Cruel Beauty ~ Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty
by Rosamund Hodge
YA Fantasy 
Beauty & the Beast Retellings
Link to Goodreads

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart. 

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

My Review: 

I almost put this boon down several times. It wasn't until around 70/80 pages that it actually got interesting and began to hold my attention. However, around 150 pages it started to lose me again; then around 250 I was done. But, with only 100 pages left I decided to push through and see how it ended. Part of me is glad that I stuck with it, but mostly I'm mad at myself for not putting it down around thee 70 page mark. It was just not worth the read. 

The characters were flat and their actions made no sense to the overall story and what had already been established. Nyx was angry most of the time, yet in instances where she should be mad, she wasn't. She fell "in love" with Ignifex very quickly, but yet she still hated him. Oh... and if it wasn't confusing enough, let's just throw a love triangle in there. 

Nyx's relationship with her sister was also very confusing. It was clear that she hated and resented her sister, yet she still wanted to save her and in the end made a deal with her - that made no sense. 

Also, this was supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but there was so much Greek mythology that the retelling did not make sense. It felt like the author couldn't decide what she wanted to do - nice retelling or Greek mythology retelling - so she didn't choose and decided to do both. It did not work. It make the book very confusing. What was even more confusing was that there really wasn't a "beast." Ignifex was a sworn enemy, but Nyx is attracted to him right away. There is no growth of love, or a long lost, lonely beast that captures her. 

Overall, the book was very confusing and the ending made no sense. I would not recommend this book. 1 out of 5 Stars. 

Stitching Snow ~ R. C. Lewis

Stitching Snow
by R. C. Lewis
YA Science Fiction
Snow White Retelling
Link to Goodreads

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthais and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back - but that's assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a young man name Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy's future - and her own - in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

My Review

I really enjoyed the book when I first started reading it. In fact, I couldn't put it down. However, once Essie was kidnapped my enjoyment started to wane. I did not agree with her reactions. Essie seemed too attached to Dane, even though she was still angry, but it was the attachment that came out of no where. There was nothing really leading up to that, and during the build-up to the kidnapping everything made it seem like she would just be in a blind fury, unable to control the rage. 

Essie is not your normal "Snow White" princess. She does live with seven.... well... drones (ones she made herself); but rather than the delicate little princess, Essie enjoys cage fights and stitching together computer and mechanical components. Living on the frozen mining planet Thanda, Essie thought she had escaped her past until Dane appears and kidnaps her in an attempt to ransom her for Exile prisoners. 

I did like Dane's character. His development was much smoother than Essie's. You do not fully understand Essie's aversion to people touching her until about three-quarters of the way through the book. And even then, it is hinted at but not fully realized until the very end. It turns out she wasn't just running away from being murdered by her step-mother, Olivia. She was running from her father as well. 

Overall, I think it was a clever adaptation of Snow White, and fairly well written. There were just a few character development flaws and a few situations that did not quite work for the story. 

Recommended, especially for fans of classic retellings. 4 out of 5 Stars. 

Heartless ~ Marissa Meyer (Warning, contains Spoilers)

Heartless
by Marissa Meyer
YA Fantasy
Wonderland Retellings
Link to Goodreads

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King's marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

My Review

Heartless? More like heartbreaker - that is, unless Meyer is referring to herself. 

Ok. I knew this was Wonderland going in, but I had forgotten that it was an origin story for the Queen of Hearts. Once I remembered that, I knew what was going to have to end up happening - which I was NOT happy about. 

All Cath wants to do is bake with her best friend & servant Mary Ann. All her mother wants is for her to marry the King, and that is all he wants as well. She has hopes and dreams in a time where it was impossible for a girl to have hopes and dreams of her own. 

Jest/Joker was a little too perfect the first time we meet him. I wasn't too sure how I felt about him until the second meeting. It was then, that we saw a little imperfections and I knew he and Cath simply had to end up together. 

SPOILER ALERT:  But of course, that would mean she wouldn't have become the Queen of Hearts. Stupid origin story. Why? Why, why, why?  SPOILER END

I do like how we see each character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland grow into who they are in Carroll's classic. The characters may have each started out in different paths in Heartless, but in the end, everything was lined up - with the exception of maybe Jack the Knave. Oh how I hated him. I couldn't tell if he actually liked Cath, or really hated her. It was hard to tell, and annoying. 

Great book! Glad this is a stand-alone because it reads like one. Everything is laid out perfectly and wrapped up at the end. It is a fantastic fanfic prequel to Carroll's classic tales. 

Recommended for fans of Alice & lovers of retellings. 4 out of 5 Stars. 

My Lady Jane ~ Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

My Lady Jane
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
YA Historical Fantasy
Link to Goodreads

Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He's also dying, which is inconvenient, as he's only sixteen and he'd much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown...

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward's cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there's something a little odd about her intended...

Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he's an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed-but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It's all very undignified. 


The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it's off with their heads? 

My Review

I have such a hard time giving a book five stars, and I wrestled with this one. I kept trying to talk myself out of it, but I could not find one solid argument for why I shouldn't give My Lady Jane five stars. I loved it. 

My Lady Jane is a humorous and totally inaccurate portrayal of history. The authors continually break the fourth wall to point out a few things or explain some others - which honestly, only added to the humor of it all. At first I thought it would be annoying, but it never detracted from the story. 

