Queens of Renthia Trilogy Book I: The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst

From Goodreads:
An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms. 

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood

I seem to be reviewing a lot of trilogies/series as of late. 

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed most things, but I found a few specific things to be a bit lacking as far as development goes. I can't really get into detail without spoilers, but I will attempt to explain. I found the writing to be very well-d0ne, and I found the characters and magic system to be unique and interesting. I think some of my grievances may be addressed or fleshed out in the sequels.

The nice thing about this book is how grounded the main characters are. I felt like Dalenia didn't really change all that much (except for growing as a person) when she realized she had the potential to become the next queen. I found her development to be realistic and her arc flowed naturally. One thing I really enjoyed about this character is that she wasn't The Best at everything she did; she did make mistakes, and she wasn't perfect at everything she did right off the bat, only deciding to stay in the program to right wrongs of previous generations, which made her very down-to-earth and easier to connect to. I also really enjoyed was her relationships with the other girls at the school. Something that was unique about this book is that it had focus on characters that you wouldn't necessarily expect, such as the Headmistress of the Academy that Dalenia attended until teaming up with Ven.

I loved the magic system of this world. I found Sarah Beth Durst was very adept at explaining this world and the magic system within it without seeming like an info-dump. I could so easily picture this world. Her descriptions were lush and luminous and worked well to further the mythos of this world, which I think will expand upon itself in the second and third books of this series. The political intrigue was never stale or boring and provided some great twists and turns that were equally as interesting. This book does a really good job at setting the groundwork for books two and three for both the world/magic system as well as the political system. 

Some of the pacing, however, was a bit spotty. While it was very easy to read, there were so many time skips that it was hard to keep up at parts. Because of all these time jumps, certain relationships didn't seem as developed as they could have or feel as though they come out of nowhere due to the time jumps that happen so frequently. I understand why they are there, but maybe some flashbacks or a cut-scene would help to further develop some relationships. 

All in all, I found this to be a good foundation for an interesting high fantasy series. While I did have some issues with pacing and time jumps that made certain relationships seem out of left field, the world-building, magic system, and characters were all very well fleshed out and developed. I think this is a solid start to the trilogy. On the whole it's a great introduction to a series that promises for more political intrigue and twists. I'm going to give The Queen of Blood a 3.5/5 - it's a solid start to a promising series. 

The Falconer Trilogy Book III: The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May

From Goodreads:
Find life.
Deep in a forest, Aileana Kameron claws her way out of the earth. Back from the dead with no memory of who she is or what has happened to her, the Falconer now possesses even greater otherworldly powers and a ruthless instinct to kill—and the one piece of knowledge that can change everything.

Find Kiaran.
Two fae monarchs, Aithinne and Kadamach, stand on the brink of war, and according to an ancient curse, one must die at the hand of the other or all the worlds will perish. Once, Kadamach was known as Kiaran, and he was mentor, protector, and lover to Aileana. Now, under the grip of the curse, his better nature seems lost forever.

Find the book.
Aileana’s only hope lies in the legendary Book of Remembrance, a book of spells so powerful that it can break the fae curse and even turn back time. But the book has been lost for centuries, and many are looking for it, including its creator, the Morrigan—a faery of terrifying malevolence and cruelty.

Sacrifice everything.
To obtain the book and defeat the Morrigan, Aileana must form an unthinkable alliance, one that challenges every vow she has made to herself—even as the powers that brought her to life are slowly but surely killing her.

This book had me crying on the bus. 

Elizabeth May is a phenomenal storyteller and I didn't want this story to end. If she upped the ante by 10 in The Vanishing Throne, she upped it to 100 here. This conclusion, like its two predecessors packs a punch and creates something so unique and wonderful.

This book has the perfect combination of action, fantasy, history, and everything else that is present in this trilogy. In this book especially, we get to see how flawed Kiaran and Aileana really are. The great thing about Elizabeth May's writing is that she never shies away from anything, and creates dark and emotional scenes. Each of these books is darker than the previous one. And, as always, the world-building continues to be on point, building on the eerie atmosphere of the previous installment that was built upon from book one.

The writing style continues to be sharp and witty with moments of beauty and moments of fear and violence. I would say that this is the darkest of the three novels, because, as I said, May doesn't shy away from how dark her characters can become. This series has been a roller-coaster from start to finish, and this one has as many twists and turns as the previous two, if not more. 

