Month: November 2018

Sky in the Deep – Adrienne Young

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield―her brother, fighting with the enemy―the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

Review:

I received Sky in the Deep in the OwlCrate “Fight Like a Girl” May 2018 box. I absolutely loved the premise . . . female vikings!! The world was stunning. The imagery and scenery were absolutely beautiful. I loved the setting. This was the saving grace for me in Sky in the Deep. The story itself was disappointing. 

I was expecting a thrilling adventure led by a badass viking girl! Eelyn was fierce and definitely badass, but I felt the story lost the thrilling adventure. The book opens with an awesome chapter. It begins with a bloody battle that ends with an epic cliffhanger . . . Eelyn sees her dead brother on the battlefield fighting with the enemy (the Riki). After a series of events, Eelyn is kidnapped by the Riki and brought to their village. This is where the story lost me. I was so bored! Nothing really happened until the end. 

I had several issues with Sky in the Deep:

  • The world and imagery was beautiful, but the actual world building was lacking. I felt like the author just threw random words and phrases and I was supposed to know what she meant. For example, Eeyln freaks out at the possibility of being a dyr. I had no idea what this was and it took a couple of more chapters for me to realize it meant slave. 
  • The pacing. . . or lack thereof. The start, until Eeyln becomes a dyr and the end are the only exciting parts. Literally nothing happened in the middle. There was a lot of talking. The author tried to put something extra in with the bear and the Tala’s premonition/prophecy, but it fell flat. It could have been really interesting, but unfortunately the author did not delve in enough. 
  • The insta-love between Eelyn and Fiske. When I read the synopsis I knew that there would likely be insta-love, but this was just too much. Eeyln and Fiske go from barely speaking and literally trying to kill one another to being in love and “belonging” to each other. Even though I was expecting it, their relationship came out of left field. Nothing happens between them to lead to this undying love. They see a bear together and I guess that brings them closer, but that’s still pretty weak. I will accept insta-love if there’s moments and reasons for why the two characters fall in love, but I didn’t see that in Sky in the Deep. 
  • The Herja aka the shared enemy. I wish that the author would have included more history and/or explored the Herja more. They sounded absolutely terrifying in her descriptions, but they just felt like a prop. I think the story would have been a lot more exciting and interesting if the Herja were included more. 
  • The ending. The last ~75-100 pages finally pick up again and it’s building up to what should be an epic battle and conclusion. It was supposed to be this huge battle with drama galore, but it was the opposite. The ending was so damn fast and neat. I blinked and it was over.  I love happy endings (especially in a stand alone book), but this was just ridiculous. It was so easy and everything worked out perfectly. It was boring and uneventful. 

As you can see I was not a big fan of Sky in the Deep. I hate being so hard on books and authors, but I have to share my honest opinions. Sky in the Deep was ok . . . I don’t feel super strongly about it. It’s a stand alone book, but the author announced that there will be a companion novel published. 

Let me know what you thought of Sky in the Deep!!

My Thoughts on “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”

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This will obviously contain lots of spoilers for both Fantastic Beasts movies. 

I saw Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald on Thursday night with one of my best friends, Emma. We are HUGE Harry Potter/Wizarding World fangirls. I met Emma in college in 2011 and therefore we never got to see a Harry Potter movie in theaters together. We were thrilled that we could finally go together (we couldn’t go to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them because we live in different states). We both have A LOT of thoughts about Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. We spent about 2 hours discussing after the movie. 

My overall opinion on Beasts 2 is a mixed bag. There were parts I loved, parts I liked, and parts I couldn’t stand. 

I’ll start with what I loved. . . 

Jude Law aka Albus Dumbledore aka Hot Dumbledore. Jude Law was perfection. He was so Dumbledore. He embodied everything that Dumbledore is and was . . . he even had the sparkle in his eye!

  • Fun fact: My friend and I have been referring to Beasts 2 as “Hot Dumbledore” and November as “Hot Dumbledore Month”. We now even use “Hot Dumbledore” as an expression like “Hot Damn.” For example . . . “Hot Dumbledore, Jude Law is attractive!”
  • Random point – When Dumbledore looks into the Mirror of Erised he sees himself and Grindelwald with the Elder Wand. Since the Mirror of Erised shows your strongest desire, I think that Dumbledore wishes that he and Grindelwald could have remained together and found the Elder Wand together. I think Dumbledore wishes he could have kept Grindelwald from becoming evil and abusing power.  
  • I cannot wait for more Dumbledore! 

