ARC Book Review: Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

Queen of Someday

Sherry D. Ficklin

ARC Disclaimer: I was not paid in any way by the publishers to review this book favourably. The review is my own honest opinion (Whether or not it is agreed with).

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Published Date: October 7th 2014

Pages: 262

Genre:  Historical, Political, Young Adult

ONE GIRL WILL BRING AN EMPIRE TO ITS KNEES...

Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.

Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.

Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.

In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

Queen of Someday starts out introducing us to Sophie, a girl who although Princess in name, has grown up living a rather non-Princess-y life out in the sticks. So not surprisingly, when given the indirect invitation to be the wife of the the Russian Empress's heir, her mother jumps at the chance to regain lost wealth and prestige. Sophie, however, is just glad to be given the opportunity to marry someone her own age rather then being shipped off to the highest bidder.

Of course, despite having the Empress fully behind her, things are not as easy as Sophie hoped they would be. The prince likes playing game and she soon realizes that their personalities are far from compatible. On top of that she meets another who stirs her into feelings and someone is trying to kill her

It’s a lot for an innocent sixteen year old girl to handle.

In the author notes of this book, Ficklin mentions that she conceived the series wondering how Catherine the Great went from innocent German girl to cold-hearted Empress, and I think that’s one of the shining parts of this book. I loved watching Sophie grow and change thanks to the people she met and the situations she faced.

I loved learning about the people around her as she learned about them and the way they were more than they seemed.

And in general I have become very attached to her as a character, which is important as she will carry the series and I want to continue reading so that I can know how she evolve next. How does she become this person from history? How will Ficklin interpret her feelings as she goes through things

My favourite character from the very beginning was Sergei. His quiet but strong support was vital for Sophie and so much more of what she needed than the dramatic affair with Alexander. She always read as 100% herself with Sergei, while Alexander made her act more like how she was before she came to the palace.

I have so much respect for the way Sophie acts in general. Especially at the end. She will make sure that Peter doesn’t win and that is the most important thing, really. I know I should worry more about the heart of the people or other things, but if she beats him at his own game, I will be immensely satisfied. Peter is too spoiled for his own good.

This is historical fiction, so if you love stories exploring how famous figures came to be, you will adore this book. It has easily become one of my favourites, bringing me back to my childhood when I read the Royal Diary books and Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer. So if you enjoyed those books as well, I urge you to pick this up

4 Bookmarks

Book Review: The Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2)

Robin LaFevers

Review of Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)

Publication Date: April 2nd 2013

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Pages: 385

Genre:  Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Romance, Young Adult

When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge - but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.

But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for...

Sybella's journey in Dark Triumph is a much different one than Ismae's in many ways, yet similar in the way that she also comes to terms for what it means for her to be Death's Handmaiden.

Dark Triumph picks up the story before Grave Mercy ends with the moment of Sybella's warning. We are then pulled into the dark twisted world that is her family, and it becomes very obvious why she was so crazed when she had appeared at the abbey. Sybella's story is much, much darker than Ismae's.

Once again LaFevers storytelling and characters are compelling. We deal less with intrigue and more with family politics this time around. We explore a household held hostage by fear of the patriarch. We see how abuse is internalized and how even good things can become twisted.

The romance does not disappoint as well. I found our two hero enjoyable with how compatible they are. Beast's need to save people is important to impart Sybella with belief in humanity again.

I am more than ready to devour the final book in the trilogy, our final Handmaiden's tale.

The story of her baby killed me. This entire book is a spiral into hell as we uncover more and more of Sybella's secrets. I felt for her as a character. After finishing her story, Ismae's tale felt so fluffy and happy just because Sybella's is so twisted and dark.

I am also quite fond of the character Tephanie, who showed a great amount of courage in her budding need to help keep Sybella safe. I hope that she will continue to follow Sybella around and be another friend to her.

If you enjoyed Grave Mercy, don't hesistate to pick up this next book. It is a slightly different sort of book from the first one, but it is written just as well.

5 Bookmarks

Book Review: Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Strands of Bronze and Gold

Jane Nickerson

Publication Date: March 12th 2013

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Pages: 352

Genre:  Historical, Fairytale, Young Adult

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

Here we have an adaptation of one of the more terrifying fairytales one can read, that of Bluebeard. Before I started this book, I wasn't quite sure how it would end up being. We have a gruesome fairytale (that you can't take the gruesome out, unlike many others) and a historical setting. How would these characters be? How could such a tale be pulled off succesfully with layers?

The book ended up not being what I suspected. The prose was fanciful and light. Our main character is a young girl from Boston transported to a gigantic castle of a place in the south and doted on by an opulent caretaker. She is naive, she is whimsical and it was a joy to read her growth, because she surely did not start the way she ended as a character.

