A Slow Start, An Intriguing Finish // REVIEW: The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross

Title: The Queen's Rising
Author: Rebecca Ross
Publication Date: February 19th 2018
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/3 of the Queen's Rising Trilogy
I Got A Copy Through: HarperCollins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Born out of wedlock, Brienna is cast off by her noble family and sent to Magnolia House - a boarding house for those looking to study the passions: art, music, dramatics, wit and knowledge. Brienna must discover her passion and train hard to perfect her skill, in the hope that she will one day graduate and be chosen by a wealthy patron, looking to support one of the `impassioned'. 
As Brienna gets closer to the eve of her graduation, she also grows closer to her smart (and handsome) tutor, Cartier. He can sense that she is hiding a secret, but Brienna chooses not to reveal that she is experiencing memories of her ancestors - memories uncovering the mysteries of the past that may have dangerous consequences in the present. A daring plot is brewing - to overthrow the usurper king and restore the rightful monarchy - and Brienna's memories hold the key to its success. Cartier desperately wants to help Brienna, but she must chose her friends wisely, keep her enemies close and trust no one if she is to save herself and her people.

I expected a LOT going into this book:

-- YA Fantasy is my pretty much my favourite genre and any book that IS YA fantasy makes me hope I’ve found the NEXT GREAT BOOK THAT WILL SHATTER MY SOUL.

-- THE COVER IS GORGEOUS (has nothing to do with the content inside the book, but I LOVE PRETTY BOOK COVERS)

-- MAGIC + QUEENS + WOMEN ON THE THRONE + FORBIDDEN ROMANCE + SPUNKY GIRL WHO SPECIALIZES IN BEING A ‘PASSION OF KNOWLEDGE’ – YES PLEASE

Unfortunately, The Queen’s Rising failed to live up to my expectations. It’s not that I HATED the book, but I simply wasn’t INVESTED in anything. Here’s why:

1)      THE CHARACTERS WERE SO BLAND. They were singular in purpose, fading into the background even as I read about them (which should tell you a LOT) and there wasn’t a single person I cared for

 

2)      THE DIALOGUE WAS SO AWKWARD. LIKE WHAT WAS EVEN HAPPENING? I felt like a bunch of pre-pubescent tweens were running across the page throwing phrases like “Master” and “Passion Daughter” and “Passion Father” around (it’s not incestuous IN ANY WAY, but it was still so AWKWARD to read)

3)      In a book filled with reclaiming thrones and sneaking into countries, WHERE WAS THE SNEAKY POLITICIAL INTRIGUE? The three lord headed rebellion SO EASILY TRUSTED A GIRL WHO CLAIMED SHE HAD VISIONS OF THE PAST SHE COULDN’T PLACE AND WITH NO PROOF, INVITED HER INTO THEIR HOME AND TOLD HER EVERYTHING (it’s really no wonder their rebellion failed, when you think about it) and then, ALLOWED THAT NEW GIRL TO PLAN THEIR ENTIRE STRATERGY WHILE THROWING AROUND THE TERM “Passion Daughter” (Please currently picture me cringing) (This Special Snowflake trope wasn’t even realistically done and just… UGH)

I was essentially on the verge of putting this book down, but since I’m a compulsive reader, I also just… couldn’t. I made a deal with myself – 50 more pages and if it doesn’t get better, I quit.

SURPRISINGLY, IT DID.

The dialogue got better, the characters stopped being awkward ducklings, the political intrigue and twists spring up from nowhere and the book I was expecting from page 1 materialized on page 300.

I really enjoyed the last 100+ pages of the book, I liked Merei, Sean and Cartier. I actually like what the basic plot was with the Queen's Canon and the Stone of Eventide, and I’m excited to see whether the writing, dialogue and characters improve in the sequel to this trilogy. 3 stars.

Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, lively dog and endless piles of books. She received her bachelor's degree in English from UGA. In the past she has worked at a Colorado dude ranch, as a school librarian, and as a live-time captionist for a college. 

Rebecca writes fantasy for young adult readers. Her debut novel, THE QUEEN'S RISING, will be out February 6, 2018 from HarperTeen.

THE QUEEN'S RISING is set to be translated into Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Hebrew and will be available in the UK.

What are some of your favourite YA Fantasy books?
What are some YA Fantasy Books/ Books you wished were better?
Have you read The Queen's Rising? What do you think of it?
I'd absolutely love to hear from you!

