Antigoddess

Title: Antigoddess

Author: Kendare Blake

First Published: September 10th, 2013

Series: Goddess War #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Greek Mythology

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

My Rating: 8/10

Goodreads Summary:

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Let's first begin with the cover. It is beautiful. I love it so much! It's dark and captivating, so you know this isn't your Percy-Jackson-type book. Yes, it's based on Greek Mythology, but it's like the complete opposite of PJ.

Athena. One word. Badass. (Sorry for the language). But yes, she travels the world (whilst dying) with Hermes (who is also dying) to find Cassandra, who they hope will be able to help them. Along the way, they meet up with some old friends and foes. Everything is dying in this book. The gods, mostly. Each and every one of them are cursed to die in a painful, slow, humiliating way. Athena is choking on feathers. Artemis is hunted down. Demeter has melted down as part of the ground. You get the gist of it. But I thought this was a strong idea. You see these all-powerful beings, sometimes arrogant, being doomed to a humiliating fate. And now the gods need a human's help to solve everything.

Cassandra and Adain - they are one of the main ships in this book. I find them cute, and the chemistry was there, but Kendare Blake didn't do such a good job at letting us know. Her writing is good, just not when it comes to romance. Same goes for Athena and Odysseus. I get they are love, but I'm not feeling it.

Here in this book, the gods are portrayed more human than anything. Athena, Hermes and Apollo especially. Athena is more like a teenage girl, with the burning need to protect and save her family. Apollo flings everything away for a girl. Hermes is just along for the ride.

The book consists mainly of 80% running from evil, 10% finding Cassandra and 10% discussing things without taking any action. Sure, when Athena finally confronts Hera, the scene is written vividly - it isn't at all difficult to imagine it. But the problem is: the plot unravelled way too slowly. There wasn't much action. It was just conversations and running from everything until they thought of a plan. Other than that, it was good.

If you're looking for some mythology-based books, here is one. It's a darker version of Greek Mythology, the good guys and bad guys are jumbled up, but it's a good book nonetheless.

My Chosen Quote:

“For the record I don't believe in Fate. I believe that the pieces have been placed. The ending hasn't been written yet.”

Cinder

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

First Published: January 3rd, 2012

Series: The Lunar Chronicles

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 390

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

One of my favourite fairy-tale retellings! A spin-off from the original Cinderella, Cinder tells the story of a cyborg girl in New Beijing. Prince Charming? Check. Evil Stepmother? Check. Ugly Stepsisters? Check. Well, one of them is. Blending Fantasy and Sci-Fi together, Marissa Meyer creates a world where nothing is as it seems.

Cinder is a very interesting character because 1. she's a cyborg and 2. she's a mechanic. How many mechanics do you read about these days? Skilled at her job, she does her best to survive in her harsh family and tries her hardest to find a way to leave. Things seem fine right? Until her sister Peony catches the deadly disease (letumosis) and eventually dies. Cinder is sent off to be a test subject, where she finds out that not only is she immune to letumosis, she is also not who she thought she was.

Throughout the book, we can see that Cinder is a strong-willed character who doesn't really care for anything but the greater good. Her character develops slowly: from naive mechanic to brave, strong girl. At the end, we see Cinder determined to find a way out of this mess. I'm glad that she didn't decide to roll over and give up. Many people in her shoes would've done so. I mean, being kept custody by Lunars? I bet their security is at level 9000.

Cinder is a great book perfect for those who love fairy-tale retellings. Who could ask for more?

My Chosen Quote:

Even in the future the story begins with Once Upon A Time.

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

So, I'd like to begin with thanking Erika @ Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between for nominating me! :)

So, rules.

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their website
2. Use the award logo in your post
3. Answer the 10 questions provided by the blogger who tagged you
4. Nominate 10 bloggers
5. Ask them 10 questions

To the questions!