In The Fallen Kingdom, we get to see everything that has been laid out come to fruition. We get amazing pay-offs to things that were set up in The Falconer. Even the more villainous characters get payoffs and explanations for why they are the way that they are. I really liked how Catherine, who, while on the sidelines a bit more in this book, came into her own in these books, and was an integral part of the story instead of being oblivious and not knowing what is really going on. 

There are moments of heartbreaking emotion (as I said, this one had me crying on the bus - gratefully I was at the back and the only other person on the bus was at the front end of the bus), unthinkable darkness, and tiny shimmers of hope. I loved how Elizabeth May was able to weave all of those together in her writing and wrap everything up neatly. 

While I did have some minor nitpick-y issues with how quickly everything ended and was wrapped up, I loved this book. It was dark and emotional and grim, but also filled with hope and optimism. This series has been a roller-coaster, with this one having the most twists and turns. I had a great time reading these books (even if this one did have me weeping on the bus), and I have to give this book a 5/5 - so well-done and impossible to put down. 

The Falconer Trilogy Book II: The Vanishing Throne

From Goodreads:
Everything she loved is gone.

Trapped. Aileana Kameron, the Falconer, disappeared through the fae portal she was trying to close forever. Now she wakes in an alien world of mirrors, magic, and deception—a prisoner of the evil fae Lonnrach, who has a desperate and deadly plan for his new captive.

Tortured. Time after agonizing time Lonnrach steals Aileana’s memories, searching for knowledge to save his world. Just when she’s about to lose all hope, Aileana is rescued by an unexpected ally and returns home, only to confront a terrifying truth. The city of Edinburgh is now an unrecognizable wasteland. And Aileana knows the devastation is all her fault.

Transformed. The few human survivors are living in an underground colony, in an uneasy truce with a remnant of the fae. It is a fragile alliance, but an even greater danger awaits: the human and fae worlds may disappear forever. Only Aileana can save both worlds, but in order to do so she must awaken her latent Falconer powers. And the price of doing so might be her life…

The second book in The Falconer Trilogy doesn't let up for a second! 

I loved this book even more than the first novel in this series. This book picks up right where the last one left off and Elizabeth May hits the ground running in this second installment in the trilogy. Much like the first novel, May has created a unique version of nineteenth century Scotland; this one has been laid to waste and it's so refreshing to see how she envisions what Scotland would be like if it was decimated. There are many twists and turns, and yet again our heroes are tested.

What Elizabeth May does so well in The Vanishing Throne is that she builds upon what she laid down in The Falconer. In this second installment she takes the magic and wonder from the first, and twists it, leaving a grim, somber, mystical, and angst-filled (in the true sense of the word) world in the wake of the wonderment and delight of the world that was present in the first novel. There are some moments of discomfort, especially in the scenes where she is held captive, that made me squirm, but there are also moments of hope and wonderment as well. 

The characters in this novel continue to grow from their first outing, and not even the new characters introduced in this one are free from being morally grey. The thing I love so much about these characters, Alieana especially, is that they know that they are flawed. They know that they're not perfect. And they want to better themselves, but it's not completely possible in the world that they are living in. I love the continuing connection and growing love between Alieana and Kiaran, completely throwing away any and all notions of a love triangle that were only hinted at in The Falconer. I love how they are on the same page (most of the time) and any of the angst that is between them is not over the top or melodramatic. 

We have growth in our lead characters, and additionally, we see more of what is at stake. Where I think Elizabeth May shines brightest is in the quiet character moments that show just how far they've come and how much they have lost and how far they still have to go. 

The Vanishing Throne takes what The Falconer did and amplifies it by 10. It builds upon things that were set up in the first novel and ups the ante. We continue to get great character development and great quiet moments between our characters. While the first novel wasn't light and airy by any stretch of the imagination, this one makes everything much more dark and deep, creating a grim atmosphere of eerie foreboding. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am going to give it 5/5.

The Falconer Trilogy Book I: The Falconer by Elizabeth May

From Goodreads:
She's a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.

She's a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she's leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sìthíchean—the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans—and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.

She's a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons—from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols—ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.

She's a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother's murder—but she'll have to save the world first.

This book is the first in a trilogy. Combining historical fiction with steampunk and a healthy dash of fantasy and Celtic mythology, this was a great first installment. I could not read this book quickly enough. I inhaled this book in about one sitting. 

The characters in this book were so well-developed and well-realized. I loved how flawed both of the protagonists (Alieana and Kiaran) were and how they were depicted as being morally grey. Usually I balk at the double-life trope that this book employs, being cliche and uninteresting, but here it works in spades and shows the great contrast that is Alieana's life - between what she is supposed to be and who she really is. One thing that I really loved was how her best friend wasn't oblivious to what was really going on, and was aware that there was more going on than what was attempted to being explained away by Alieana. Even the side characters were well-developed.