Newt Scamander and his fantastic beasts, especially the Nifflers. Eddie Redmayne was great in his reprisal of Newt. He’s just so adorable and awkward. 

  • Huge props to the casting department for the actor who played the younger Newt! I actually thought it was just Eddie Redmayne at first. 

Being back at Hogwarts!!! I starting tearing up at the first image of the castle. 

  • Side note about Hogwarts: Yes, Minerva McGonagall should not have been there per previous canon dates. However, I am not as pissed about this as a lot of others are. Was is necessary? Absolutely not! Did it add anything to the movie? Nope! But, did it really make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of the Wizarding World? Not at all. 

Grindelwald’s manipulation and rise to power. Now, I was very upset with the decision to keep Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. I don’t think it was handled well at all. He totally could have been recast considering Grindelwald was literally only in 2.5 seconds of Beasts 1. I decided just to look at Grindelwald as a character and separate Johnny Depp from it.

  • People like to compare Voldemort and Grindelwald, but we have to remember that Grindelwald was first. Voldemort drew inspiration from Grindelwald. Grindelwald is terrifying because he is a master manipulator. A woman willingly and excitedly killed a child because Grindelwald told her to! 
  • I thought the film did an excellent job of showing how manipulative and persuasive Grindelwald is. My first thought was that he is a perfect representation of a cult leader. He is able to identify vulnerable people and manipulate them into joining his side. A great example of this is Queenie. Now, I know people have been debating whether Queenie is acting with free will or if something in the tea cursed her. I 100% believe that she is acting with her own free will. Grindelwald was able to target her and use her greatest desire (ability to marry Jacob legally) to persuade her to join his forces. She has become brainwashed, but not from any magic. She was the perfect victim. I thought this was a great and totally unexpected arc for Queenie. I can’t wait to see what happens next to her. 

Nicolas Flamel. His run through the house. The Sorcerer’s Stone. Everything about him. I loved it. 

Now for what I did not like. . .

The overall plot.

  • I totally get the purpose of this movie. It was all a set up for the next three movies. It was a filler. I just wasn’t invested in the whole “Who is Credence!?” plot. It was ok, but not what I expected. More on Credence later. 

The ridiculous amount of unnecessary characters and subplots. 

  • There was just too much going on in this movie. It was hard to keep up. I was confused as someone who is extremely well versed in the Wizarding World and its canon.
  • Was the whole Leta Lestrange’s half-brother subplot necessary? It did not add anything. I was just confused by the extra character. Actually the whole Leta Lestrange arc was weird. I was expecting something different after her mention of in the first movie. That being said, Zoe Kravitz was spectacular in the role. 

Nagini’s lack of a role. I was so excited when JKR revealed that Nagini was a Maledictus. I couldn’t wait to find how she became Voldemort’s right hand. Unfortunately, Nagini was just a prop in Beasts 2. She basically stood next to Credence and looked scared. I know she will play a bigger role in the next movies, but I’m disappointed that we have to keep waiting to learn about her. One thing that I did really like about Nagini was that she ended the movie with the good guys at Hogwarts. Nagini was a good guy! What happens between now and Voldemort that makes her change?! I can’t wait to find out! 

  • The transformation scene from human to snake was so creepy! Very well done! 

The big reveal about Credence’s identity. There are three options for the meaning of Grindelwald’s big reveal. . .