1. What book have you reread the most?

I've reread Percy Jackson and the Olympians countless of times. The spines of the books are creased so some pages are close to falling out :( But that series is so good! I regret nothing. :)

2. Most anticipated read(s) coming out this year?

- Half Lost by Sally Green. Coming out in March 2016, according to Goodreads. It's going to be the last book in the Half Life trilogy, and I can't wait to see how it ends! Plus, I wanna see if my ship is going to set sail ;)
- Winter by Marissa Meyer! November 2015. I can't wait!! The Lunar Chronicles is my favourite retelling of the original fairytales, especially how its blended in with Sci-Fi. Fun!
- The Rose Society by Marie Lu, which comes out in October 2015! Yay! We'll meet way more malfettos and we'll see how Adelina is holding up.

3. What's your favourite genre?

My favourite genres are Fantasy and Sci-Fi. I don't mind some Contemporary Fiction, but I prefer the former two.

4. Paperback, hardcover, ebook, or audiobook?

Paperback! I love being able to hold real books, instead of reading on a screen. I don't like audiobooks as much because I get restless after a while. Hardcover is okay, but I prefer not to get those because they are more difficult to carry around. But the dust jackets are always really nice... :)

5. Do you read before you sleep?

Yep! I try to finish up the chapter, unless it's a cliffhanger, then I continue for a bit more.

6. Top three favourite book couples?

1. Percy and Annabeth. How can you not love them? They're really cute together, and they work well as a team. Their conversations are also really funny to read, except for the time they fell into Tartarus together. Now that wasn't fun to read.
2. Maxon and America are awesome. They started off hating one another (more like America hating Maxon and Maxon crushing on America) but slowly developed their relationship. The love triangle was insignificant anyways. We could all see that America and Maxon would end up together.
3. Aristotle and Dante. They're polar opposites but it works out nonetheless. They're so cute! Dante is the sweet, calm one and Aristotle is the badass one. What's more to love?

7. Do you listen to music while reading?

At times I do - especially if I'm on the bus, but sometimes I get distracted listening to the music, then realising I've read the same sentence 10 times. I try not to listen to music while reading.

8. Prettiest book you have/have seen?

The prettiest book I own? Champion by Marie Lu has a really nice cover. Especially since the words are pop-up. Also, A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd is pretty as well. I have the hardcover version (because I had no other choice) and the dust jacket is beautiful. Plus, the pages of the book are jagged and the texture feels really old.

9. Do you like reading buddies? If so, what book have you read with a buddy/want to read with a buddy?

I like reading buddies, but I haven't tried it out before. I'd love to read Winter with a reading buddy, or the Rose Society because I feel that we will be drowning in our feels after we finish.

10. Three under-hyped authors you love?

1. Kendare Blake, who wrote Anna Dressed In Blood and Antigoddess. I've only read Antigoddess, but it's a thrilling book! Great for all those fantasy lovers out there.
2. Megan Shepherd, author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy. It's based on the darker classics, and it puts a twist on them.
3. Robyn Schneider, who wrote The Beginning of Everything and Extraordinary Means. I like the Beginning Of Everything more. She's one of my favourite Contemporary Fiction writers.

My Questions:

1. What is your favourite genre?
2. Which book/series do you think deserves more recognition than it gets?
3. Which character traits annoy you the most?
4. Do you read books in other languages?
5. Which character do you relate most to?
6. Which fictional world would you love to live in?
7. If you could go back in time to get the first edition copy of a book, which book would it be?
8. If you could have a magical power, what would it be?
9. You can ask your favourite author one question. What is it?
10. If there was one book you wish you could wipe from your memory, which one would it be?

