Fairytale for Wilde Girls - Allyse Near

Title: Fairytales for Wilde Girls
Author: Allyse Near
Publication Date: June 23rd, 2013
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Isola's always seen things other people haven't, especially in the woods. Nothing's ever bothered her until she finds the dead girl in the bird cage. Instead of leaving her alone, the girl follows her home and threatens her.

Isola's friends try to protect her, but she must find the reason behind the girl haunting her before the threats become real.

Review

The contents within Fairytales for Wilde Girls is as beautiful as its cover. I thoroughly enjoyed Allyse Near's writing, which made me feel like I was transported into a magical world. It had both a very whimsical and innocent feel, but also carried a dark and mysterious tone. These elements together displayed what I found to be the perfect example of a fairytale; mirroring something like the Grimm's brothers tales.

I liked the underlying creepiness, delivered subtly, and kept me on edge. The mystery surprisingly had a lot more depth than the usual fantasy/supernatural stories. At times it did drag on a little, but the pace was quick and intense that I flew through it pretty easily - after two tries that is, but don't worry because once the plot reached its conflict it captivated me instantly.

What I loved was that each character had their own voice, making them identifiable and memorable. I  also loved that the two characters, Isola and Edgar, were named after popular historical figures. Their personalities are influenced by the previous Isola Wilde and Edgar Allen Poe. However, my favourites would have to be the magical creatures who circulate Isola and protect her. Each one of them were fascinating in characteristics and appearance. In fact the book also has illustrations of each character and they look absolutely stunning!

The ending was heartbreaking and nothing I ever expected. It carried a deep and heartwarming message, which I appreciated. Fairytales for Wilde Girls is a clever story, combining elements of fantasy and mystery along with relatable themes such as relationships amongst friends and family, trust and loyalty. Give it a read!

"And they lived ever after, whether they were happy about it or not"

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Film vs. Novel: Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Plot:



Rose Hathaway and best friend Lisa Dragomir are vampires. Lisa is the last of her royal family, a Moroi who could take up the throne. Rose is half human, half Moroi making her a Dhampir. Like other Dhampir her main purpose is to protect the Moroi from blood sucking, immortal vampires - the Strigoi.

When they get caught on the run, Rose and Lisa return to the St. Vladmir's Academy, the school that houses majority of the other Moroi and Dhampir. Behind those walls it seems Lissa is safe, but there are other dangers beside Strigoi who are waiting to bring Lissa down.

Review:

I was very, very skeptical about this movie right from the moment I watched the trailer. It was borderline silly and overdramatic and knowing that the director did Mean Girls really put me off. I was pleasantly surprised then, to find that Vampire Academy was thoroughly enjoyable and nothing like what I expected.

Now, I am writing this review based off the fact that I have read the series. I've seen reviews from critics absolutely bashing the movie, and I think I do understand some of their points. They felt as though it was choppy and viewers had to guess some things for themselves. The movie does move at a very fast pace considering the novel was not that long. I felt like it was condensed down quite well though. It's been awhile since I've read the book but I could remember all the scenes in the movie because they were basically the major parts. They did try to make up for missing parts with Rose narrating introductions and other moments. I didn't mind that though because I really couldn't see them showing it in any other way. Probably one thing that didn't get explained properly was some relationship developments. It was just a given after awhile.

What really had me breathe a sigh of relief was how well the tone was balanced as opposed to the trailer. For a series that had a more darker tone, I was worried that the movie would be humourous the entire way through. Instead, it was filmed with patches of snappy and sarcastic comments spread throughout to ease the tension. When it does come to the darker moments, there was enough suspense and background music to quicken my heartbeat. It did get creepy in some moments, especially when the Strigoi appeared (although I don't remember that happening in the book, I suppose it was used to explain the type of creature). Also a heads up for some gory moments.

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The Host - Stephanie Meyer

Plot: 

Earth has been overrun by a new type of species, and human beings are ceasing to exist. The species are souls, inserted into humans as a way to tame the violent and aggressive nature is contained in them.

Wanderer takes on Melanie Stryder's body, ready for the challenges of human emotions and memories. Instead, she's met with the voice of Melanie, not willing to fade away. Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with constant images of a man and a boy, and soon Wanderer builds an attachment to strong to ignore.