 

April 2017 Anticipated Young Adult Releases

Every month there are just SO SO MANY books releasing that I NEED to get my hands on and so, instead of picking just one book to wait on, it's just easier to put them all together!

I have no idea how many of these AMAZING books will even release in India (where I live) but that doesn't make me want to read them less!

My exams start next week, and I'm trying to get some reading in before I'll have too much to cram into my brain and can't read too much.

Who, here are some of my most anticipated April 2017 YA Releases!

1. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Releases Aprill 11th from Balzer + Bray

Description: Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.
Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back. 
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. 
Right? 

2. Literally by Luck Keating
Releases April 11th 2017 from Harper Teen

Description: A girl realizes her life is being written for her in this unique, smart love story that is Stranger Than Fiction for fans of Stephanie Perkins.
Annabelle’s life has always been Perfect with a capital P. Then bestselling young adult author Lucy Keating announces that she’s writing a new novel—and Annabelle is the heroine. 
It turns out, Annabelle is a character that Lucy Keating created. And Lucy has a plan for her. 
But Annabelle doesn’t want to live a life where everything she does is already plotted out. Will she find a way to write her own story—or will Lucy Keating have the last word? 
The real Lucy Keating’s delightful contemporary romance blurs the line between reality and fiction, and is the perfect follow-up for readers who loved her debut Dreamology, which SLJ called, “a sweet, quirky romance with appealing characters.” 

3. Fireworks by Katie Cotungo 
Releases April 11th 2017 from Balzer + Bray

Description: From Katie Cotugno, bestselling author of 99 Days, comes Fireworks—about a girl who is competing with her best friend to become the new pop star of the moment—and all the drama and romance that comes with it—set in Orlando during the late-'90s boy-and-girl-band craze.
It was always meant to be Olivia. She was the talented one, the one who had been training to be a star her whole life. Her best friend, Dana, was the level-headed one, always on the sidelines, cheering her best friend along. 
But everything changes when Dana tags along with Olivia to Orlando for the weekend, where superproducer Guy Monroe is holding auditions for a new singing group, and Dana is discovered too. Dana, who’s never sung more than Olivia’s backup. Dana, who wasn’t even looking for fame. Next thing she knows, she and Olivia are training to be pop stars, and Dana is falling for Alex, the earnest, endlessly talented boy who’s destined to be the next big thing. 
It should be a dream come true, but as the days of grueling practice and constant competition take their toll, things between Olivia and Dana start to shift . . . and there’s only room at the top for one girl. For Olivia, it’s her chance at her dream. For Dana, it’s a chance to escape a future that seems to be closing in on her. And for these lifelong best friends, it’s the adventure of a lifetime—if they can make it through. 
Set in evocative 1990s Orlando, New York Times bestselling author Katie Cotugno’s Fireworks brings to life the complexity of friendship, the excitement of first love, and the feeling of being on the verge of greatness. 

4. Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman
Releases April 11th 2017 from Simon Pulse

Description: Nicole Castroman brings the dangerous pirate ports of the Caribbean to life in this vibrant sequel to Blackhearts—the reimagined origin story of history’s most infamous pirate, Blackbeard.
Edward “Teach” Drummond is setting sail to the Caribbean as first mate on the most celebrated merchant ship in the British fleet—until he rebels against his captain. Mutiny is a capital offense and Teach knows it could cost him his life, but he believes it worth the risk in order to save his crew from the attacking Spanish ships.
Sailing on the same blue waters, Anne barely avoids the Spanish attack, making it safely to Nassau. But lawless criminals, corrupt politics, and dangerous intentions fill the crowded streets of this Caribbean port. Soon, Anne discovers that the man entrusted to keep the peace is quite possibly the most treacherous of them all—and he just happens to hold Teach’s fate in his terrifying hands.
Life and death hang in the balance when Teach and Anne are given a dangerous mission. It’s a mission that will test their love, loyalty and devotion, forcing them down a path neither one could have ever imagined.

5. Letters To The Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
Releases April 4th 2017 from Bloomsbury

Description: Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart. 

What books are you DYING to read this April? 

Have you already read some of the books on my list? 

Let me know in the comments below! 

