Tag Archives: young adult fiction

Apr1

Demon Princess by Kassandra Lynn

Posted on by
Standard

DemonPrincessCoverDemon Princess by Kassandra Lynn, e-book, 162 pages, published in 2015.

Mage-in-training, Aldric, has cast a spell to gain his summon beast, a creature that is bonded to the mage for life, and must carry out every command from their master. Unexpectedly, Adriana is summoned forth as Aldric’s summon beast, just as she is about to become Demon King. Mages and Demons are enemies, so Adriana must keep her true identity secret, whilst working out a way to escape her bonds. Aldric’s handsome cousin, Keldrin, is kind to Adriana and agrees to help her. A mage and a demon could never fall in love, could they?

Demon Princess was a quick and easy fantasy read. This book was much shorter than I expected, and I wasn’t prepared for it to end just yet. It made for an enjoyable read though, and with two more books following it, I’m sure all my questions will be answered in those. I liked the quest that Adriana and Keldrin undertake with two companions into Barren Land. It was exciting and dangerous, but I thought that was the best part of the story. I found the writing a little stilted at times, with a number of tense changes throughout. Overall, I was enjoying the story plenty, so it didn’t matter so much.

I hate the idea of any creature being bound to another like the summoning beasts are bound to their mages, but Aldric’s attitude and supposed superiority to Adriana was appalling. Aldric. What a prat! Rude, offensive, ignorant and incompetent to boot. He was an infuriating character that I greatly disliked. His soppy-eyed obsession with the snotty and mean Princess Salvene was pathetic, and his treatment of Adriana, until he discovered her ability to perform magic, was repulsive. He was nothing more than a slug.

I had mixed feelings about Adriana. Sometimes she seemed a bit snobbish and self-centred, but then she was also being held against her will, so I can understand how upset and angry she would be. She was used to being pampered as the Demon Princess, so she had to adjust to being the servant, rather than commanding them. I liked the magic that she was able to perform. I mostly liked Keldrin, he was kind, thoughtful and talented.

Inevitably, Adriana falls in love with the handsome and talented mage destined to be her mortal enemy. This was quite predictable, forbidden fruit and all that, it’s a common theme in young adult literature. A bit of romance is fine, though I thought it probably got in the way of Adriana plotting an escape earlier in the story. I was surprised that Adriana tolerated Aldric and his complete control over her for that long, despite a crush on his handsome cousin.

Demon Princess is suitable for high school students. It will be interesting to see how the story continues in the next book, Demon King.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Mar29

The Quantum Door by Jonathan Ballagh

Posted on by
Standard

Q_Door_Front_FInal_Flat_SMALLThe Quantum Door by Jonathan Ballagh, e-book, 288 pages, published in 2015.

A large swathe of woods stands on an abandoned property behind the house where teenage brothers Felix and Brady live. When a tall chain-link fence is erected along the boundary line the boys’ interest in the woods is piqued. They try to explore the woods using Felix’s remote control quadcopter, discovering something strange among the trees. An huge metal dog with glowing red eyes and a dark-haired girl appear through a fiery portal. The boys quickly remove themselves from the woods and its strange inhabitants, only to find themselves venturing back in in the middle of the night on a rescue mission that will lead them on an interdimensional adventure.

The Quantum Door is technological science fiction. The parallel world that Brady and Felix travel to shows what could happen if Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems evolved to become self-aware. In a world where humans have died out due to some mysterious illness, AI is all that is left as a pseudo life-form. Different types of robots have different jobs and communities in this world that is so similar to Earth, some even have social structures and families. This was fascinating and terrifying. We are so reliant on technology, it is everywhere, and this scenario is a plausible outcome of developing AI, though I hope we stop before the technology gets out of hand.

The plot was fast and exciting, with a lot of action. The description of the machines was particularly vivid, and I found myself thinking about the neurogeists late at night! Creepy, horrible things! It was interesting and engaging. There were a few things I didn’t see coming too. I quite liked the story, and the characters. The giant dog, Achilles, was a lovable sidekick for Nova, who was extremely self sufficient for a girl her age. I admired her efforts to keep Brady and Felix safe. Nova also had a little robotic bird called Thorn that was a wonderful companion and help. I enjoyed picturing her fluttering about the group and helping out, such a loyal little thing. Brady, as the older brother, was responsible and worried about Felix, while Felix was much more likely to take risks and be impulsive. Brady tended to follow whatever scheme Felix had thought up, partly to watch out for him, and partly because his ideas were often fun. I liked the brothers, and their relationship with eachother. The little bot Ajax was rather annoying, but helpful in his own way.

