Book Review: THE MAGICIANS #1, Lev Grossman.

I rise from the ashes of eucalyptus leaves! It’s been quite an end of year for me, scoring a full-time job contract for the next 12 months, working hard, sleeping less, trying to overall catch up on my trashy reality TV, and most importantly: the book reviews I owe. But enough about me! It’s time to play catch up.

The Magicians #1, Lev Grossman.
Series: The Magicians.
Pages: 402 pages.
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult.
Publisher: Viking.
ETC: Amazon, Goodreads.
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Summary:

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn’t real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn’t bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin’s yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they’d imagined.

Thanks to Goodreads for the summary.

Please be aware this review contains spoilers.

Book Review: THE MAZE RUNNER #1, James Dashner.

Long time no see! In the interim of my last post, I’ve been busy live-tweeting Australia’s Bachelor and working very hard, and also, most importantly, reading! I’m a little behind on my reviews, so I’m going to do my best to catch up.

The Maze Runner #1, James Dashner.
Series: The Maze Runner.
Pages: 375 pages.
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult.
Publisher: Delacorte Press.
ETC: Amazon, Goodreads.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Summary:

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

Thanks to Goodreads for the summary.

Please be aware there will be spoilers in this review.

Book Review: POISON STUDY, Maria V. Snyder

Boy, has it been a busy month for me. This is a belated review for the book I spent all of February trying to read. Unfortunately, it’s not a good one.

Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder
Series: Study.
Pages: 361.
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult.
Publisher: Griffin Press, 2009.
ETC: Amazon, Goodreads.
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Summary:

Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison…

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear…

Thanks to Goodreads for the summary.

Please be aware there are references to sexual assault/abuse in this review.

Book Review: INK AND BONE, Rachel Caine

My second book for the Goodreads Challenge. An amazing journey in an alternate world where books are valued more than a human life.

Ink and Bone, Rachel Caine.
Series: The Great Library.
Pages: 410.
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult.
Publisher: Allison and Busby, 2015.
ETC: Amazon, Goodreads.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary:

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…

Thanks to Goodreads for the summary.

Book Review: GRACELING, Kristin Cashore

So, last year, I read a total of five books. Granted, my Goodreads challenge was five books, so I shouldn’t really be so hard on myself. This year, however, my Goodreads challenge is 25 books. And for 2016, I thought I’d start off on a literal bang when it came to my reading.

Graceling, Kristin Cashore.
Series: Graceling Realm.
Pages: 480.
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult.
Publisher: Harcourt, 2008.
ETC: Amazon, Goodreads.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight – she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po’s friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace – or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away…

Thanks to Goodreads for the summary.