Krysteena
5 out of 5 starsI actually thoroughly enjoyed this book, which took me a bit by surprise because it started off kind of slow for me. Once I got pass all the fancy names, I was able to warp my head around this world and it was smooth sailing from there. The characters, the world, the story, and the writing were all very compelling. The ending itself was a little too nicely wrapped up, but it did leave me with a really satisfying feeling, so I decided not to take points off for that.I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series, [b:Paladin of Souls 61904 Paladin of Souls (Chalion, #2) Lois McMaster Bujold https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348894979s/61904.jpg 819610]. It should be noted that The Curse of Chalion is a great standalone novel, and so if you aren't looking to get into another fantasy series, then this is still something you can pick up. I definitely recommend this one to fantasy lovers out there (especially if you are looking for a light read).
Such a fun read! I would recommend this to science fiction fans who are looking for a light read in between series.
The only reason this didn't get 5 out of 5 was that it ended way too soon!
Such a fun read!!! I loved the writing and the dialogue here. Plus, it was great to see an updated version of Batgirl's origins. I enjoyed the non-linear format of the story, and I was able to easily relate to her. I thought all the Oracle references dropped throughout the novel were very entertaining.
The only thing that was a bit lacking for me was the art. It felt a little stationary to me, but I really appreciated the simplicity (sometimes overly detailed comics give me a headache).
Bottom line: I had mixed feelings about the art, but A++ to the writing. Overall, great read for Batgirl fans =)
I really enjoyed this book. Guy Gavriel Kay does a wonderful job telling this story and introducing you to this entirely new world. It took me a while to get into it–names were a bit confusing and just figuring out what the heck was happening was a bit of a challenge, which is why I knocked it down one star. However, once the story starts going, it just takes you away. The characters are very interesting and I cannot wait to pick up the second book!
Okay, so I LOVED the My Little Pony TV series growing up–I even had one of those MLP figures with the long manes that you could braid and style. Anyways, I decided to pick up this new series out of nostalgia and curiosity. Loved it! These ponies are still as cool and cute as I remember. The story was well-written and had a lot of humor. Such a fun and colorful read. Definitely recommend this one!
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I can see how this novel helped to inspire Nolan's Batman Trilogy (note: I'm not sure if this directly inspired Nolan's movies, but I definitely was reminded of The Dark Knight while reading this novel).
The artwork was refreshing. It had this gritty, non-polished look to it. And I loved the renditions of infamous Batman Baddies like the Scarecrow and Joker. What I didn't love about the art was the depiction of “ordinary” civilians. Bruce Wayne, Alfred, Gordon, Harvey Dent...they all kind of fell flat for me. It took me a while to recognize them; however, those narration bubbles really helped me out.
4 out of 5 stars from me. Took off points for some of the art as well as the pacing of the novel.
I loved this! Even better than volume one!! I cannot wait to read the next book in this series =)
Solid 4 out 5 starsPercy is back!Book 2 of The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan is extremely entertaining. It picks up a couple of months after the end of Book 1, except that we finally get to see what has happened to Percy during this exchange. The adventure starts with a bang as Percy is pursued by a couple of Gorgons, who apparently reform soon after they are destroyed. The only thing that he remembers, after being mind-swiped by Hera, is Annabeth. But he soon finds his way to the Roman camp, where he befriends Frank and Hazel. They must go on a quest together in order to save Camp Jupiter from Gaea's minions. This was another exciting installment in The Heroes of Olympus series, and I have already started reading Book 3, [b:The Mark of Athena 12127750 The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus, #3) Rick Riordan https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369501752s/12127750.jpg 17115055]! Definitely recommend this one to Riordan fans of all ages.
Leviathan Wakes was a solid four star rating for me. Non-stop action from the very first page, great characters revolving around a fun and exciting plot. I actually won this book on the Goodreads Book Giveaway, so I was so stoked to receive it in the mail! Honestly, I was actually doubting that those book giveaways were real for a sec...but I was wrong to doubt! So, sign up for those books that you are interested in. Anyways, I digress. This book definitely did not disappoint. The only thing that I had a slight problem with was the size of the book. It was just physically hard for me to fit in my purse, so I had to wait to get home to read this one. Might be best if you get the e-book version of this, or if you don't mind the size, then the paperback is fine too since it's not a heavy book (the cover art is pretty cool).