This book was different to a lot of the books I normally read, but it was very good. I highly recommend it to fans of Sci-fi. The Quantum Door is suitable for upper primary school and high school students.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Mar23

Claire Daly: Reluctant Soul Saver by Michele Brouder

Posted on by
Standard

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00027]Claire Daly: Reluctant Soul Saver by Michele Brouder, e-book, 180 pages, published in 2015.

Claire Daly has just finished school and has dreams of becoming a librarian. She is tall with flaming red hair and is in love with her best friend, Chas, who is completely clueless. She is just an average teenager, living with her Mam and her brother, getting dragged to Mass and Holy sites by her Gran. That is until an extraordinary thing happens when she spills holy water on her hands, and suddenly her whole life changes. She is an Illuminata, a soul saver, it is her destiny and now she is in danger. It’s a lot to cope with, but there are more family secrets waiting to emerge, and a handsome young man called Ari keeps appearing.

This is a captivating paranormal novel with a fast plot, and a number of twists. I enjoyed it greatly, reading it quickly and staying up late because I had to know how it ended! Given the subject matter, there are plenty of references to God, Hell, demons, holy sites and souls. However, there is no need to be religious to understand or enjoy this story, everything was explained and described well. It was easy to follow and quite exciting, with some good action sequences.

The setting in Ireland sounds lovely. It must be so beautiful out on the peninsula and along the coast. The description of the landscape made me want to visit there some day.

Claire is a wonderful character! She is extremely reluctant to take on the job of an Illuminata. She wants to choose her own life path, which is fair enough, but her destiny just won’t allow it for the time being. So she is stuck spending her summer learning to utilise and control her newfound powers with her severe aunt, a much more experienced Illuminata. This leaves Claire grumpy, sarcastic and difficult, just as I picture an adolescent when they are not getting their own way. I got to know Claire quite well through the story, and I liked her a lot. Julia is quite different to Claire, and though she was very strict and unyielding, I came to like and admire her. Claire’s interaction with Ari was intriguing and exciting too.

Claire Daly: Reluctant Soul Saver entertained me. There was a bit of romance and some violence, making it more suitable for middle high school students and up. This is only the start of the Soul Saver series, and I am very much looking forward to Claire’s next challenge.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Mar21

Falling Fire (Part Two) by Caroline Peckham

Posted on by
Standard

fallingfire2coverFalling Fire (Part Two) by Caroline Peckham, e-book novella, 43 pages, published in 2016.

This novella picks up where Falling Fire (Part One) left off. Rogan and Quinn have always been expected to marry, so they have never had the opportunity to date other people or even to explore how they feel about each other. They both have reservations about their relationship, so they make a deal to kiss some one else to see how it feels. Due to their fame the whole deal must remain a secret, but will the people they choose to kiss see it the same way?

More from the wonderful world of Aleva with all its magic, I love falling into this world. This is a captivating novella that I read in one sitting. At the end, I immediately wished for more! The plot is quick with good detail. Overall these two novellas are very entertaining.

All the characters are interesting and complex. I’m back to being annoyed with Quinn, she’s far too self-centred and selfish. She acts like Rogan isn’t in the same situation that she is, but she doesn’t talk to him about it, she slinks off to Larkin, who she barely knows. Larkin is so vain, so annoying, so jerkish, ooo I just want to slap him! I can’t see why Quinn would want to be friends with him, let alone kiss him. And then he goes and does something noble. I still don’t like him, but at least now I know he has a human side.

I enjoyed Rogan’s defence class, and his interaction with Katrina. Making fire balls into the shape of animals is amazing. I liked that Katrina wasn’t fawning all over Rogan too.

Lovers of fantasy and young adult novels should love this! Read this wonderful novella after Falling Fire (Part One) and then check out the other books in The Rise of Isaac series, they are well worth your time. It is suitable for high school students and up.

 

*I received this advanced reading copy as a digital version from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Mar20

Falling Fire (Part One) by Caroline Peckham

Posted on by
Standard

fallingfire1coverFalling Fire (Part One) by Caroline Peckham, e-book novella, 42 pages, published in 2016.

Set a couple of years before Creeping Shadow, this novella introduces Quinn Thorn and Rogan Ganderfield, two of the most famous young mages in Aleva. To protect the magical line, mages are paired off in arranged marriages. Quinn and Rogan are one such pair, becoming engaged at sixteen because it is expected of them. Now they are starting university, they must develop their magical skills, make friends, and maybe even fall in love.

