Taming the TBR | Mini Review Compilation #1

I haven't done a book review in a while (or any post for that matter) for a couple of reasons, and I thought why not make 1 big post of mini book reviews for the backlog of books I've been meaning to review instead of writing an individual post for each read.

The reviews below will be from book club picks and random reads from my overflowing TBR pile.

                                            

Neverwhere 

by Neil Gaiman

Published September 2nd 2003 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Under the streets of London there's a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

Richard Mayhew, a young businessman, is going to find out more than enough about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his workday existence and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and utterly bizarre. And a strange destiny awaits him down here, beneath his native city: Neverwhere. [1]

Review: This book was one of our book of the month picks for our book club in 2017. I must confess I am partial to Neil Gaiman's work ever since I read Stardust, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book years ago. So reading Neverwhere was a walk in the park and totally meets expectation for the dark fantastical world that Neil so expertly creates. If you've encountered Neil Gaiman's work before be sure to add this to you reading list. It's worth it.

____________________________________________

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

(Rise of the Empress #1)

by Julie C. Dao
Published October 10th 2017 by Philomel Books
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute. [2]

Review: We don't always see the origin stories of the antagonists. The only other story like this that I read was Fairest by Marissa Meyer. It was a Novella in between Cress and Winter and it told the story of Queen Levana - also the Evil Queen in Snow White. 

I liked the character development of Xifeng because I saw the internal battle she had between her desire for love and ambition. She wasn't all that bad but she's been bombarded by her Aunts witchcraft and supposed fate or destiny. She wanted to run away with handsome and hardworking Wei (Way), but I guess she didn't fight the darkness hard enough.

The book was a little slow at first but I guess that was needed for word building, to lay out the foundation that the Evil Queen was not really bad but she had to do what she had to do. This is book is the first in maybe a trilogy or series and although I didn't rate it as high as I wanted to, I would definitely read the next books in the series.

____________________________________________

Three Dark Crowns

(Three Dark Crowns #1)

by Kendare Blake

Published September 20th 2016 by HarperTeen

Rating: ⭐⭐

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. [3]

Review: I know I'm not alone is saying I got confused. The story revolves around 3 sisters, triplets born to the last Queen, and one of them is destined to replace their mother. I wasn't sure which of the protagonist I liked because they were still being introduced. Can you say slow? The laying out of the characters foundation took up the whole book jumping from 1 sister to the other and the families they group up  with. I originally rated this 3 stars in Goodreads but after this review I have to bump it down to 2 stars. A little disappointing after all the hype and recs.

One Dark Throne

(Three Dark Crowns #2)

by Kendare Blake
Published September 19th 2017 by Harper Teen

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other. [4]

Review: I was dreading going in to this book because of the very confusing feeling left to me by the first. I did want to read it though because I wanted to see if the 2nd book was at least better. I guess it kinda was. The bright side to book 2 is the twist in the story when Arsinoe discovers she's a Poisoner. I'm thinking I like her the best. And if 2 of the sisters were indeed switched when they were sent to the family factions then Katharine would be a Naturalist. But I have no freaking Idea what the heck happened to her when Pieter pushed her off that pit.

I am still hoping for their Island to be ruled by all three sisters together. Please let this happen. I have a slightly better rating for the second book and I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my expectations low on the next book(s).

____________________________________________

Now I Rise

(The Conqueror's Saga #2)

by Kiersten White 

Published June 27th 2017 by Delacorte Press

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself.

After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada Dracul is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won…and souls will be lost. [5]

Review: I had a hard time remembering the continuity in this book at the beginning. It's one of those stories that didn't stick with me that much but when I was a few chapters in it all made sense again. We follow the alternate stories of Lada and Radu as they make sense of the world as adults and coming into their inheritance as Dracul children. The book revolves mostly around the battle for Constantinople and the politics they have to weave through. It's a litte boring in some places but the small scenes where we read how Lada needs a ladies made or the spying of Radu's "wife" makes for a still interesting read.

After checking my to-do list I realized I actually had about 12 books I need to review so I am breaking this into 2 posts and then the last 2 books will have their own review post. Watch out for part 2 of these mini book reviews.

____________________________________________

Thank you for dropping by. Tell me what you think of these books. 

Click on the follow button to the right to get more awesome content.