  1. It’s all a lie. I think that it’s a possibility that Grindelwald is messing with Credence. His proof is that the Phoenix bonds to Credence. The phoenix was with Credence throughout the entire movie, but did not reveal itself until Grindelwald said Credence was a Dumbledore. Seems mighty convenient to me. Also, at the beginning of the movie, Grindelwald says that Credence is the one that needs to kill Dumbledore (I know that Grindelwald can’t kill Dumbledore because of the blood pact). It seems unlikely, but maybe Credence was the perfect victim to use. Grindelwald can manipulate him into hating the Dumbledores and eventually use his Obscurus to kill Albus. I think this theory is a possibility, but it’s not my top choice for what I believe is true. 
  2. It’s the truth. If this is the case I will be FURIOUS. My love and admiration for J.K. Rowling will be over (I’ll still love all that she’s created). If this is the truth it will not only change canon, but fundamentally change who Dumbledore was. There is no way our Dumbledore wouldn’t have told Harry about another brother. There. Is. No. Way. And if Dumbledore knew he had another sibling he would NEVER neglect them. And wouldn’t Aberforth have mentioned another brother?! It’s just not possible. I just. I can’t. Also the dates don’t match up at all. Dumbledore’s mother was dead and his father was in Azkaban by the time Credence was born. It’s just not possible. And for all those who say well what if Percival Dumbledore escaped Azkaban! It is possible! Yes. But, that would be overly complicated and far-fetched. Anyway, if it is true I will be devastated. I don’t think that it will be this option though. I don’t think (and am hoping and praying) that JKR would do this.
  3. The most likely option . . . Credence is the host for the same Obscurus that was Arianna Dumbledore’s. After Beasts 1, we all realized that Arianna Dumbledore likely became an Obscurus after the muggle attack. I believe that her Obscurus survived and somehow traveled to find another host. Credence is that host. This would make it possible for him to be part Dumbledore . . . the Obscurus was part of Arianna and is now part of Credence. Dumbledore mentions early in the movie that the Obscurus is like an evil twin. I think this supports the host theory. The Obscurus is only one part of Credence. And Arianna is part of that Obscurus. I wish I could articulate this better, but this is the theory I believe to be true. 

If it is anything besides my first or third theories I will be so damn mad and disappointed. 

Young Grindelwald’s eye.

  • I absolutely LOVED that Jamie Campbell Bower and Toby Regbo were back to play the young versions of Grindelwald and Dumbledore. HOWEVER, why did they give young Grindelwald the super creepy right eye when he didn’t have it in Deathly Hallows. It was totally unnecessary . . . they could have just come up with a reason why Grindelwald’s eye became all weird. 

Overall, I’m disappointed and confused . . . which is a really hard feeling to grasp for a Harry Potter world movie. I’ve never felt this way after a Harry Potter movie. I so wanted to love it. I’m reminding myself that this movie’s purpose was to set up the rest of the series. Fingers crossed that the next three movies will be amazing! 

Archenemies (Renegades, #2) – Marissa Meyer

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35425827Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Synopsis:

The Renegades Trilogy continues, in this fiercely awaited second installment after the New York Times-bestselling Renegades by Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles.

Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they each other’s worst nightmare.

Nova’s double life is about to get a lot more complicated:

As Insomnia, she is a full-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes. She works with Adrian’s patrol unit to protect the weak and maintain order in Gatlon City.

As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist – a group of of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed them most.

But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is the son of her sworn enemies and, unbeknownst to Nova, he has some dangerous secrets of his own.

In this second installment of the Renegades trilogy, Nova, Adrian, and the rest of their crew – Ruby, Oscar, and Danna — are faced with escalating crime in Gatlon City, while covert weapons and conflicting missions have Nova and Adrian questioning not only their beliefs about justice, but also the feelings they have for each other.

The line between good and evil has been blurred, but what’s clear to them both is that too much power could mean the end of their city – and the world – as they know it.

Review: 

This review will contain spoilers for Renegades. 

I loved being back in this world of prodigies, heroes, and villains! I have been anxiously awaiting Archenemies since finishing Renegades last year. I have been dying to know what’s next for Nova and Adrian . . . and of course Ace Anarchy! Marissa Meyer ended Renegades with a huge reveal and cliffhanger so I jumped right into Archenemies to find out what happens next.

The vast majority of this book focuses on Nova and Adrian dealing with their respective secret identities. Adrian’s role as the Sentinel has not gone to plan at all. He isn’t seen as the hero he was hoping for. It’s a constant debate within him to keep going or let the Sentinel die. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Adrian and I love the concept of the Sentinel’s tattoos, but the whole Sentinel conundrum got a little bit annoying. I just wanted him to tell his friends and family that it was him! As for Nova, she is struggling with her feelings throughout the entire book. She is an Anarchist and believes in revenge against the Renegades, but she starts to see that not all Renegades are bad. She is so conflicted by her feelings for Adrian and her developing friendships with Oscar, Ruby, and Max. I honestly went back and forth with my feelings for Nova. Part of me is like – Nova you have a good thing going here! You have friends and a boy that cares about you. The Renegade organization is corrupt, but there is some good. You can work to change it with Adrian’s help! But, the other part of me is – the Renegades are so horribly corrupt! How come they get to decide everything without input from the public! Bring them down, Nova! Nova makes a lot of good points regarding what’s wrong with the Renegade organization. . .