BLOG TOUR: The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry - Review + Favourite Quotes + Giveaway

Title: The Girl I Used to Be 
Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Release Date: May 3rd 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary, Suspense
Part Of A Series?: Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: The publisher via NetGalley

Synopsis: When Olivia's mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there's a killer still at large. It's up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

I love murders that keep me on the edge of my seat, like REALLY REALLY love them. I mean, what's the point of writing a book about a murder that isn't even convincing?

Olivia Reinhart used to be someone else. Now, she's an emancipated minor living by herself, working a minimum wag job. She used to be Ariel Benson, the girl who's father killed her mother, then abandoned her and ran away. She was the sad little girl that nobody wanted, that nobody bothered with. 

Until now.

The book starts off with a bang, with the cops knocking on Olivia Reinhart's door, telling her that her father has also been dead all along, and not the person to blame like everyone thought. It pulls you right in to the story, and Henry's writing keeps you gripped. Olivia/ Ariel was a great narrator, each world filled with pain and strength and the ability to love and be loved that was taken from her. Henry really makes you feel for her. 

I loved all of the secondary characters, all of the people from her parent's past. Actually, I loved the idea of them, but none of them were fully explored. As she found out a little more about each one of them, and each chapter ended with a version of "Did they murder my parents?" I felt like I knew more about them, and their possible motivations, but the ending was so abrupt, it ruined the whole everyone-could-have-murdered-my-parents thing the book had going. 

A book with a brilliant 90%, and a ending that let me down, but one that I would still recommend! 

QUOTES: 

"It's crazy to think someone you once loved, who once loved you, could stab you and keep stabbing you. Even after you were dead.

I'm not going to forgive. Someone murdered my parents and left them underneath the cold sky and thought they got away with it. They were wrong."

Follow the The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

I write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.

If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.

When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.

My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 13 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into six languages, been named to state reading lists, and short-listed for the Oregon Book Award. 

I also review YA literature and mysteries and thrillers for the Oregonian, and have written articles for both The Writer and Writers Digest.

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BLOG TOUR: Shallow Graves by Kalli Wallace - Review, Favourite Quotes and GIVEAWAY

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: January 26th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror, Zombies, Fantasy, Thriller, Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural
Rate: 3.75 Stars

Synopsis: For fans of Holly Black and Nova Ren Suma, a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric novel about murder, revenge, and a world where monsters—human and otherwise—lurk at the fringes.

When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Tense, complex, and wholly engaging, Shallow Graves is a stunning first novel from Kali Wallace.

"I don't know," he said. "You live, I guess. Same as everybody else."

"I can't live. I'm dead."

"You're only kind of dead."

I think I can only accurately describe what I feel about Shallow Graves when I say my thoughts are torn in half. Split right down the middle, fifty percent of this book was extremely vague - not bad, per se -  but just out there, off the mark and not at all what I was expecting. The other fifty percent was basically the chemistry filled, family filled, or space related stuff that I did love about the book.

In all honesty, this book kept pushing itself down, and then redeeming itself and repeating the same cycle over and over, and it made for a pleasant, not so pleasant reading experience - one that I'm not sure I want to embark on again.

Let me explain in further detail: 

THE GOOD:

Zeke and Jake - The brothers, 'monsters', inappropriately funny monster humor such as "The first rule of mermaid cannibal club is don't talk about mermaid cannibal club,'' family moments in the past, Breezy's INABILITY TO DIE, that super strong beginning, the actual killing process (yes, I'm that morbid.) and just Breezy's over the top curiosity and need for answers.

THE BAD:

The monsters, the final fight with the Mother, the creep factor, Violet, Mr. Willow, Lyle, the entire congregation of anti monster people and Ingrid.

Sigh. If you were to ask me to sum this up though, I'd say that though this book had an AMAZING storyline, and this amazing set of characters, it sort of missed the mark on what I expected it to be.

QUOTES:

''The first time I killed a man, it was an accident."

"They didn't know what I was. They didn't know I didn't need to breathe."

"Dragons?" Rain repeater. "This might all be worth it if dragons were real."

"There was a little voice in the back of my head whispering, an angry stage whisper that said: I am human. I know how we are. But I knew the difference between a truth and a lie, even inside my own head."

Follow the Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Kali Wallace studied geology and geophysics before she decided she enjoyed inventing imaginary worlds as much as she liked researching the real one. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, F&SF, Asimov's, Lightspeed Magazine, and Tor.com. Her first novel will be published by Katherine Tegen Books in 2016. She lives in southern California.

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