Bernard, our Bluebeard, is terrifying in an anticipation kind of way. The author makes no move to hide from us as the readers who this man is based off of, so when we see the hints of his moods, we hold our breaths. We notice things a little earlier than Sophie, just enough to keep us wary, but not too much that it makes you want to yell at her for being so dumb.

The setting ended up fitting the characters and the tale so well as well. Slavery is alive and well and the way Bernard views it and his slaves is a way to echo how he views Sophie and how he is as a person. The feeling of being trapped in a situation you have no real control over is definitely a theme of the book. I also feel as though a lot of Sophie's growth comes from her disagreement of slavery and her need to distract Bernard to protect those who mean nothing to him.

I personally, found very little in this book that I didn't enjoy.

The reveal of Bernard having killed his wives was a bit quick and anticlimatic, though I'm guessing that Nickerson was trying hard to balance what the readers know and what Sophie knows. I think if the reveal happened by her curiosity dragging her to go the the chapel before she leaves instead it would have had more impact, but on the other hand all the readers would have yelled at her to stop being an idiot and just leave the chapel be.

I found Bernard to be terrifying in well... a terrifying way. The way he pushed his control on everything, it was like reading about an active volcano that would blow up any day. To add on to that, his lack of propriety and wanton-ness was a completely different layer. I was afraid of him doing what he almost succeeded doing in his "folly" from the first time he stared at her chest.

It's just so revolting the way he pretty much raised Sophie to be his future wife despite not knowing he'd would have killed not just his wife at the time, but three others afterwards and thus be single. He didn't wait a moment to begin his charming seduction (that even carried Sophie away for a short time before her senses kicked in about it all).

I recommend this book to those who like a good gothic novel with a villain and a heroine. This is a good book if you enjoy having that dreading anticipation over when something is going to happen. Strands of Bronze and Gold has characters you really become attached to and a charming villain that can terrify you with his charmingness.

4.5 Bookmarks

Book Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)

Robin LaFevers

Publication Date: April 3rd 2012

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Pages: 549

Genre:  Historical, Fantasy, Young Adult

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

This was not the first book I had read by LaFevers. She has also written the Middle-Grade level Theodesia books which I adore for their fantastic characters and well written plots (You can find reviews of the first two books of that series here and here). Unlike those books Grave Mercy is much more serious, not being a quirky middle grade novel, but instead a historical fantasy young adult novel. It was however just as brilliant.

This book has entered the same place in my heart that I keep Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. The writing style is similar with a nice balance of intrigue, believable characters, fantastic world building and political seriousness. Unlike the other two books, however, Grave Mercy throws in elements of history, taking place in a Brittany trying to avoid being swallowed by France.

The beginning was a bit slow. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the book any more than normal during that point, I was afraid I'd want to put it down, but as soon as Duval was officially introduced things took off. We are introduced to characters, plots, intrigue and of course, romance.

Of all the things I enjoyed in this book, the romance is hands down what I enjoyed the most. Our two main characters were bursting with chemistry, chemistry they both tried to pretend they didn't have. What's most impressive is the amount of show, instead of tell, LaFevers used to put across Ismae's attraction to him. There wasn't sentences going on about how amazing he was, instead Ismae's body language and way she reacted spoke for her in the beginning. It reminded me of how I myself develop crushes on people.

Then the romance is pretty much drama free, and I do love drama-free romances. They trust each other and there are bigger things to deal with in the novel, they wouldn't have been able to afford romantic bickering, things are just way too dire.

The world of Death's Handmaidens is also a very interesting idea, I love the thought of it.

The plotting of the Chancellor had me at the edge of my figurative seat. Every time he wrote to the Abbess about Duval and we know Duval is pretty much the only trustworthy person in the entire book (I doubt that man truly could even lie to people, honestly, other than by omission). All I can think is 'What is Ismae going to be able to do?'. LaFevers is quite good at intrigue (the Theodosia books also are filled with it with all those secret societies to deal with).

Duval is a joy of a romantic interest. I loved reading his reactions to Ismae's nervousness around him. As soon as he realizes she's too nervous to do any seducing, I think he realizes much sooner than Ismae that she's attracted to him. I do believe he finds it adorable. Just the way those two trusted each other. Love these two.

I can't wait to read more about this world. Ismae herself, her story is obviously finished, so needless to say when I saw that Sybella is the character of the next book, I was about ready to bow down to LaFevers understanding that you don't have to milk a character and her romance to death just so you can continue the story of the world. It's what I had wished Wither had done. Definitely picking this up as soon as I can.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes well-written young adult fantasy (because although it is historical as well it reads more like a fantasy novel in my opinion). I also recommend it to anyone who likes their romance well-written and non-angsty. If you enjoy books by Maria V. Snyder and Kristin Cashore, you will enjoy books by LaFevers.