Review:

I'm going to have to thank the #AYEARATHON read-a-long for pushing me to read this. This month's topic is Twilight, but that meant I could still read something else from Stephanie Meyer. Why I waited this long to read The Host is beyond me, but boy am I glad I did.

The Host is pitched as a sci-fi romance, and I can see why it's labelled as that. The whole souls moving from planet to planet, and latching onto nerves etc. can have a sci-fi feel to it, but that wasn't really a dominant part to the novel. Instead, the plot places a lot more emphasis on humanity, morality, justice and decency. It really opened a lot of questions on how humans react and interact with each other, subconsciously as well. Furthermore, it explores the relationships that expand beyond just female-male love. I liked the depth of plot that Meyer planted in this, which surprised me because I kept questioning myself as to whether this was the same author as the Twilight series. I'm not saying I hated that series, it's just that it lacked a rich plot.

Meyer was able to also create very moving and relatable characters. I liked basically every single character that cropped up, because they each had a backstory that helped play a role to the plot. It wasn't hard to grow attached to even the very minor characters. Whilst Wanderer and Melanie played the central role, the others weaved in and out seamlessly, creating such a warming atmosphere. I'd have to say I got a little annoyed with Jared but that's because I was diagnosed with second-lead syndrome. Hate it when that happens. Still, in the end I was beaming with the love that exuded from their "family".

What I loved most was that Wanderer was allowed to stick to her own personality from start to finish. She learnt new things, especially with emotions, but in the end she managed to adapt to that in her own way. I feel like there's really no way to explain it without spoiling it so I might stop here. (Also, I'm starting to sound wooden  so moving on).

Another strong factor was that it explores relationships a great deal. It's not even just the relationship between a boy and girl, or that of blood ties, but just general relationships that can sprout anywhere. It's a testament to how much humans can become attached to someone after constant interactions and the strong emotions that resound despite having nothing to tie them down to. The Host really represents how much humanity can be good as well as bad, and it was very interesting to read. 


The use of different species also portrayed how different beliefs can clash but there are always reasons behind it. It's not that we should be made to accept someone's personal beliefs, but that we should learn to respect it and be open-minded. That was really the growth for each character in the book as well.

Ultimately, The Host was thought-provoking, fast paced and entertaining to read. It made for a great read with some amazing characters, and the messages behind it really stuck with me. Don't ignore Stephanie Meyer if you didn't like the Twilight series because this was way beyond that. It's also the first book (I'm pretty sure) that I'm rating 5 stars for this year. That should say something.

Note: This is actually the first book of a series, with the sequel being released in 2015 (apparently).

Rating: 5/5

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[Series Review] The Infernal Devices - Cassandra Clare

Plot:

Tessa Gray arrives in London expecting to reunite with her brother, Nate. Upon arrival Tessa is swept away and housed with the Dark Sisters who seem human enough yet, gives Tessa the chills. There, Tessa begins to learn of the Downworlders and that she somehow fits in amongst them. Her abilities are revealed when the Sisters train her and Tessa is left both mortified and confused.

Then Shadowhunters, Will and James, barge into the Sisters house and manage to rescue Tessa. Soon, she is consumed by a world that she never knew even existed and her existence is slowly unravelled as their adventures continue.

Review:

I feel like I can never write a plot that gives the book justice. It's even worse for a series review cause I have to pick and choose what to write so I don't reveal much. Moving on.

The Infernal Devices is a trilogy set in Victorian England, a long time and place away from The Mortal Instruments series. Clockwork Angel, the first book serves as an introduction to the world and the characters and sets the complication in which all three books revolves around. Clockwork Prince is a lot more focused on the relationships of the characters, and a little more lacking in the action field. Finally Clockwork Princess revisits the trouble that must be resolved and actually ties all loose ends very well.

I probably shouldn't, but it's hard to not compare this series to Clare's previous series. It's like the world of Shadowhunters belong to Clare and anything that comes from that world is instantly compared with The Mortal Instruments. I am going to admit that I enjoyed this series a lot more than TMI. Maybe it's because it's a shorter series but I'm just not interested in TMI anymore. It became irrelevant after Clare kept releasing new novels. It's not that The Infernal Devices series was extremely better, there were still bits I didn't like but if I look at it overall TID was a lot more enjoyable.

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[Series Review] Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Plot:

The quartet Hush Hush is a supernatural series following high schooler Nora Grey and the fallen angel Patch Cipriano.