Novellas are so short, but there is a lot packed into this one. I loved coming back to Aleva! Meeting Quinn and Rogan at a younger age allowed me to know them more thoroughly and to appreciate them for who they are and how they grew up. I found Quinn rather rude and snobby in Creeping Shadow, but now I actually feel sorry for her. Her life is hard, even though it glimmers on the outside. She is famous, rich and beautiful, but she has to act a certain way and there are many expectations placed upon her. She doesn’t really get to be herself because people are always watching (and often staring), and she never knows if people want to spend time with her for her, or because of her fame or money. Rogan also endures similar pressures, but handles them with more aplomb. I really like him as a character. Despite his fame, he is quite down to earth and approachable. I still want to punch Larkin, but I suppose every story needs someone to hate!

It was exciting reading about the magical lessons Quinn and Rogan are taking at university. I wish I had the ability to heal injuries like Quinn! Though using magic to make her hair sit perfectly or move clothes into the closet seems a little overkill, but when you grow up with it, it’s probably just second nature. While magic must make life move more smoothly most of the time, it is also a huge responsibility and in some cases, a burden. I have a much greater appreciation for Quinn and Rogan now.

Falling Fire (Part One) is suitable for high school students and up. If you enjoyed the other books in The Rise of Isaac series, you should definitely check out this wonderful novella. I am very happy I have Falling Fire (Part Two) to go on with!

 

*I received this advanced reading copy as a digital version from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Mar7

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Posted on by
Standard

theselectioncoverThe Selection by Kiera Cass, paperback, 336 pages, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2012.

In a post-apocalyptic world, the land that was North America is now a Monarchy. The King and Queen rule over a rigid caste system, where ‘ones’ are royalty and ‘eights’ are the homeless and vagrants. Each caste has its own place in society, and moving between classes usually only occurs through marriage. America and her family are ‘fives’, making a paltry living through the arts. She is desperately in love with Aspen, who is a ‘six’. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Maxon comes of age and needs to find a wife, kicking off “The Selection”, where a girl from each province is selected to compete for the Prince’s hand. America is chosen, and moves to the palace with the other selected girls, leaving part of her heart behind. She may find refuge, friends, and even love in the palace, but she may also find friction and danger.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure this would be my sort of book. There had been a lot of hype over the series though, so I decided to see for myself. I was pleasantly surprised, and powered through the whole book over the weekend. And now I want to read the rest of the series.

The Selection is a light and entertaining read. I found it good bedtime reading. The plot is fairly simple, and easy to follow, without too many surprises. It made me think of a TV show I’ve seen advertised, The Bachelor. Finding love through reality television seems unlikely, and I have never felt the desire to watch shows like that, but I actually enjoyed reading Prince Maxon’s version. It probably had a lot to do with the characters, which I quite liked, despite being somewhat predictable.

America has character. She’s a bit fiery, had a desire to be non-conformist and frank; in fact she came across as rather rude sometimes, and doesn’t make friends easily. However, she’s still playing the game, no matter what she claims to feel about it. Aspen was harder to get my head around, he was more complex and darker than America. Handsome, of course, proud, and a little broken by his station in life. It will be interesting to see how his character develops in the next book.

Every time Prince Maxon said “My dear”, an image of a grey-haired, bespectacled man wearing a maroon cardigan with a rumpled dress shirt underneath, came to mind. I’m not sure that was the image the Prince was really going for! He is meant to be young, strong, handsome, but once that image popped into my head, it stayed there. He has been thrust into a position of power and must bear it the best he can, seeming brittle and strong on the outside, while really being rather shy and inexperienced at life. Since he doesn’t get out of the palace much, it’s not such a surprise.

The Selection is suitable for high school students. I will be reading the second book in the series, The Elite, to see how things progress.

Feb20

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Posted on by
Standard

illuminae coverIlluminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, paperback novel, 599 pages, published by Allen & Unwin in 2015.

It’s the year 2575 on an icy planet in the far reaches of the ‘verse where a large corporation has set up an illegal mining operation. Here, teenagers Kady Grant and Ezra Mason have just undergone a messy breakup. That doesn’t seem quite as important when their settlement is attacked by the mega warships of a rival corporation. A few ships manage to evacuate some of the population, Kady and Ezra among them. Unfortunately the ships are damaged in the battle, leaving them unable to leap through space, and the next way-point is six months away. The pursuing battleship may not be the worst to come though, with a serious viral outbreak, a command covering up important information and an artificial intelligence unit that may just be a little crazy.