4.5 Bookmarks

Book Review: Marking Time by April White

Marking Time (The Immortal Descendants #1)

April White

Request Disclaimer: I was not paid in any way by the publishers or author to review this book favourably. The review is my own honest opinion (Whether or not it is agreed with). 

Publication Date: October 30th 2012

Publisher: Corazon Entertainment

Pages: 445

Genre:  Time Travel, Paranormal, Historical, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old tagger Saira Elian can handle anything... a mother who mysteriously disappears, a stranger who stalks her around London, and even the noble English Grandmother who kicked Saira and her mother out of the family. But when an old graffiti tag in a tube station transports Saira to the 19th Century and she comes face-to-face with Jack the Ripper, she realizes she needs help after all.

Saira meets Archer, a charming student who helps her blend in as much as a tall, modern American teen can in Victorian England. He reveals the existence of the Immortals: Time, Nature, Fate, War and Death, and explains to Saira that it is possible to move between 
centuries – if you are a Descendant of Time. 

Saira finds unexpected friendships at a boarding school for Immortal Descendants and a complicated love with a young man from the past. But time is running out for her mother, and Saira must embrace her new identity as she hides from Archer a devastating secret about his future that may cost him his life.

Marking Time marks my first book read and reviewed after a long hiatus. I had started reading it, per request of the author, right before I went through a mood where no books could catch my attention, and having just finished getting through it, I can't believe I was able to put it down!

Marking Time is an entirely unique take on supernatural elements. I'm a sucker for interesting world building, so it's not surprising that I was impressed with what White has created.

This book starts out seeming like it's simple. We are set up with this character who freeruns, graffities and has to take care of herself. We have this character whose interesting enough, right, and the stereotypical plot where suddenly she learns she is from of a family of supernatural beings and she has special powers. This plot could have stopped there, it could have just done what so many other books do and take that plot, add in a romance and call it a day, but White does not do that. Instead she goes up and above to give us this great read.

There are layers of mystery (including a certain famous London serial killer) keeping the reader's nose stuck firmly against their e-reader. Some are rather transparent (I figured out a major one almost immediately) and others were a bit sneakier, taking me by surprise.

There are a few cases where the prose felt clunky, such as the way Saira's nicknames for people were carried out, or other times where things felt over-explained. There are also a couple of places where I went back and read, wondering if I missed something (which I might have), but also might have been small plot-holes. As far of issues with the book however, that was it. The characters, plotting, pacing, and the rest were great.

The two things that I feel were done best by White, however, were the tIme travel elements and the romance. Time travel is a tricky, tricky thing to write about, but I felt like the rules put into work here are brilliantly done. It doesn't feel like it would be easy to create a time paradox and I really liked that about the whole idea of it (also allows for less worry while writing, I bet!).

As for the romance, that is hands down my favourite part of the book. It was not an easy romance to write, I'm betting, there's a complexity to it that I adore. I will more than likely read it again just to watch those two characters interact and fall in love. 

To continue waxing about the romance in Spoilers, The fact that Saira had to deal with two instances of the man she was falling in love with at the same time was fascinating to read. Until the end, whenever Archer and her are together they are always at different points of falling in love, with one or the other being a bit farther in love depending on which Archer it was.

There is one thing that makes me think. Should Saira have grown in modern times? She would have started growing inside her mother at conception and what not, which was obviously in the past. I assume it might be because she was born almost the moment that they arrived in the present?

Anyway, as for our mysteries, I was actually a bit surprised about the Bishop being the Vampire! I felt like I should have seen that coming, but I had thought of him as a Shifter or a Monger instead. And I was relieved in a bit that it seemed like he'd always planned on getting rid of Archer no matter what, so it doesn't feel so much like it was Saira's fault.

The two things I am most curious are the fact that Saira is having visions (don't think I didn't notice that, even if she hasn't yet) and Doran. Doran is like the greatest mystery, because no one else seems to realize he's a Clocker at all, yet he is so active.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys time travel stories, unique takes on urban fantasy or supernatural stories and to anyone who is fond of anything that includes Jack the Ripper. There is a lot of world building, so for some it might be overwhelming at first, but I feel like it's worth it.

4 Bookmarks

Book Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1)

Jessica Spotswood

Publication Date: February 7th 2012

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Pages: 330

Genre:  Paranormal, Historical, Young Adult

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

I couldn't help but read this book and realize that it's secretly a dystopic book. Sure it's semi-historical in an alternate-universe America, but the government is slightly crazed and full of religious fervor that they use against their citizens, while other countries (which citizens cannot go to due to closed borders) are full of freedoms. So there is this distinct dystopic feel to the book, despite everything else.