My Nominees:

1. Shannon @ The Tale Temptress
2. Annie @ The Original Booker
3. Cody-Leigh @ Literary-Ly Obsessed
4. Tasya @ The Literary Huntress
5. Caroline @ Just Another Bookish Blog
6. Laura @ Blue Eye Books
7. Kitty @ My Little Corner for Books
8. Kelly @ Here's to Happy Endings
9. Charnell @ Reviews from a Bookworm
10. Lucy @ Queen of Contemporary

If you've already been nominated, I'm sorry! But if you haven't and you think this seems fun, go ahead!

Book Combo Tag

Okay, I'd like to thank Tasya from The Literary Huntress for tagging me! Thanks :)

I'd like to tag:
1. Laura @ Blue Eye Books
2. Cody-Leigh @ Literary-ly Obsessed
3. Caroline @ Just Another Bookish Blog

1. Which two authors would you like to see put their writing skills together and write a new book?

I'm hoping for a collaboration between Marissa Meyer and Marie Lu to create a dark fantasy series! From what I've read from both authors, a mix between something Dystopian and Fantastical will be awesome! Dark fantasy though :)

2. What's your favourite author collaboration?

My favourite? Hmm... I think my favourite collaboration must be The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. I really liked the concept, especially how they tried so hard to change their future through what they see on Facebook. Funny right? I really liked the style of their writing as well. Usually when two authors co-write, it's really easy to tell who is who, but here, their words blend in and it's a perfect novel.

3. If you could combine two completely different stories and make them a book of their own what would it be and what would their combined title be?

I'd love to do this with the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo and the Age of Legends series by Kelly Armstrong. Two worlds with terrifying creatures, protagonists against the force of evil... Plus, there's all that tension between the love interests. And no, I don't mean love triangles. This is different. ;)

I'd call it Death and Sorrow because everyone dies. I'd call it Thunder of Night, because it fits both books' dark themes.

4. Which two characters from different books would you ship?

If I would, I'd ship the Darkling from the Grisha trilogy and Adelina from the Young Elites. Why? I think that they have similar personalities, and I think they'd get along well. Even if it might mean plotting to take control of the world together.

5. Which two worlds from two different stories would you like to see come together to make one epic world?

I'd merge Ravka and the Earth as it is from the Lunar Chronicles. It would be epic, especially to see droids running around trying in the Fold and (the nicer) Lunars teaming up with Grisha.

6. Which duology/ trilogy/ series would you have liked to have been one book?

I think Matched could've been better off as one book, and cut out all the insignificant parts in Crossed. Is it just me, or was Crossed a huge pile of I-don't-care? Matched was I'm-loving-this and once I got to Reached, it was good-ending. Reached also dragged on for way too long. My favourite parts were Ky's chapters though.

The Young Elites

"Everyone has darkness inside
them, however hidden."

Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu

First Published: 2014

Series: The Young Elites #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

My Rating: 9.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

One word: phenomenal. This book blew me away, like every one of Marie Lu's books. Her writing is fresh and doesn't disappoint, even though she may seem like a typical YA author.

So, let's take a look. There's a girl, Adelina. She's the protagonist of our story, but she is definitely not the most perfect person there is. A malfetto, a disgrace to humanity. Being hunted by the Inquisition and forced to spy on the Daggers against her will - this is when we really see Adelina's personality. She will do anything to protect her little sister, Violetta, no matter how much her instincts scream at her for betraying the Daggers. At first, she's desperate to be accepted into the elite community, trying her hardest to please Enzo, and even towards the end, during her last conversation with Raffaele, we can all see she's desperate for acceptance from those similar to her. However, she is also very different from all of them. She's not like our average heroine. She fights against the darkness that has latched to her heart due to her dark past, but at the same time, she embraces it with passion, making her a powerful character.

I'd also like to point out that there is Adelina and two boys, Teren and Enzo. But there is no love triangle here, and I respect that. Not every YA Dystopian book needs romance as its main theme. There is some mixed feelings between Adelina and Enzo, but nothing too detailed.

