher: Orchard Books

Publication Date: January 4th 2018

Received From: Orchard Books

Time is a prison. She is the key. Packed with danger, temptation and desire. 

In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything - even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry. 

Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family. 

There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever ... and possibly the future of time itself. 

This is without a doubt one of my (if not most YA bloggers) most anticipated book of 2018 and after demolishing it, rather quickly, I can understand why. The concept of Everless is intriguing and magical, it draws you in from the very first page and there is something about the world Sara Holland creates and the characters that roam it that make this book hard to put down. 

Everless is the story of Jules, a teenager of Sempera who, along with her father, have found themselves down on their luck. But in a world where time is currency, falling behind on your rent can have deadly consequences and when Jules realises her father can't take another withdrawal without risking fatality she takes in upon herself to save their family home by working at Everless. Jules grew up at Everless but that was a long time ago and returning has its own set of risks. Everless is home to Jules family secrets, her childhood crush and the person she and her father have spent years running from. But when you pay with time, with blood, you have to chose what risk is worth taking and which will leave you out in the snow. 

OMG! I loved this book so much! I was so excited when it turned up on my doorstep and i'll admit I had high expectations, but it did not disappoint. The story is fast paced and endearing, with some unexpected twists and turns along the way that had my jaw hitting the floor. I thought the whole concept of someones years, their life, being drained and turned into currency was really interesting and made the book a unique addition to the YA family. There was also something really magical about the whole setting of this book, with its old worldly feel and the way Sara paints a picture with her words is breathtaking at times. 

It is one of those books that I don't want to ruin with accidental spoilers so I will keep it short and sweet... well short for me. The characters, especially Jules and one other I can't say in case of spoilers (those who have read it will know who I'm on about) already have a special place in my heart. They all have their flaws and learn not just about themselves but about everyone around them as the story progresses making them all the more relatable. 

Overall, Everless is the first of a new exciting YA fantasy series and I'm super stoked to see what it has in store next for us. If you haven't yet, add this to your pre-oder list as I'd put money on this being the next big series that you don't want to miss. It has everything you could possibly want from a YA fantasy! It has magic, secrets, mystery, the start of a love story (I so desperately hope) and characters and a story that will leave you wanting more. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Orchard Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

MAY Book of the Month

The Ring & The Crown

by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: The Ring and The Crown

Author: Melissa De La Cruz

Publishing Date: April 1st 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423157427 

    

Summary (via Goodreads)

Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve? Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world's only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen. But even with the aid of Emrys' magic, Eleanor's extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen's Guard. Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie's face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she's always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she's always dreamed of--the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor's court: trust no one.

To see my review of The Ring & The Crown 

CLICK HERE

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About Melissa

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

**EXCERPT**

Kissed

Kissed by Kimberly Loth

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

  

Synopsis (via Goodreads)

Trapped in a dark cult, sixteen-year-old Naomi Aren has lived a quiet, albeit unhappy, life nestled deep in the hills of the Ozarks. With uncut hair, denim skirts, and only roses for friends, Naomi seldom questions why her life is different from other kids at school. Until the day her abusive father, who is also the cult’s leader, announces her wedding. Naomi must marry Dwayne Yerdin, a bully who reeks of sweat and manure and is the only one person who scares her worse than her father.

Then she meets Kai, the mysterious boy who brings her exotic new roses and stolen midnight kisses. Kisses that bring her a supernatural strength she never knew she had. As the big day approaches, Naomi unearths more secrets about her father’s cult. She learns she has power of her own and while Kai may have awakened that power, Naomi must find a way to use it to escape Dwayne and her father—without destroying herself.

Review 

This book! I wanted to like it, but it didn't make it easy. The story was contrite and confusing to say the least and it felt like it didn't know whether it was coming or going. It wasn't until the last third of the book that it developed some form of context and I actually became interested! I'm all for dropping in clues, in fact it's kind of important. There's nothing better than that moment where the reader puts it all together - it's really something kind of special! But by the second third of this book I was so confused I need someone to tell me what the fudge was happening. It was almost as if the author didn't even know where she was taking it until she got there and 'there' came about 100 pages too late. 

So this is the story - and I am going to drop a couple of spoilers because quite frankly, I wish someone had told me what was going on. Naomi is a sixteen-year-old girl with a love for roses. Her roses keep her sane in the cruel and dangerous world she lives in. The story is set in present day America - which you don't realise until about chapter 4. Naomi and her family are part of a white fundamentalist cult (I think) where the smallest of things will get you beaten or worse. 

Then one day something changes. A stranger begins to come into her room at night. She never opens her eyes but she knows he's there and every night he kisses her. His name? Kai. His kisses give her the strength to fight back and that's when her world starts to crumble. She gets taken away from her family but will she be able to stay safe? Or will they find her? 

I think the first thing you need to know is that this is a paranormal/fantasy book. I didn't realise this until about half way through. Maybe I was just being a little dense but in truth I honestly don't think it was that clear. The first half and the second half felt like two completely different books - I wouldn't read the first ever again. You might be able to convince me with the second - although there was nothing I hadn't read before. 

The only redeeming quality of this book was Naomi. In the beginning she's the fragile creation of her parents torment but as the book develops she gains this strength and is able to find her own identity - even if that identity does have green hair and will let complete strangers kiss her in the middle of the night. She isn't perfect but she doesn't hold back and she did the best with what she had, even if some of those things were a little awkward. 

Actually scratch that! Naomi wasn't the only good thing about this book. I did like how Loth didn't hold back when it came to the harder aspects of the book. It was gritty and heartbreaking at times. It painted a picture of a life-style I hope not too many people have to live through. Loth can create a vivid picture, I just wish it was a coherent one. 

Overall it was an okay book. I might pick up the second one when it comes out because as I said, it picked up towards the end and I would be interested to know where the stories going. But at the same time I would be worried that it would be just as randomly put together as this one. I guess I'll have to wait and see. 

**I received this book as an ARC from the author and YA Bound Book Tours to read and review. This is a 100% honest review**