Nora isn't much of a rule breaker, in fact she's miss goody two shoes to the core. Yet, when Patch tries to befriend her Nora finds herself being drawn into all sorts of troubles. As her life is entangled with the existence of the supernatural beings, Nora is faced with the danger of saving her life or choosing the love of her life.

Review:

My plot sounds so wishy washy but really, that's the essence of this series. My cousin kept egging me on to read it because she said it was absolutely amazing, and so I decided that it was time. I actually marathoned all four novels - Hush Hush, Crescendo, Silence and Finale - in almost four days.

I'm not going to deny that I was hooked, surprisingly, but I think what allowed me to read the entire series in such a short time was probably how fast paced the plot was. It's not very lengthy, probably 350 pages - ish for each book, but the plot is quick to build towards climaxes and levels out with the resolutions without cooling down the heat. There was no drawing out unnecessary things and for that, I think Fitzpatrick has succeeded in her writing. You basically meet Nora and then Patch, and everything else follows suit. It's not clunky, which is also another positive. Fitzpatrick builds her world whilst creating an intensity in the plot seamlessly.

Other than that, I think I also hung around because of Patch. He's a very typical male hero, written for readers to fall in love with. Handsome, rugged, mysterious and that bit arrogant, making him so much more attractive. I'm not even going to lie, I fell for his charms and I kept reading just to "see" him. It's weird but it's like when you're watching something and you constantly want to see more of the character. That's me with Patch. If you want a hero to fall in love with then I guess Patch is your man (or half a man, however you take it).

That's actually all I think I liked about this series. The heroine, Nora, really frustrated me with her thought process and decisions. Her relationship with Patch also became a little iffy with me. They were passionate and intimate, but kept very G/PG rated. Only one minor character really stayed with me in a positive way, Scott, whilst others who could've made an impact really just melted into the background. I found that whilst I liked all the action part of it, the intensity and mystery, there were a lot of questions left unanswered. Questions that I didn't realise I had until I had finish that book and moved onto the next. It's things like those that reduced my enjoyment by a little.

Also, don't be surprised if you see similarities between this series and the Twilight saga by Stephanie Myer. It's minor things and Fitzpatrick does a good job in distancing herself with the Myer but there's no denying she has been influenced in parts. Still, it's not majorly distracting so I'll let it slide.

I don't think the ending was all that worth it. Of course it was still very action packed but to be honest I don't remember much about it. There were some moments where I was like "really, you're really going to do that". Still, it did tie all loose ends quite well so that's a plus.

For a series that I was skeptical about, I think it made for a good read. It definitely beat the expectations I had for it, which was very low. As a fantasy novel, it hit the right notes and really did feel as real as it could be. The Hush Hush series wasn't perfect but it wasn't the worst either. Good writing from Fitzpatrick and a likeable hero really did boost the quality for me.

Check it out if you're a fan of Twilight or really love Angels. If you've read it tell me what you thought, if not tell me if you're interested or not!

Rating: 4/5 (as a series)

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Angelfall (Penryn & The End of Days #1) - Susan Ee

 
Plot:

The arrival of the angels have left the world in an apocalyptic state. Gangs are now prowling around the streets and the public are hiding in fear. When Penryn's sister, Paige, gets taken by a group of angels she  must trek across the state to rescue her. Only she has to team up with the enemy, the angel Raffe. Together they make way to the heart of San Francisco only to discover more than what they wanted to.

Review:

I thought I had left the angel world behind but Angelfall gives a whole new meaning to Angels. It's set in a world that's a lot different and actually quite well built. Angels also take on a new role - the enemies. I also loved that Ee allowed the story to be tainted with gruesome details, stuff that actually make you freak a little.

Still, there were somethings I was still iffy about and others I give the thumbs up to. Watch here for my full review!

Rating: 4/5

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The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) - Samantha Shannon

Plot:

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

(Source: Goodreads)

Review:

Being the first novel in a seven book series, it gets a bit hard to judge the plot line and characters as a whole. However, the first book for The Bone Season series has certainly left an impression.

The world is a lot more complex and very confusing compared to other worlds in fantasy novels. However, Shannon's world building skills aren't very perfect. In fact, she rushes through it by throwing chunks of information in the first 50-100 pages to try and explain Scion London. Still, I persevered and slowly the picture began to form of what she was attempting to paint. Shannon's writing flows a lot better after those moments and she eases into the plot at a nice pace. It's not very slow even though the book is quite thick.