Enzo and Teren aren't all that different either. They're both boys, different but the same. Both have been forced to grow up too fast in a cruel world. However, they both chose different paths. Enzo decided to lead the Young Elites to usurp the king and snatch the throne, whereas Teren decided to lead the Inquisition to destroy all Young Elites and malfettos, but at the same time usurp the king and snatch the throne for the queen. They have different motives, but the same endgame in mind.

Then there's my absolute favourite character, Raffaele. He's a beautiful boy, second in command to Enzo (most likely). Being a consort, his life in luxurious but depressing. There is a darker past behind Raffaele, and although he seems gentle and understanding most of the time, I think there's something behind the pretty and seductive mask he always puts on. I hope we see more of him in the future books, and how the Dagger's paths will clash with Adelina's once more.

My Chosen Quote:

It is pointless to believe what you see, if you only see what you believe.

Blogger Recognition Award!

Hi everyone! I've been nominated by the awesome Erika @ Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything in Between. Thank you so much! :)

Rules:

1. Select 15 other blogs you want to give this award to. Do some digging if you must! Find those blogs. You cannot nominate yourself of the person who has nominated you.

2. Write a post to show off your award! Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two advice to new bloggers. List who nominated you in your post. Make sure to attach the award yourself!

3. Comment on each blog to let them know you've nominated them. Provide a link to your award post.

4. Provide a link to the original post on Edge of Night. This way, anyone can find the original post if needed, and we can keep it from mutating and becoming confusing!

The Story:

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved to read. But all her friends weren't interested in the books she liked to read. So, this girl decided to connect with other people who loved to read similar books as she did!

(Now back to 1st person) I started off on Goodreads, just reviewing books I've finished reading. But then, I decided I want to do more. So I started this blog, reviewing and connecting with other people. It's really fun to see how many people out there enjoy YA books like I do. It's also great knowing that there are people around the world who can read my blog, and I hope it they enjoy it!

Advice:

1. Don't panic when you see nobody is following your blog. Chances are, they've read your post, liked it but didn't bother to follow. Or don't know how to follow. It doesn't matter. The number of reads or followers shouldn't be the most important thing. If you enjoy writing reviews and blogging about your thoughts, then that should be enough!

2. Have fun with your blog! Post reviews whenever you want, design it however you want. If you like it, then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Who I Nominate:

1. Jesalin @ Life: books, the arts, and nature.
2. Laura @ Blue Eye Books
3. Baggins @ Pinker Than Fiction Reviews
4. Kelly @ Here's to Happy Endings
5. Tasya @ The Literary Huntress
6. Shannon @ The Tale Temptress
7. Skylee @ thenightgirl
8. Haley @ Paperback Heaven
9. Angelica @ Compulsive Book Buyer
10. Lily @ Nin's Letters
11. Cody-Leigh @ Literary-ly Obsessed
12. Mia @ Mia in Narnia
13. Ali @ Book Lover Thoughts
14. Saloni @ My Fantabulous Bookshelf
15. Victoria @ The Petite Book Blogger

And that's it (though I wish I could've nominated more of you lovely people). If you already have been nominated... sorry about that - I hope you don't mind! :) But to all those who haven't, you all have awesome blogs!

The 1989 Book Tag

So, I saw the 1989 Book Tag and thought it would be so much fun! I saw it first on Pinker Than Fiction Reviews but it was first created by Charnell from Reviews from a Bookworm. So, I decided to join in on the fun :) I love Taylor Swift's 1989 album (and Taylor Swift in general), and my favourite song is either I Wish You Would or Out of the Woods. What about you?

(Forgive the typos, my iPod has a really bad keyboard)

Let's go!

Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

It's a really cute story of two boys who became friends back when they were younger, and how they grow up. They're like polar opposites, and there are times during the book where you just want to cry. Their misfortune really is heart-breaking, but there is still hope that they will end up together. There are so many meaningful quotes and honestly, you'd just want to
grab a pen and write them all down. 