I had no idea that King Henry VIII and King Edward were Eðians (humans with the ability to turn into animals). Ok, so that is where some of the inaccuracies come in, but it makes for a great story. Edward was dying and needed to choose his successor, so he marries off his bookish cousin Jane to a horse in hopes that they would have a son. Ok, ok. Gifford (G) is not a horse, he is an Eðian who cannot control his abilities and is a horse from sunup to sundown. Jane and G resent the union; and to make matters worse, Jane ends up on the throne as Queen. But only for a few days... until Mary steals the throne and throws Jane and G into jail until their scheduled executions. 

But guess what! Jane finds out she is an Eðian while she is locked up in jail. She and G escape, eventually run into Edward (not dead) who is in hiding with his sister Bess, and Scottish thief, Gracie. Now that everyone is together, they turn their attention to Mary and her hatred for Eðians. She plans on capturing all Eðians and burning them at the stake. Can Edward, Jane, G, Bess, and Gracie save England? Or will Bloody Mary reign? 

I love how the relationship between Jane and G grows. They only see each other for a few minutes each day as G is a horse by day, and Jane a ferret by night. But in those brief moments, they are able to continually argue with each other - arguments and stubbornness that leads to respect and eventually love. 

Highly recommended! 5 out of 5 Stars!

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake (SPOILER ALERT)

Three Dark Crowns

by Kendare Blake

YA Fantasy 

Link to Goodreads

When kingdom come, there will be one. 

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born-three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. 

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose... it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. 

The last queen standing gets the crown. 

I really wish I could have given this more stars, but there is one part that completely ruined that for me. 

The more I read Kendare Blake's books, the more I realize that she has great ideas but lacks execution. I loved her first book Anna Dressed in Blood, but have yet to find another one that holds up to expectations. It has nothing to do with plot and concept, but how it is executed. 

Three Dark Crowns is a fantastic idea and fairly original. There are three queens, raised in isolation from each other and trained to kill the others using their powers when they come of age to take the crown. I really like the queens - with the exception of Katharine at the beginning; she was just a little too weak and naive. I think my favorite character, however, ended up being Jules. She is so strong and I think that she has the makings of a great queen - even though she could never be one. 

Where this book is lacking can be found in the background and setting. It is stated that all three girls live on the same island, but each location is vastly different from the other that more setting development is needed in order to understand how the island works. That is also where some background would come in handy as well, as it is implied that the island is basically a living breathing entity... I think. 

SPOILER ALERT: 

Now to come to the worst part of the book. To call it a love triangle is inaccurate; at least those I can handle to a certain degree. What I can't handle is Joseph. I did not really like him from the start, and what he did made me almost put the book down. While practically engaged to Jules, Joseph gets lost at sea and is rescued by Mirabella. Within minutes of meeting, they have sex with each other - and many more times after that. To me, this is unforgivable, but what makes it worse is that he seems to think the can be with both Mirabella AND Jules. I also think it was really unnecessary to the plot. Blake could have handled the bear situation without needed the Jules-Joseph-Mirabella dynamic to set it off. The whole situation was unnecessary, and from what I understand, has ruined the book for many other readers. If it wasn't for my genuine interest in the queens and the plot as a whole, I probably would not have continued reading it. 

But... I did continue reading, and I have to say that with the surprise ending I am very excited for the next book. I just hope the whole Joseph thing is handled very differently in the next one. 

I wish I could say that I recommend this book, but I honestly don't know. If it wasn't for that one big situation, I would say yes... but I just don't know. 3 out of 5 Stars. 

Ghostly Echoes a Jackaby Novel by William Ritter

Ghostly Echoes

by William Ritter

YA Paranormal Mystery

Link to Goodreads

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced. 

I am loving this series. It is a perfect merger of Buffy, Sherlock, and Supernatural. I especially liked this book in the series as it focused a lot on Jenny, who is one of my favorite characters. She is finally ready to figure out who murdered her and what happened to her fiancé ten years ago. But the case is not easy, and sends Abigail into the underworld – which is awesome as it brings in some mythology into this already awesome series.

While I love a lot of things about this book, and this series, one of the things that falls a little short is the setting. Because this is very Sherlockian in nature, I always feel like it is set in England rather than New England. There should be a little more done to distinguish that this is America not England, in my opinion.

Overall, Ritter is able to perfectly blend together supernatural, mythical, and mystery. The characters continue to grow from book to book. The overarching plot has come to a head in this book, and is obviously going to be finished in the next and last book in the series. I wish there was going to be more adventures, mysteries, and cases after the fourth book, but I understand that good things do have to come to an end sometime.

Highly recommended book and series. 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog: Geek and Tea Bookroom.

I had begun blogging about books in 2012 (Kari's Crowded Bookshelf), but had to take a break after my son was born and I began working toward my Bachelor's degree. I am ready to start fresh.

Currently, I am working on completing my Masters in Library and Information Science from Kent State University. While I do that, I am also working part time at my local library - focusing mainly on our Young Adult patrons.

Majority of what I review here will be books categorized as Young Adult. Every now and then, I will add in an Adult book (making sure to note it as such) or a graphic novel or two.

I hope you all enjoy the blog and recommend it to other book lovers and book bloggers you know.

Thank you.
Kari