The chemistry between Alieana and Kiaran, too. Oh, my goodness. There were hints of a love triangle, but that was quickly eliminated and ended up not being the case whatsoever, which is such a relief. This book was so refreshing in that it didn't adhere to the traditional "double-life" cliches in which there is a love interest in each world. I also like how the romance parts were kind of a back-burner thing - it was there, it was important, but the two leads were more focused on saving the world than their feelings ... mostly. 

The world-building in this novel was superbly done. I love how Elizabeth May combined history with fantasy and steampunk, creating an alternative history in a way. I'm partially Scottish, so I was super pleased that this takes place in Scotland in the nineteenth century. There should be more novels set in Scotland. Additionally, May's writing style is incredible, with witty dialogue, Celtic language, and slow building reveals. Nothing is ever too quickly revealed unless it's integral to the plot. 

One teeny-tiny gripe I have is how certain things are not explained as well as they could be. It's a small gripe because this is only the first book in the trilogy and things need to be saved for the next two books. I found it equally refreshing and aggravating that it ended on a cliffhanger. Not many books end on cliffhangers nowadays, but if I were reading these books as they were being published, I wouldn't want to wait at least a year to find out what happens next. 

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this book. It had all the right amounts of history, steampunk, fantasy, and Celtic/Scottish mythology. I found the faeries of this world to be sinister and chilling. While I did have a few minor issues with the novel, they were not major, as this is the first in a trilogy, and not everything can be revealed or resolved right off the bat. With realistic characters, sharp dialogue, unique and strong world-building, and an intriguing alternate history of mid-nineteenth century Scotland, The Falconer is a great start to a trilogy, and I'm going to give it a 4/5 - it's one of the strongest first-in-a-trilogy novels I've read in a while, and it will only get better from here. 

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

From Goodreads:
What if the world holds more dangers—and more wonders—than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world? From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path.

I read Heather Dixon's debut novel Entwined years ago when it was released, and really enjoyed it. Imagine my delight when I discovered that she published a second novel. 

Like Entwined, this book is very imaginative and well laid-out. The world-building is very well-done. I could totally imagine the setting that Dixon was portraying. I like the steampunk as a subgenre, so I was glad that that was an integral part of the world that this book is in. It's aerial and light, almost taking on an ethereal vibe in parts. I loved how there were many explorations of space-time and physics. I'm really horrible with physics, so I was glad that it was simplified here (mostly - there were a few formulas here and there that threw me off my course).

Once the story got started, it was very enjoyable and interesting. I did predict some of the plot twists, but I found that that did not detract from my enjoyment of it. I found that it took some time before the plot got really going. It didn't falter, it just took its time, but I was not one hundred percent engaged until about halfway through. The fantastical elements and the complete imagination that went into Heather Dixon's writing cannot go without saying, which helped me stick around for some of the slower parts. 

The characters were interestng for the most part. I found Jonathan to be a bit pompous in parts, but I feel like that was a) intentional and b) a reflection of a stereotypical 19th century gentleman. I found his footnotes to be very amusing. The character I ended up loving the most was Lockwood, who, at first, I thought was going to be a minor side character, but then ended up stealing the show. You go, Lockwood! I enjoyed the character(s) of Hannah/Anna, who was the catalyst for the main plot, as well as the villain, although I did sometimes find the villain to be a bit mustache-twirling and hammy at parts, but again, I think that was intentional to poke fun at stereotypes. 

All in all, while there were a few halts along the way, I did really enjoy this book. I found the world-building to be creative and imaginative. Illusionarium takes a subgenre and makes it its own. With interesting characters, and an enjoyable plot, there were a few times where the plot stalled or the charaters were not completely fleshed out, but that didn't detract too much from my enjoyment. Overall, I had a good time. I did enjoy Heather Dixon's first novel slightly more, but on the whole, this one was pretty good too. I'm going to give Illusionarium a 3.5/5 - while there were a few iffy moments, it was made up for by a detailed world with witty imagination.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Rant)

From Goodreads:
Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Sigh. 

All-aboard the unpopular opinion train!

I love fae stories. I love the idea of the Faerie Otherworld. I took a year-long English course on Monsters and Faeries in Middle English literature that was amazing. I don't know what I was expecting with this book, but it wasn't what I ended up with. I got this book to read in the car on my way home from a weekend trip to Ottawa over the May long-weekend. The premise, combined with the high star rating on Goodreads and all the hype surrounding it, intrigued me, and I was hopeful for a great, groundbreaking read about a human raised in a Fae environment. 