Bottom line: Definitely would recommend this to my friends, especially those who enjoyed watching Firefly/Serenity. I'm really excited to pick up the second book in The Expanse Series (Caliban's War)!
Solid novel. I think this was my favorite volume so far. I love the character development and the tone in this story. It really sets up for the next in the series. Unfortunately, my library doesn't have volume four =( and I'm not sure when I'm going to read what happens to Tommy Taylor and his friends...but I'd definitely recommend this series to Harry Potter fans who also love comics.
Whoa, this was a bit of a surprise for me! I really loved this book! It has everything I like to see in an entertaining book: a high fantasy fictional world, an intriguing plot, a “strong” female protagonist (quoted because she's not your typical “outwit, outplay outlast, survivor” type of character...more on this later), and (of course) romance–or really I should say, the development of character relationships, not just strictly romance. For me, this story has it all and much more...although, I have to admit: it's not perfect. It took a few chapters for me to appreciate the writing style of this novel because the narrator kind of jumps in and out of the storytelling. She quite frequently interrupts her own story, which breaks up the narration and messes with the overall pacing of the book. It felt a bit forced at first (maybe even gimmicky and annoying), but once I started seeing the bigger picture and filling in the missing gaps, then these moments of interruption become very intriguing to me. One of the reasons I absolutely loved this book was because of the protagonist, Yeine. However, to put this into perspective, I should explain myself: Female characters are (unfortunately) not the norm, and so when a story introduces female roles, I can't help but look for myself in that character–Does she represent me? Most female roles fall short of my expectations. I am usually able to understand the character's choices and admire their mentality and courage... but there are very few out there whose personality I feel really connected to–that I feel represent who I am. Yeine is one of those characters. She resonates with me (and not just because of her brown skin). She is like an intensified version of myself. She has this kind of subtle strength that we don't get to see portrayed in stories very much (probably because this kind of character can tends to be a bit boring, but Jemisin does a great job at keeping Yeine interesting and dynamic). The strength she possess is not in her ability to fight others (although she is a warrior), nor is it in the political scene (she knows that Scimina is a better strategist than her). Instead, it is in her ability to realize this f*ed up situation she's in and accept it. That acceptance allows her to continue making choices for herself–despite her flaws, despite limitations placed on her, despite everyone's expectations–she does what needs to be done, but with her abilities, with her own voice...It's a bit difficult for me to really articulate my point, but suffice to say that Yeine is one of the most well-written female characters in my opinion.Anyways, I'm pretty excited to read the next in the series [b:The Broken Kingdoms 7904453 The Broken Kingdoms (The Inheritance Trilogy, #2) N.K. Jemisin https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1282522268s/7904453.jpg 11165787]. Although, I'm a bit sad that Yeine is not the lead character anymore. The overall series focuses on the story of the gods, so this sequel looks really promising. Hopefully, we get to see more Nahadoth because he is kinda hot (I didn't mention this earlier in my review, but Jemisin does a great job depicting the gods in this story–they are very believable and quite frightening to be honest).
4.5 out of 5 stars. Tragedy, romance, vengeance, war... you can find all that and much more in this beautifully written novel by one of my favorite authors.It took me a while to get into the book, but once the ball got rolling, it never stopped. Beware the many typos in this edition–it really takes you out of the story! (seriously, if it weren't for so many spelling/grammar issues in the story, I would have given this book a 5 star rating...)Highly recommended for fantasy fans looking for a stand-alone novel because with so many multiple fantasy series out there, it is refreshing to pick up a book with a satisfying ending. Also, check out [b:Tigana 104089 Tigana Guy Gavriel Kay https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348738842s/104089.jpg 1907200] while your at it!