Champion by Marie Lu. The ending. Day. June. Need I say more? *sobs violently* Actually, I'll say a tiny bit more... When we find out Day's condition in Champion, there's a whole chance that they may never have a proper relationship anymore, even after everything they've been through. And I don't know about you, but it punched me in the heart.

This will be Shiver by Maggie Steifvater. I liked the idea of the story, but didn't like the story itself. The cover though, it was beautiful. The vines are pop-up and the words inside the book are a blue colour. The book itself seems to be so delicate. It's so pretty, and I was really disappointed when I failed to like the story. :(

It's always going to be Jem from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. He's a sweetheart, charming, passionate and a great friend. I'd think he would make a great boyfriend, not to mention the fact that he's a Nephilim ;) He's also sarcastic when he wants to be (I think he gets that from Will) :)

I will always love Harry Potter. No matter what, the characters will be there. Harry, Ron, Hermione and all the others will never fade from my memory. This is (and will stay) my favourite book series of all time. I always pick up any one of the books and start to read them again! 

I must say Shadow And Bone by Leigh Bardugo has a fantasy world that I love. Especially the Fold, all the dangerous  and dark creatures that lurk in the shadows. The kingdoms and the Grisha. Magic is everywhere, and there are many who have been corrupted. I wouldn't want to live in this world, but I really like it. Of the many of fantasy books I've read, this is one of my favourite worlds. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, where the privileged and wealthy Sinclairs are hiding a secret... and it's up to Cadence to figure out what happened exactly during the summer of her 15th birthday. The digger she deeps, the more she uncovers. And then? What she thought she knew about her family and cousins, she was wrong. I also love the twist. Who would've guessed? I didn't see it coming at all...

Abandon by Meg Cabot, where Pierce is stalked by Hades, the lord of the Underworld. He wants Pierce. And he won't stop until he gets her. I thought the idea was really cool, so I bought the book, but then I was really disappointed. I didn't like Pierce, and that ruined the whole book for me. She had no spine, and the whole book seemed way too much like the books I could read on Wattpad.

Part one: I didn't really like the Giver by Lois Lowry. I liked the dystopian idea behind it, but I didn't like Jonas. He didn't seem to be a really appealing character. The movie disappointed me even more. Is it necessary for all YA novels and movies to have romance? They forced the romantic relationship between Jonas and Fiona even more in the movie. 

Part two: I loved the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz. It doesn't get many high reviews, but I adored it. Alex Rider continues to save the world even though he hates his job. I liked each villain Alex had to face, and each at different motives to why they chose to do what they did. My favourite is Russian Roulette, the last book in the Alex Rider series - and it isn't even about Alex! It's about Yassen, the assassin Alex meets on multiple occasions. His story really links to Alex's. I love Horowitz's writing.

Hmm... I will always love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is my favourite of Percy Jackson. I prefer it over the Heroes of Olympus. My copies are practically falling apart from me reading them too many times!

I really want Half Lost by Sally Green, the last book of the Half Life trilogy. Especially after Nathan witnesses his father dying in front of him. Honestly, I think White witches are worse than the Black witches. Also, Nathan... please let my ship set sail. Choose Gabriel! Not Annalise. Please... 

Tris Prior. At first, she was awesome. Brave, badass and all that good stuff. But quickly in Insurgent, she became one of my least favourite characters. Her constant fights with Tobias/Four really irked me, and most of the time, the arguments were over pointless things. Tris is quite impulsive - which isn't necessarily a bad thing - but she doesn't even think for a moment.

Ahem, Suzanne Collins? Rue? Prim? Finnick? Boggs? Basically everyone in the series?

The Lying Game series by Sara Shepherd. It was painfully obvious who the murderer was, especially since the first book. It seems easy to overlook, but once you read between the lines, you know who the murderer is. There was no need to drag out the process of Emma suspecting basically everyone, except for the one person she should've been suspecting. 