I point you back to my Sigh. 

It could be that I read so many five-star reviews before picking this book up. I was cautiously optimistic going in. On the bright side, the writing style made it for an easy read. But everything else was ... lacking

The main characters are insufferable. We never get any logical development for them, or explanation for their motivations, specifically with the main character/narrator Jude. Her actions (as well as the Faerie world she now lives in) were thrown at you with no explanation or reasoning. I did, however, really like the characterization of the stepmother, Oriana. I found she had the most compelling storyline, and wish she got more focus than she did. I hated the interactions between Jude and Cardan. The reasoning for his treatment of her was cliche and problematic. I won't get into semantics, but I'm really over the "guy doesn't know how to address his feelings for a woman so he's mean and bullying to her" trope in YA literature. It sends the wrong message and it's insulting as all hell. 

Natasha is also unimpressed with this trope and would like for it to stop

I felt like the pacing was uneven. Although it was written in such a way that it was easy to get through, the pacing sucked. Entire chapters would go by where nothing of consequence would happen, and then the last quarter was non-stop action and it made me even more frustrated. While it did set up for a sequel that's coming in 2019, it's not one that I'm going to read.

Guys, I tried. I really did. I really wanted to enjoy this book. But nothing happened. There was very little character development or world-building. While Holly Black has a good writing style, the pacing sucked and there was minimal explanation for character motivations. Most egregious, however, would have to be the reason for Cardan's poor treatment of Jude. I'm all for enemies to lovers in a way that is logical and doesn't involve one-sided bullying or bantering. This was not the case. I was cautiously optimistic due to the rave reviews, but I couldn't do it. I'm giving The Cruel Prince a 1.5/5 solely for the ease of reading this book and the development of Oriana, the stepmother. 

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett

From Goodreads:
All Jamie Allenby ever wanted was space. Even though she wasn’t forced to emigrate from Earth, she willingly left the overpopulated, claustrophobic planet. And when a long relationship devolved into silence and suffocating sadness, she found work on a frontier world on the edges of civilization. Then the virus hit...

Now Jamie finds herself dreadfully alone, with all that’s left of the dead. Until a garbled message from Earth gives her hope that someone from her past might still be alive.

Soon Jamie finds other survivors, and their ragtag group will travel through the vast reaches of space, drawn to the promise of a new beginning on Earth. But their dream will pit them against those desperately clinging to the old ways. And Jamie’s own journey home will help her close the distance between who she has become and who she is meant to be... 

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. Like other reviewers that I have come across, I thought this would focus more on the virus and the decimation of the human population. Space sickness is cool to read about. But I was pleasantly surprised when it ended up being about survival in more than just one way and found myself enjoying it more than I probably would have if it had focused more on the virus. 

This is Anne Corlett's first novel, and it reads as if she has multiple novels under her belt. Everything was so carefully plotted out and the characters were so human it ached. To say it was well-written would be saying that the Titanic was a minor boating accident. While the summary hinted that there would be a lot of isolation in the literal sense, this was not the case, however, it was the case in a metaphorical one. Although she soon finds herself in the midst of a motley crew of people, they all have demons and flaws. Each of the characters is so realistically developed and layered. While there were a few moments where specific characters felt more like caricatures, this book is more so about human nature/interactions and coming together after a tragedy or disaster and learning to live after it. In this way The Space Between the Stars reminded me of Station Eleven, another book that I love with a similar setup. 

As I already mentioned, the characters are so flawed and layered. While this would have been overbearing in other novels, it is important and necessary here in order to establish connections and rivalries. If the characters were cheerful and happy all the time, it would have been a farce. I love how I don't always like certain characters' actions because it makes them more human and realistic. I enjoyed the dynamics between all of the characters, and it made for a compelling read. If they had been perfect people or less flawed, it woudn't have been quite so engaging, especially since it is an examination of humanity and human nature.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Had it not been for a family gathering, I would have read this book in one fell swoop, but I did manage to finish it in one day (well, technically I finished it following midnight, but semantics). While I had a few quibbles, they were minor, and did not detract so much that I had to deduct from my star rating. This is an incredible novel about loneliness and isolation and coming together as well as an examination of human nature and what humanity would do in the face of unmitigated disaster. The characters were carefully developed and realistically portrayed. With rich, beautiful, and aching writing and an incredible examination of what it means to be human, this book is a stunner, and I'm going to give it 5/5 - I highly recommend it.