  • The Renegades made themselves judge, jury, lawmakers, and executioners.
  • None of the Council’s laws or code was ever voted on or officially accepted by the public.
  • The Renegades force their code and rules onto everyone. If you don’t follow everything = you’re a villain.

I definitely agree with her about how screwed up the Renegade organization is, BUT Nova’s solution (aka what Ace has told her) needs work. She wants to bring down the organization, but doesn’t have a real plan for what to do after. It seems like Ace just wants to create chaos. There needs to be a middle ground between the Renegades and the Anarchists.

Minor spoiler . . . . . . .

One of the biggest conflicts in Archenemies is the introduction of Agent N. The Renegade scientists have created an antidote to permanently neutralize a prodigy’s power. The Council plans to equip all Renegade patrol units with Agent N to use in the field. “Anyone with extraordinary abilities who chooses to conduct themselves in an unlawful manner will no longer be tolerated. They will forfeit the privilege of being a prodigy.” It’s all kinds of messed up. Nova is rightfully furious. Agent N is a violation of prodigy rights (which Ace fought for during the Age of Anarchy). The Renegades are deciding who is allowed to be a prodigy. There is no fair trial or due process. To show how Agent N works, the council demonstrates it on Winston (aka the Puppeteer). Obviously, I find Winston horrible and absolutely terrifying, but this scene was brutal to read! It was devastating to watch him realize that his power was gone. His entire being had been changed.

I totally agree with Nova about Agent N. “This is a clear corruption of power. They can’t just send patrol units out on the streets with this stuff and expect that mistakes won’t be made. That people won’t let their emotions get away from them. What about a fair trial? Evidence? What if someone makes a living using their ability, and then it gets taken away, without a second thought? Or what if someone were to turn their life around and start using their power to help people? Agent N would take that choice away from them. You know, the Renegades talk an awful lot about human rights, but this is a violation of prodigy rights.” Now, I don’t know what Marissa Meyer’s beliefs are, but this part can easily be applied to gun violence in our society. I don’t know if that’s what she intended, but I totally got that.

I was all on board with Nova at this part, but then she takes the Agent N to Ace who wants to weaponize it against the Renegades. Nova thinks that doing so would make them no different than the Renegades, but she still agrees. I hope that her blind allegiance to Ace is dealt with in the next book.

A couple of quick points before I wrap this up. . .

  • I said this in my review for Renegades (which is on GoodReads), but I’ll say it again. I love all the different prodigy abilities. Everything is so unique and interesting. There are standard superhero powers like flying and invincibility, but then there are super unique ones like Sketch’s drawing or Ruby’s blood crystals. I would definitely want Sketch’s power. How cool would it be to be able to draw anything into existence!?
  • Hawthorn was so creepy! The tentacles and the way she spider crawls! It was straight out of a horror movie! I was a little disappointed that she didn’t have a huge role in Archenemies. 
  • I thought the Artifacts Department was a super (pun intended) cool detail. I would totally be fascinated like Callum. And speaking of Callum, I loved him! He was such a nerd and I loved it. And his power!? It was beautiful!
  • Adrian creating the mural of Nova’s dream . . . absolutely stunning.
  • Adrian is so adorably awkward around Nova. I love it!
  • For some reason I just noticed Phobia on the cover and holy shit! He is terrifying!!

My one complaint for Archenemies is that it was very slow going. The majority of the book is devoted to Nova and Adrian’s inner conflict and their romance. I liked the book, but I wasn’t head over heels for it. BUT THEN. THAT ENDING. Marissa Meyer did it again. The entire book was building and leading up to the absolutely explosive ending. I was going to rate this book 3.5 stars, but the ending bumped it up to 4!! It was so good. I can’t believe I have to wait another year to find out what happens next!!!

Tarot – Marissa Kennerson (Advanced Reader Copy)

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40490866Rating: ⭐️💫

Synopsis:

Her fate is so much more than the cards she was dealt.