I wish the Gone series by Michael Grant could've gone on forever. It's really fun to read about a world with no adults and how the teenagers try and restore order and keep themselves alive. It ended, but I wish it didn't. It's sort of like a modern Lord of the Flies and it's really good. It isn't all about survival - there are other things that pop up along the way. It can get pretty gory at times, and the images Grant produces are quite vivid, and that is what makes this series so good.

Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck, where in way, both Ren and Kishan got Kelsey. This is a frustrating love triangle, because I wanted her to end up with Ren, but the other part of me wanted her to end up with Kishan. I got what I wanted. In some way... 

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder was a book that was so intriguing. It's a fantasy novel and it's not everyday that you read a book about a girl who tastes foods for poison for a living. It's really interesting, and I really like the slow development between Yelena and Valek. I haven't read the other books in the series yet, but I so look forward to doing so!

I thought I loved the Pretty Little Liars series. It was good at first, until it dragged on for way too long. It should've ended with the second arc, and not drag on and on. We've known Ali was A since what, book 8? There was no need to drag it on for another eight books. No need. Exactly like the TV show. Season 6B will take place after the girls come back from uni. Really? Everything is dragging on for way too long. Ali also got really sloppy at the end (of the books). I was so disappointed in her. I expected more from A. I read that Shepherd is planning another two more books after Vicious, but I don't know if I'll read it...

I've got nothing for this category... oops :)

I waited way too long for Blood of Olympus. There were many gaps in my memory and I often found myself wondering, wait - who are you and what have you done? The book itself was wonderful, but I forgot a lot of things that happened in the previous book.

I finished Uglies by Scott Westerfield about a year ago and honestly? It was a good book while it lasted, but I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series for a while. It was a good plot, but I didn't really relate to any of the characters and I found most of them annoying. I didn't particularly like Tally, so I finished the book and returned it to the library. 

Empire Of Night

Title: Empire Of Night

Author: Kelly Armstrong

First Published: 2015

Series: Age of Legends (Book 2)

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

My Rating: 8.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

Sisters Moria and Ashyn are the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood.

Or at least, they were. Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now, the emperor has sent them on a mission to rescue the children of Edgewood—accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of imperial warriors. But the journey proves more perilous than they could have imagined. With treachery and unrest mounting in the empire, Moria and Ashyn will have to draw on all their influence and power to overcome deadly enemies—not all of them human—and even avert an all-out war.

This is a thrilling sequel to Sea Of Shadows! Following the stories of Moria and Ashyn, we see the empire fall into darkness and war. Everything seems to be twisted and what we thought we knew turns out to be a lie.

New ship coming through! Tyrus and Moria. Wait a second... what happened to Gavril and Moria? That ship sunk deeper than the Titanic. Tyrus is everything Moria wants, and it's obvious that she has feelings for the prince. Ashyn and Ronan were not a major ship in this book (not that I minded). I was really intrigued to see the developing relationship of Tyrus and Moria's, and I wonder who she'll end up with - if she ends up with anyone at all! The twins seem so independent, so I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to end all romantic relationships after the last book.

During the book, Moria was held captive by Alvar and Gavril. This gives her plenty of time to dwell on things and think things through. That causes her hate to bubble to the surface. She despises Gavril - she constantly reminds him that he betrayed her and how she would murder him any chance she gets. Harsh!

I really hope that Moria will sort things out with Gavril because I think he's hiding a deeper secret for why he's helping his father. I may be wrong (and I think I'm  90% wrong), but I really hope my theory is the case. We're not getting any straight answers from Gavril, so I think he's hiding something. Plus, he kept reminding Moria in Sea Of Shadows to always remember that he betrayed her. Why? I'd like to know!

So, this series is a refreshing new trilogy to the YA Fantasy books I read nowadays. Romance isn't the main focus of the book, unlike many other YA novels. There aren't any of the cliché creatures like vampires, werewolves, etc. but rather creatures that we've never even heard of before. It's awesome!