I read it 2 to 3 days though, so it was certainly interesting enough for me. I'm also willing to read the second book and am actually waiting to see what occurs after the massive cliff hanger. I'd say the series has potential.

Watch here for a more thorough review of the novel.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Vampire Academy - The Trailer

A couple of months back I wrote a post about upcoming movie adaptions of books including the supernatural series by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy. I was pretty unsure about it just from hearing the rumours, but I just stumbled upon the trailer today and had to share.

Thoughts:

Hmmm. My initial excitement about the movie quickly subsided and I have to admit, I'm kind of disappointed. The trailer starts out with the Rose's voiceover  introducing us to the world of vampires. Cut to her best friend feeding from her and then a speech about blood. Then some other scenes that look a little too sexualised for my liking.

I really don't know where to start with this. Everything just seems wrong, which is pretty harsh but that's just how it is. The mood, setting and actors.

It's like the director is attempting to create a comic and sensual feel to this, which doesn't exactly mirror the novels tone. It's suppose to be a lot more dark and adventurous. There are quite intimate scenes in the novel but compared to the larger scale of things, I wouldn't have expected it to make it into the trailers. Although it can be an attention grabber for more mature viewers. I'm not sure that make out scene was actually done under gaudy red lighting. I think I've pinpointed the feel down to being a little bit like Gossip Girl but the supernatural version. Instead of actually being about a battle between the different types of vampires, it just seems to be about high school drama. Something I do not want this series to be turned into to.

The actors are also not what I personally imagined the characters to look like. Lissa Dragomir (the blonde girl in the trailer) is suppose to be breathtakingly gorgeous. Whilst Lucy Fry is pretty, she doesn't fit that supermodel-like appearance Lissa is suppose to have. Although maybe it's the fangs that make her mouth look funny. I'm still not sure about Zoey Dutch but I think it could work. So long as she can portray the perfect badass then I'm all cool. There wasn't the appearance of Dimitri although I've heard he's actually Russian so at least he can pull off the right accent.

From what I've seen, I think the movie is just covering what is in the first novel. I've made a pretty a big judgement from just a 1:27 video and so I dearly hope that I am wrong. I guess adaptions from novels are always going to be risky, especially if there is a large fan base. Too many expectations to uphold basically.

Watch the trailer here

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City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5) - Cassandra Clare

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't read this series then this review may reveal plots of the previous books.



Plot:

Jace has disappeared, along with Sebastian, from the rootop. The search for him is met with little result. In desperation, Clary decides to take action herself. However, her joy dies when she realises Jace is bound to her brother, Sebastian, with the blood of Lilth. Along with her friends, Clary embarks on journey to save not only the boy she loves but also the Shadowhunter world.

Review:

Welcome back to the world of Shadowhunters and the constant obstacles that Jace and Clary face during their relationship. The latest instalment was met with anticipation after Cassandra Clare had left fans on a cliff in City of Fallen of Angels. City of Lost Souls certainly explains what happens to Jace and Sebastian after the rootop incident but seems to centre on the romance of the characters in the novel. It does come across as quite frustrating, the lack of the original plot of the series. What was once a battle between Valentine and Shadowhunters has now circulated to just the relationship between Jace and Clary, and also the other characters. Yes, they are important as well but I wanted a lot more badass fighting scenes and 'good vs. evil' moments. Not to say that there isn't, it's just limited. Clare tries to add those elements of the supernatural one but they seem more like snippets, that flitter in and out, and almost confuses the entire storyline.

However, because Clare is able to establish such strong bonds between her characters and readers, it is easy to fly through the entire story. I read it all at once. There are times when you get tired with the constant intimate moments between the couples (almost inappropriate for readers under the age of 15), but you are kept on the edge with wanting to know who is good or bad, and what will become of Jace. Clare can produce suspense and readers will go along with the ride.

It is only once you reach the end that it feels like the fifth instalment is quite unnecessary. What was once a promising trilogy, it seems as though The Mortal Instruments series is going with the hype, and has now extended to more of a romance series then anything. The series seems to have lost the original plot but overall, is still enough to keep diehard fans from continuing on the adventure. At least until the last book. I am a fan of the series, just not the last two additions.

City of Lost Souls is not the best of the series, it's just okay. There are some shocks and twists to it but it will mostly suit fans of Clary and Jace who will love the amount of time focused on their relationship.

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