Book Review – Prodigy by Marie Lu

Title: Prodigy
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Legend Series, Book 2


SYNOPSIS:
Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?


MY REVIEW:
Five. Massively. Heartbroken. Stars.

Haven't Day and June suffered enough? 

Seriously. Just when I think they've made it past the worst the world has to offer, tragedy strikes again. And again. And again. But June and Day aren't prodigies for nothing...they still keep fighting and surviving through each and every horrible torture they face. They trust their instincts and follow their hearts no matter how scared they are. They make sacrifices to do what's right for their families and for others who are suffering. Their story is complex and addictive and I love that they are helplessly drawn to each other no matter what else goes on in their world. And their world is disaster. It seems the only safe place for Day and June in all of the Republic or Colonies is when they're together, but that safety is stolen from them time and time again whether by scheming officials, injuries, heartless soldiers, or strange illnesses. 

Even though the entire story was gut-wrenching and the ending completely tore my heart to shreds, I loved every minute of reading this book.

p.s. Day = Sacrifice


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Book Review – Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend Series, book 1


SYNOPSIS:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.


MY REVIEW:
Legend is everything a dystopian story should be. The world building was gritty and believable, the characters were both flawed and heroic, and the events were described in such vivid detail that I could believe this scenario happening in the future. 

I admired June for her quick thinking and ability to stay calm when faced with danger, but I loved Day for his triumph over tragedy. He defied death to become the common man's hero. He is like the Robin Hood of the future. 

Loved the story, loved the characters, loved the mystery and I'm so glad I have the rest of the books already in my greedy little hands because I can't seem to put them down.


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Book Review – Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass book 3
Published: September 2, 2014


SYNOPSIS:
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?


MY REVIEW:
This book is huge...over 500 pages, but there is so much action and drama between the covers that it could fill three books. We get to see the point of view from Celaena, Dorian, Chaol, Aedion, Manon, Rowan....such a rich story that I didn't want to put the book down. It's epic like Game of Thrones, but the plot and characters have so much depth that you feel the fear, love, and passion that they each feel as they survive the evil that the King of Ardalan has unleashed on the world. 

The relationship that Celaena forged with Rowan was amazing starting from a mutual dislike and disrespect into full-fledged trust and dedication to one another. I feel like the theme of this book was sacrifice because all of the characters seemed to have to make a sacrifice for those they loved—a companion, a friend, a lover, a fellow warrior, or even their "people." It could even be said that Rowan sacrificed his beauty for the memory of those he loved when he tattooed their stories on his skin.

I love this series and can't wait to read more.


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Book Review – Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass book 2
Published: August 27, 2013


SYNOPSIS:
"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.


MY REVIEW:

This book is EVERYTHING you could want out of a fantasy novel. It has action, adventure, good, evil, battles, romance, magic, mystery....it's so perfect I wanted to hug it and then read it again right away. Throne of Glass was excellent, but this book just makes me swoon so hard. Loved it. Oh...and I sort of figured out Celeana's big secret (although I'm not sure Maas was trying to hide it from us very well, I think she wanted the reader to sort of know before it was revealed) but I have no idea what is going to happen with Caleana, Chaol, Dorian, and the evil king and I can't wait to find out. 


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Book Review — Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Published: August 7, 2012


SYNOPSIS:
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. 

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.


MY REVIEW:
An enjoyable read, lots of interesting characters, plenty of action and suspense. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the competitions, but since the book was already hefty (which is fine in my opinion), I'm glad Maas gave us more character depth and less action. I'll take that trade. I've always been a fan of Xena, so this was awesome for me to see a female warrior character who had a dark past.


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Indie Book Review – Defining Courage by Jill Daugherty

Title: Defining Courage
Author: Jill Daugherty
Series: The Courage Series (Book 3)
Published: April 19, 2014

SYNOPSIS:

“I know Balor is evil and all, and I know his death would mean that so many other people would get to live, but I hate that I have to be the one to kill him. Taking his life will mean that I’m no better than he is.” 

Ian stopped walking and took one of my hands in his. 

“You want to know the biggest difference between what Balor is doing and what you’re planning to do? You question it. You ask yourself it it’s morally correct. You have a powerful internal struggle that I know keeps you up at night. Balor never asks those questions. Balor doesn’t struggle with what he does.” 

Eighteen-year-old Maggie O’Neill is a high school dropout. If her parents knew, they’d probably kill her, but that’s the least of her worries. Balor—the evil faery from hell—is still stalking her, someone is still betraying her, and the mean girl at school is still mean. The worst part of her life, however, is figuring out how to live it without Simon. Will Maggie discover a way to defeat Balor? Will she ever be able to out-snark the mean girl? Will she find Simon? Tune in next week—uh, read the book—to find out.

MY REVIEW:
Defining Courage is a terrific ending to the trilogy. We get to see Maggie begin to become stronger, not only as a faery, but also as a person. Instead of running from her problems, she faces them head on with courage and maturity. There are plenty of plot twists that keep the story exciting, leaving the reader unable to guess, or assume, what will happen. I really enjoyed the irish folklore and the way it was worked into the modern day world. The Courage series is a great debut series for Daugherty and I encourage everyone to check it out, especially if you enjoy stories about fey.


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