Uniquely told through a compilation of interviews, emails, instant messaging logs, security camera transcripts, memorandums, and the artificial intelligence unit’s records, Illuminae is extremely creative. The contents are made to look as if they could be part of a file about the destruction of Kerenza and the pursuit if its three ships, the Alexander, Hypatia and Copernicus. This is supported by interesting graphics and different formats and text for different styles of documents. It is cleverly done and really suits the tone of the book.

I found the story both intriguing and compelling, reading through it in just a couple of days. There was a lot going on within the book. First, Kady and Ezra have parted on less than amicable terms, but with everything different after the attack, they may have a chance to at least be friends again. Then there are the conditions on the ships, cramped quarters, jobs to do, and the command keeping secrets from the general population. Kady becomes increasingly interested in what it really happening, and begins hacking various parts of the ships’ records and communication channels. She’s searching for the truth, but what she finds isn’t good. The effects of the viral infection is quite disturbing. Within such a confined space, it was inevitable for such an infection to spread rapidly, but the way it distorts its victims is horrifying. And the way the artificial intelligence unit, AIDAN, reacts is even more horrifying! It makes some decisions that are difficult to comprehend, all for “the good of the fleet”. AIDAN has so much control over the ship Alexander, giving it power without any of the compassion and compromise that humans use to make decisions and draw conclusions. There is a lesson in there about dependency on artificial intelligence… might it ever be able to adapt to leave the restraints of its human creators behind? And what consequences would that bring about?

There were a lot of characters too, but Kady is the lead. She is unconventional, intelligent, courageous and loyal. I felt like I was riding the roller-coaster alongside her, feeling her triumphs and her defeats. A complex and well developed character whose story I enjoyed immensely. Ezra was also well developed, though I didn’t feel like I got to know him quite as well. The other main character was really AIDAN, despite it being man-made code and programming, AIDAN was very much alive during this book. At first I disliked it very much, and wondered how humans could get to the point of putting their lives so squarely in the hands of such a program. As the story progressed and I got to know AIDAN better, it became increasingly clear that this was a human creation beginning to form something akin to humanity within its programming. It was scheming, cunning and deceitful, but the way it came to care for and protect Kady made it seem so human, I couldn’t help but feel for it.

Illuminae is suitable for upper high school students and up. There is plenty of violence, some of it rather graphic, and adult themes. Any foul language has been blacked out, but I easily filled that in as I read.  The story had an air of space zombie apocalypse, with a dose of futuristic crazy for good measure. These are some of my favourite genres, and to have them all mashed together was awesome, it just worked in a way I couldn’t have forseen. An amazing, engaging, and sometimes scary or sad book told in a unique way that will be hard to forget, Illuminae is a must read for young adults and fans of science fiction.

 

 

Feb14

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Posted on by
Standard

daughter S&B coverDaughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, novel, 418 pages, published by Hodder Paperback in 2012.

In the city of Prague there lives an art student with a secret life. Karou is only seventeen, incredibly talented artistically, and sporting bright blue hair. She  lives in a flat on her own, but her family are not far away, just a knock and a step through a magical portal into Brimstone’s shop, part of Elsewhere, where he sells wishes in exchange for teeth. Karou runs errands for Brimstone, whilst also attending school. Beyond the shop is a whole other world at war, Angels pitted against Devils, and it has raged on for a century.

I raced through this enthralling fantasy novel. The plot was fast paced and gripping, at each chapter’s end, I just had to read the next one! It took most of the novel to explain Karou and Akiva, though I had an inkling of what had happened, it was more complicated and even better than I expected! I just loved it! The writing was excellent, the plot strong and the characters complex. It spoke to me, and I replied “wow”.

Karou is a unique girl. I’m envious of her blue hair and her ability to draw! How strange it must have been growing up with one foot in either world. Though Brimstone sounds scary and gruff, he obviously has a great deal of affection for Karou. The other Chimaera that raised her, whilst also looking a bit scary in their half-man half-beast bodies, love and protect Karou. Akiva is so dark and brooding, but powerful and beautiful too. His pain was palpable, likewise his passion. I also liked Zuzana, with her fierceness in such a tiny package. The characters came alive for me, I watched them fight, and love, and play.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is suitable for upper high school students and adults. Mature younger teenagers should also enjoy this engaging story, but there is some violence and sexual references. This really was an awesome read, and I am very excited about getting my hands on the next book in the trilogy, Days of Blood and Starlight.

Feb5

The Architect’s Apprentice by Colin Garrow

Posted on by
Standard

architects apprentice coverThe Architect’s Apprentice by Colin Garrow, e-book, 124 pages, published in 2015.

