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jaxyway's reviews
731 reviews
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
5.0
I realize I am extremely late hopping aboard the Veronica Rossi train, but I wish I would have skipped most of the other YA dystopian novels I've read, and went straight to Under the Never Sky. This... book... was amazing.
(Originally posted on my blog, www.bibliobrat.com)
In Veronica Rossi's story, the world as we know it was destroyed about three hundred years ago, when a massive solar flare damaged the Earth's magnetic field, resulting in violent energy storms called Aether that wreak fiery havoc whenever they strike. Shortly after the solar flare, a group of survivors banded together and formed the Unity; governments created huge domes, called pods, for survivors to live in to escape the harsh elements, and a lottery was held to determine who would be able to live in the domes on a permanent basis. Aria's ancestors were fortunate enough to be placed inside a pod, Reverie, while Perry's ancestors were left outside, battling the harsh elements and struggling to survive.
The world building in this novel is fantastic. Very imaginative and creative -- I haven't read anything like it at all, which is both unusual and refreshing in this genre. Aria, one of the two main characters, lives in a pod with about 6,000 other people. Since they are in such cramped quarters, they have invented a way to virtually go anywhere and do anything they can imagine, accessed by a Smarteye device worn permanently over their left eye. They essentially live the majority of their lives in virtual reality, which they deem is better than real. On the surface, it is. They feel no pain, but can experience pleasure, smells, and tastes. They can do anything, including flying, with no threat of danger. They have everything they could need, and have even devised a way to life much longer than the current life expectancy, thanks to anti-aging treatments.
Early on in the novel, Aria is cast out of the pod for a crime she didn't commit. Once she is on the Outside, with no hope of survival, she meets Perry, an outsider that is desperately trying to find his nephew, who was taken by the Dwellers that live in the pods. He knows someone who can fix Aria's broken Smarteye device so that she can contact her mother, so the two of them form a shaky alliance out of necessity.
Despite the constant threat of the Aether, Aria soon realizes that nothing is better than real, nor is it even close to the same. She grows increasingly attracted to Perry, and vice versa; Perry can scent her attraction, because he has highly developed skills that allows him to scent other people's tempers/moods, not to mention see clearly in the dark. Their love story is slow to develop, but the end result is worth it. I wanted Perry and Aria together, desperately.
With great world-building, excellent character development, and a unique, refreshing plot, Under the Never Sky has become one of my all-time favorites. This novel wouldn't even wipe its ass on the Divergent trilogy.
(Originally posted on my blog, www.bibliobrat.com)
In Veronica Rossi's story, the world as we know it was destroyed about three hundred years ago, when a massive solar flare damaged the Earth's magnetic field, resulting in violent energy storms called Aether that wreak fiery havoc whenever they strike. Shortly after the solar flare, a group of survivors banded together and formed the Unity; governments created huge domes, called pods, for survivors to live in to escape the harsh elements, and a lottery was held to determine who would be able to live in the domes on a permanent basis. Aria's ancestors were fortunate enough to be placed inside a pod, Reverie, while Perry's ancestors were left outside, battling the harsh elements and struggling to survive.
The world building in this novel is fantastic. Very imaginative and creative -- I haven't read anything like it at all, which is both unusual and refreshing in this genre. Aria, one of the two main characters, lives in a pod with about 6,000 other people. Since they are in such cramped quarters, they have invented a way to virtually go anywhere and do anything they can imagine, accessed by a Smarteye device worn permanently over their left eye. They essentially live the majority of their lives in virtual reality, which they deem is better than real. On the surface, it is. They feel no pain, but can experience pleasure, smells, and tastes. They can do anything, including flying, with no threat of danger. They have everything they could need, and have even devised a way to life much longer than the current life expectancy, thanks to anti-aging treatments.
Early on in the novel, Aria is cast out of the pod for a crime she didn't commit. Once she is on the Outside, with no hope of survival, she meets Perry, an outsider that is desperately trying to find his nephew, who was taken by the Dwellers that live in the pods. He knows someone who can fix Aria's broken Smarteye device so that she can contact her mother, so the two of them form a shaky alliance out of necessity.
Despite the constant threat of the Aether, Aria soon realizes that nothing is better than real, nor is it even close to the same. She grows increasingly attracted to Perry, and vice versa; Perry can scent her attraction, because he has highly developed skills that allows him to scent other people's tempers/moods, not to mention see clearly in the dark. Their love story is slow to develop, but the end result is worth it. I wanted Perry and Aria together, desperately.