Yet, the book is about witches. In the past witches controlled everything, and now they are being hunted with a passion, often the girls being taken aren't even witches. To add to this, the religious government doing this are highly corrupted. They have all the girls of the town come to a "special" religion class where they tell them that they are evil, that they cannot help being evil and that men are always right and better and should always be obeyed.

This is why some of the people in charge are off having affairs and then only damning the woman involved, taking none of the blame themselves. In all of this the Cahill sisters are not traditional women. First of all they are witches, second of all none of them have "perfect ladylike" personalities. Cate seems to be a bit of a tomboy and enjoys thinking for herself, and of her younger sisters one is much too fiery and passionate and the other too intellectual. They have survived as long as they have by staying under the radar.

The characters are well done, and nothing is as it seems. It is written stylistically like a historical novel in my opinion. It's also a very good opening book as now, readers are wondering exactly what Cate has to do, nothing really makes sense anymore and we don't know who to trust. On the other hand, as of right now it seems like the second book will be different than the first and the third book full of lots and lots of drama.

I will start with my opinions on the romantic relationship, which is YES SHE PICKED THE GARDENER. As soon as her childhood friend came home, I wanted her to notice the gardener and go for him, but, having underestimated the book, I didn't think it was to happen. Instead Spotswood took a more interesting route for the romance, causing it to happen slower and unexpected. Of course because I was rooting for him so much I was incredibly obsessed when she was left with no choice but to go to the sisterhood. Stupid prophecy, stupid sisterhood.

Speaking of the Sisterhood I trust them about as far as I can throw them. They are obviously out for their own benefit, and honestly I don't think they could be so open about being witches unless they have some kind of agreement with the Brotherhood. Even if they don't I can't help but think that witches like them were the reasons the people felt like they had to bring down the Witch Government in the first place.

I recommend this book to people who like the "stuck" feeling of a dystopian novel and the genre of historical fiction and for those who like paranormal elements and would like to see them wrapped all together with a fancy bow.

4 Bookmarks

Book Review: Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic #1)

Patricia C. Wrede

Publication Date: April 15th 2009

Publisher: Scholastic Inc

Pages: 344

Genre:  Adventure, Historical AU, Fantasy, Young Adult

Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he's supposed to possess amazing talent -- and she's supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild.

With wit and wonder, Patricia Wrede creates an alternate history of westward expansion that will delight fans of both J. K. Rowling and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

What's funny about this book is that if I had seen that it was Patricia C. Wrede, I might not have picked it up so readily, as I had recently read the Dealing with Dragons series, which I had liked, but hadn't really been my kind of book (it had been a recommendation). She was just an ordinary writer in my head and not an author to watch out for.

This book came to me by goodreads.com's recommendation, and partially because I thought the cover was very unique and partially because I really liked the idea I picked it up. And then it became one of my favourite books of all time! Wrede's writing has grown and this world appealed to me so much more.

So I like historical fiction, even if I don't mention or read much of it, but the historical fiction that I like the most is Oregon trail/prarie life/Lewis and Clarke era historical fiction. I love America when it was wild and magical. Now what Wrede did is take this era of American history and add a huge dose of Alternate Universe magic. America becomes Columbia, the Civil War the Succession War, and magic is a part of ones lessons in school, even a college focus.

Eff's family is originally from the East Coast, but end up moving out west when family issues become strained and her father receives an excellent job prospect to be a professor of magic at a college that helps to train wizards to go out past the Mammoth River, past the Great Barrier into the wild magics of the west. Do I still have you?

The characters are absolutely fantastic in their characterization, depth and relations towards each other. Eff comes from an absolutely gigantic family, which any author will tell you is hard to write, yet Wrede pulls it off so that each sibling (mostly the younger ones she actually interacts with) has a personality, and some a lot of depth.

The point of the book, however, is Eff growing into herself. The book starts off with her very young and ends with her in high school. We see her start off as a paranoid, easily influenced child, and end up realizing that she might just be able to trust herself, and maybe everyone else was wrong.

Eff's victory over the mirror bugs was so well celebrated in my brain. It was such a great way to turn the tables on her and make her realize that she is not useless.  She was the one to figure out the mirror bugs and it was she that found the twist and used it. It was the use of a different sort of magic (not the "European" magic that most of Columbia puts stock in). It was also really nice seeing Eff and Lan switched places for a bit, with her overshadowing him.

This book isn't as talked about as it should be. I remember putting out a Waiting on Wednesday for the third book in the series and no one knew the book at all. It's a masterpiece of a book and I love it dearly and wish it upon all of you. It's fantasy, historical AU fiction, the frontier and a story of growing up. 

5 Bookmarks