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Feature Follow!

Hi everyone!

Here's a Feature Follow, where you can follow anyone you like and they'll follow you back! Sound fun? :)

This is hosted by Alison and Parajunkee, so you can go check them out!

If you want, you can follow me via Blogger, Goodreads, Blogloving' or Google+! If you do, just let me know and I'll return the favour!

So... this week's question is: if you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?

1. A large library with all books in existence.
2. A first edition copy of Alice in Wonderland
3. Go back in time to meet J.D. Salinger

So... hope you're interested in this feature follow. Have a great day!

I Mustache You Some Questions

So, I got bored! And I saw the tag I Mustache You Some Questions on Caroline Stadler's Just Another Bookish Blog and Erika Gold's Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything in Between. I thought it would be fun!

1. Four jobs I would like to have?

- Travel writer. It sounds fun and who doesn't want to travel?

- Photographer

- Author

- Food critic (because I like food :P)

2. Four movies I have watched more than once?

- Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

- Mean Girls

- Toy Story

- The Sixth Sense

3. Four books I would recommend?

- There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake

- More Than This by Patrick Ness

- The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

- Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

4. Four places I've visited?

- Paris, France

- Hokkaido, Japan

- Melbourne, Australia

- Phuket, Thailand

5. Four things I don't eat?

- Pickles

- 1000 year old eggs

- Chicken feet

- Caviar

6. Four of my favourite foods?

- Spaghetti

- Ice cream, preferably vanilla :)

- Cheese

- Risotto

7. Four television shows I watch?

- Supernatural

- Pretty Little Liars

- Once Upon A Time

- (I can't think of a fourth one)

8. Four things I'm looking forward to this year?

- Book releases

- Movie adaptations of my favourite books

- (That's about it)

9. Four people to tag?

- I don't have friends that haven't already done this, so... feel free to do it if you like! 

Bye for now :)

Cloe

Sea Of Shadows

"But we have time to waste."

Title: Sea Of Shadows

Author: Kelly Armstrong

First Published: 2014

Series: Age of Legends (Book 1)

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

Wow! This book was amazing. I was pulled into the story from the first page. With danger at every corner, Moria and Ashyn were pushed to their limits. Fighting legendary monsters and dealing with an ancient evil will not be easy. For half of the book, Moria and Ashyn were separated, each accompanied by a boy. Moria was with Gavril and Ashyn with Ronan. Both equally interesting boys with different pasts.

The book is told in third person, but it jumps from what is happening to Moria to what is happening to Ashyn. Most of the time, I found myself thinking: Come on! I don't care, get back to [insert one of the twins names here]. The focus point ends with a cliffhanger, and then jumps to the other.

But one thing that irked me in the book was the introduction of completely irrelevant characters. For example, in the beginning, there were many characters (that I don't remember the names of anymore) that were introduced and were given detailed backstories, but have them die in the next chapter. Also,  Tova and Daigo? They are the loyal and dedicated companions for the Keeper and Seeker, but they don't seem to do much. Apart from warning them of danger and (sometimes) protecting their Keeper/Seeker. So I guess that counts as something.

Moria and Ashyn are polar opposites. Moria is the reckless twin that does what she wants and doesn't give two flying bats what anyone else thinks. Ashyn is more reserved, but does have her brave times. But we don't really see the two working together as an effective team. The most effective team is probably Moria and Gavril, but look at how that turned out...

I'm not sure if romance is meant to play a big part in the story, but it is hinted for sure. I think Ronan has a crush on Ashyn - and vice versa. Moria probably doesn't like Gavril (yet!) and I have no idea what Gavril wants.

Speaking of Gavril... Is he doing it for himself? Or is there a deeper reason why? I guess we'll find out in the next book!

My Chosen Quote

“Curiosity is what lets a young mind grow and keeps an old mind young.”