I loved it just as much as the first in this series. Great plot, great world building, interesting characters...all around entertaining book. I like that we got to view the other side of this feud, and that we got to see this world from a commoner's perspective. In The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Itempas is the antagonist, but in this book he becomes a very relatable character. Admittedly, I often found myself frustrated with him (and in the last book, I could not care less about the guy), but throughout this novel, I began to understand him. And now, I'm rooting for him. Like Yeine, I hope that the rift between Itempas and Nahadoth will mend...Anyways, I'm really excited to pick up the last, and final, book in this trilogy [b:The Kingdom of Gods 7923006 The Kingdom of Gods (The Inheritance Trilogy, #3) N.K. Jemisin https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1313690257s/7923006.jpg 11228805]. Five out of Five!!Oh, and I have to say, the covers for these novels are stunning. Love the artwork!
Not bad. Lot's of twists in the second volume of the Tom Taylor saga. I'm enjoying the series so far. The plot is thickening, and I'm eager to see what is going to happen. Volume 3 up next.
Rick Riordan knows how to tell a fun story. If you like the Percy Jackson series then you have to pick this one up too. I just finished re-reading it this month so that I can go on with the next books in this series and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
I really enjoyed this book. The narrative has this very epic, very mythical feel to it. Almost as if you're sitting by the warmth of a fireside listening to a storyteller describing the experiences of Ged, a young man destined to become the Great Wizard of Earthsea. It's a great bedtime story, and, in fact, I've been reading this novel every night before bed. It is not a long book–my copy is just shy of two hundred pages. Because it is such a short book covering many adventures, it can be a bit lacking in character development and world building compared to more modern fantasy novels. However, that is one of the things I admired most about this book. It really shows the skills of the author–how she can strip down the story to just the basic elements, yet still have a solid narrative that is both interesting and entertaining. Furthermore, this book is timeless. I didn't feel like I was reading a novel written in the sixties, yet that was when this novel was published! That fact alone amazes me, so I guess my expectations for this book were not very high... I would have given this a 5 out of 5 stars; however, I hated the patriarchal society of Earthsea. I heard many people argue over the representation of women in this book, and while I agree that women were under represented–two of the four female characters were not even named!–the very male-oriented culture was more off-putting than anything else for me. Obviously, women could use magic just as well as the men in this fantasy world, yet the women were witches and enchantresses not of the same caliber as the Wizards of Earthsea. And, in fact, women were not even allowed to study at the wizardry school on Roke Island! I just don't understand why!? Why do witches not get the same respect and admiration as the wizards? Why were they all portrayed as selfish and shrewd? Why couldn't they just be allowed to study and become wise as their male counterparts? I honestly don't get it. I mean, it is one thing to under represent a population of people. But to make them inferior is another thing. Even Tolkien, who didn't have many female characters in his books, still managed to show women with power and respect and wisdom–just look at Lady Galadriel, Lady of Lothlorien and Eowyn, the Shield Maiden of Rohan. The fact that this book had none of that was just really upsetting to me...But despite all this, I am planning to read the next in the series [b:The Tombs of Atuan 13662 The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2) Ursula K. Le Guin https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1166571534s/13662.jpg 1322146].4 out of 5 stars from me...maybe even 3.5 out of 5 stars (because I am that upset).
I read this and [b:Superman: Earth One, Vol. 2 13532176 Superman Earth One, Vol. 2 J. Michael Straczynski http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333579936s/13532176.jpg 19093852] in one sitting while chilling at Barnes and Noble the other day. Check out my review on volume two to see what I think of the series.
Loved the art and story! Can't wait to pick up volume two and discover just how evolved the American Vampire is.
I am not a huge fan of short stories, but when they're done right then it's hard not to love them. This book in particular was a good collection of tales told from a female Filipino-American point of view. For that reason alone, I love it. It was great to see our voice being put out there, and the author does a great job representing different generations.
As a whole, I think the collection was lacking. I wish there was more pride woven throughout the stories. It was quite a depressing read, and some of the stories could have been replaced with something lighter and more hopeful. Personally, I could not relate to a lot of the stories; however, I can see what the author was doing and appreciate her work.
My favorite story from this group was Filming Sausages. It was written so well, and it very relatable to all women of any culture. It made me feel very uncomfortable and angry at the same time. 5 out of 5 for that short story.
Overall, I would rate this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