Young Tom has been forced to work for the unscrupulous Mr Savidge in London in 1630. He has been working hard to help support his mother and sister since his father disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Mr Savidge has Tom do many jobs for him, which sometimes includes Tom helping him to steal from houses late at night. On one such trip, Tom discovers a book that has the wrong printing date, it is a date in the future, so it must be a mistake, right? When the owner of the book, the architect Martin Deacon approaches Tom, explaining that the date is in fact correct, Tom’s life suddenly becomes much more complicated.

A complex time slip novel, The Architect’s Apprentice was engaging and intriguing. I tumbled into this fantasy adventure, with its historical London setting, working class English and description that had me wandering the crowded lanes, avoiding excrement and detritus whilst being intoxicated by the cloying odour of the Thames. It was on occassion, a little confusing, with many characters, but I felt satisfied that everything made sense in the end. There were also several surprises that I didn’t see coming!

Time travel stories are always complex due to the nature of moving through time and the possibility of changing the future or the past. This book is no exception. I love that the time breaks are in doorways, and that they exist all over London, yet few people realise it. I also liked that the characters traveled through time, yet never encountered other versions of themselves.

The children, Tom, Sarah and Emily were delightful characters, bright and inquisitive. Though they are of a station that requires them to work at such a young age to survive, they were neither down-trodden nor broken. I enjoyed seeing the way Tom and Sarah bonded with Emily through the story. Emily is rather precocious, yet it fits her superbly. Whilst the children were obviously good, it took a little longer to work out the roles of the adults. I was quite suspicious of Deacon when he first approached Tom, but as I got to know him better, I liked him. For the most part, the adults had a lot to hide, and I was often undecided as to which adult the children should trust, but that mysteriousness only added to the intrigue of the story.

While the book contains some violence, I think it would still be suitable for upper primary school students and high school students. I really enjoyed The Architect’s Apprentice, and I definitely want to read the next book in The Maps of Time series, Mortlake. There was a short preview of Mortlake at the back of the book, which served to strengthen my desire to read it.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Jan30

Gone by Christine Kersey

Posted on by
Standard

gonecoverGone by Christine Kersey, e-book, 230 pages, published by Sapphire Creek Press in 2013.

Morgan is a teenager that thinks she is being treated unfairly by her parents. She also perceives them to be biased towards her younger sister, Amy. So in a huff she runs away into the woods nearby her house. It starts getting cold and Morgan gets lost, finally taking shelter in a little hut she finds among the trees. After a large storm which damages the hut, Morgan must find another way out. She follows a tunnel, which leads her right into an alternate universe, where it is illegal to be overweight, and the government enforces this rule by locking people up in fat farms. Will Morgan ever find her way home?

This novel is set in a parallel universe, where things are the same, but not the same as we know them. The main difference that Morgan finds in her new world is that the government is monitoring everyone’s weight, and it is illegal to become overweight. If this occurs, the person is forcibly taken into a weight loss facility, where they must stay in prison like conditions until they drop the weight. And they have to pay for it themselves, which has created an abundance of very poor families struggling to survive after a family member has been committed for rehabilitation. As a premise, this held a lot of promise, and I quite enjoyed the plot. It was disturbing and intriguing how much everyone was focused on diet, exercise and weight.

One thing that bothered me was what happened to the Morgan that had been living in the alternate universe? She was on a camping trip, and just disappeared, but where to and how? I kept expecting her to turn up and claim Morgan as an imposter. Maybe she was forced into Morgan’s world, which then begs the question of what’s happening back there? I’m just curious…

I found Morgan a little whiny and immature. I’m a bit appalled that she would run away at sixteen because they moved to a new house and her mum said she couldn’t have a new phone, it’s selfish to say the least. And it’s somewhat stupid to wander into a forest during winter without proper supplies or protection, especially in a location with a high likelihood of snow at that time of year. I know she’s young, but a bit of commonsense would have gone a long way to preventing her trip through the time-space continuum! I think she improved as a person whilst in the alternate universe, but not enough to protect her family. She was too proud and self righteous to back down from the nasty girl at school, despite knowing that it wasn’t a good idea. The other characters didn’t make much of an impression on me.

I think this could have been a great book. It was let down by the irritating nature of the main character, and the lack of other interesting characters. It didn’t capture my attention enough for me to seek out the second book in the series.

Gone was an easy read suitable for upper primary school and high school students. The novel is very clean, with a little superficial romance, and no foul language. It is the first book in the Parallel Trilogy.