Born of a forbidden union between the Queen and the tyrannical King’s archnemesis, Anna is forced to live out her days isolated in the Tower, with only her mentors and friends the Hermit, the Fool, and the Magician to keep her company. To pass the time, Anna imagines unique worlds populated by creatives and dreamers–the exact opposite of the King’s land of fixed fates and rigid rules–and weaves them into four glorious tapestries.

But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday and her promised release from the Tower, Anna discovers her true lineage: She’s the daughter of Marco, a powerful magician, and the King is worried that his magical gifts are starting to surface in Anna. Fearing for her life, Anna flees the Tower and finds herself in Cups, a lush, tropical land full of all the adventure, free-spiritedness, and creativity she imagined while weaving.

Anna thinks she’s found paradise in this world of beachside parties, endless food and drink, and exhilarating romance. But when the fabric of Cups begins to unravel, Anna discovers that her tapestries are more than just forbidden expression. They’re the foundation for a new world that she is destined to create–as long as the terrors from the old world don’t catch up with her first.

Review (Spoiler Free):

I received this ARC of Tarot by Marissa Kennerson from Penguin Teen in exchange for my review. This ARC was a giveaway in exchange for reviewing the Four Dead Queens ARC I had received at Book Con 2018. I had not heard of Tarot so I was excited about discovering a new author.

  • My first pre-reading impressions. . .
    • I do not like the cover. The colors are vibrant and super pretty, but I despise when book covers feature real people. I feel like they can do so much better!
    • The premise sounds super interesting and unique! I’m looking forward to discovering a new world!

 I started reading Tarot and I was initially very intrigued. Anna has been imprisoned in a tower for her whole life. She was raised by three advisers. I wanted to know more about Anna, the King, and why he imprisoned her. Anna is an incredibly talented weaver. She creates beautiful tapestries of different worlds. . . Pentacles, Wands, Swords, and an unnamed Tropical land. The King is a tyrant. He believes that “People are born into their positions for a reason. Fates are a fixed thing, destiny preordained.” When a subject is born the King decides their craft and who they will marry. He dictates every aspect of his subjects lives. The King also outlawed magic. He seems to be terrified of Anna’s potential. After a series of events, the King decides that Anna needs to be executed. Anna’s three advisers (the Magician, the Fool, and the Hermit – it really bugs me that they don’t have actual names) help her escape. I really liked the Fool’s quote during this part . . . “Think of this as an adventure. Have faith in your abilities. You are moving forward, and that is never a bad thing.” It’s a good quote to live by. Anna takes scraps of her tapestries with her. While Anna is on the run she is about to be caught, but she takes out her tapestry fragments and wishes she could dive in. The next thing she knows a bridge appears and she crosses it into a new tropical jungle and beach land.

Now this is where the book lost me. The land that Anna discovers is known as “Cups” which is the dumbest name. Like why is it named that?! They literally never say!! However, I will say that the imagery in Cups is beautiful. It’s this gorgeous white villa with turquoise shutters on a stunning beach. Anna meets all these gorgeous people that she hardcore insta-loves. It’s actually ridiculous. And it’s not just romantic insta-love. It’s everything insta-love. James is Anna’s love interest. They know each other for like one week and are already in love and obsessed with each other. They literally never talk about anything . . . they just meet and are in love. At one point James says to Anna, “I don’t know how much time you need, but not talking to you is killing me.” I actually laughed out loud at this. YOU HAVE LITERALLY KNOWN THIS GIRL FOR A WEEK. Oh and Topper loves Anna after knowing her for five minutes and she feels connected to him even though she’s in love with James. Give me a break. This felt like a token love triangle. And don’t even get me started on the “villain” Ivy.  Ridiculous. She’s supposed to be the villain at the villa, but they barely interact. And then they make up and are instant besties! It was just unreal.

Back in the Anna’s home world, the King is searching for her. He eventually finds out where she is and goes after her. I am keeping this review spoiler free so I won’t go any further into what happens. I’ll just say that the big reveal about Anna and her powers was not at all shocking.

I know I was pretty tough on Tarot in this review. I do feel bad about that, but I am so bummed with how Tarot turned out. It sounded super intriguing, but unfortunately fell flat. I only gave it an extra 1/2 star because the imagery was beautiful and the idea was good.