With great world-building, excellent character development, and a unique, refreshing plot, Under the Never Sky has become one of my all-time favorites. This novel wouldn't even wipe its ass on the Divergent trilogy.
Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
4.0
4.5 stars. Very good, but the ending felt a little rushed. Detailed review to come.
Prisoner of My Desire by Johanna Lindsey
3.0
Prisoner of My Desire by Johanna Lindsey is a staple in the historical romance genre; originally published back in 1991, it has not lost any of its steam, and is still regarded to be one of the best of its kind. Warning: It is quite rapey.
In my teenage years, I absolutely loved historical romances. I've read everything the masters in the genre, like Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood, and Jude Deveraux, have published. I have never read anything by Johanna Lindsey, though, and even though I am not really into historical romances as I once was, the rape warning was what had me wanting to read this.
In an overly complicated series of events that I skimmed through (the beginning was a bit slow, to say the least), Lady Rowena is forced to marry an older man at her step-brother's insistence. She is to become pregnant with a male heir post haste. Unfortunately, her husband dies on her wedding night. Rowena's step-brother then decides to capture a man that resembles her deceased husband somewhat, so she can be impregnated before they release the news of her husband's untimely demise.
Enter Warrick deChaville, a man mistaken for a peasant, that happens to be a knight. Rowena is forced to "rape" him repeatedly. After doing so several times, Rowena feels badly, and arranges for her captor to escape. Escape he does, but he comes back soon to imprison Lady Rowena herself. She spends time getting raped in retaliation, and made into a servant at Warrick's estate. Blah blah blah, they fall in love, blah blah blah.
The good: I feel like a lecherous twat for saying this, but... the rape scenes were hot. They weren't overly rapey or brutal; they were more of a shameful experience for the rapee, as their body betrays them and longs for the rapist's touch.
The not-so-good: Who falls in love with their rapist? Also, the writing was overly wordy, the and beginning was riddled with non-important details, resulting in a very slow read for me. 2.5 stars. If you're looking for some great historical romances, I'd skip this one, unless you, too, are intrigued by those rape scenes, you weirdo.
In my teenage years, I absolutely loved historical romances. I've read everything the masters in the genre, like Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood, and Jude Deveraux, have published. I have never read anything by Johanna Lindsey, though, and even though I am not really into historical romances as I once was, the rape warning was what had me wanting to read this.
In an overly complicated series of events that I skimmed through (the beginning was a bit slow, to say the least), Lady Rowena is forced to marry an older man at her step-brother's insistence. She is to become pregnant with a male heir post haste. Unfortunately, her husband dies on her wedding night. Rowena's step-brother then decides to capture a man that resembles her deceased husband somewhat, so she can be impregnated before they release the news of her husband's untimely demise.
Enter Warrick deChaville, a man mistaken for a peasant, that happens to be a knight. Rowena is forced to "rape" him repeatedly. After doing so several times, Rowena feels badly, and arranges for her captor to escape. Escape he does, but he comes back soon to imprison Lady Rowena herself. She spends time getting raped in retaliation, and made into a servant at Warrick's estate. Blah blah blah, they fall in love, blah blah blah.
The good: I feel like a lecherous twat for saying this, but... the rape scenes were hot. They weren't overly rapey or brutal; they were more of a shameful experience for the rapee, as their body betrays them and longs for the rapist's touch.
The not-so-good: Who falls in love with their rapist? Also, the writing was overly wordy, the and beginning was riddled with non-important details, resulting in a very slow read for me. 2.5 stars. If you're looking for some great historical romances, I'd skip this one, unless you, too, are intrigued by those rape scenes, you weirdo.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
2.0
It's not that Landline was a bad read; it just wasn't great. I went into this thinking that it was going to another epic, soul-punching romance like Eleanor & Park. It wasn't. The idea of the novel was cute -- a magical telephone that connects an unhappily married couple -- but the execution left much to be desired. First and foremost, the protagonist's name: Georgie McCool. That name mcsucks. It fits the cheesy theme of the novel, however.
Georgie herself did nothing for me, nor did any other character in the book. Neal, the husband, a short, fat guy, really did nothing for me, and I found myself rooting against their marriage. In the flashbacks prior to when Neal and Georgie married, when they were supposedly in love, they had no chemistry. Their relationship just never felt right.
Georgie and Neal have kids, but they are hardly worth mentioning. Neal is a stay-at-home dad while Georgie writes for TV sitcoms -- think Liz Lemon, but without the personality. Throughout the duration of the novel, the children are with Neal visiting relatives for Christmas, and Georgie hardly ever gives them a thought.
So blah blah blah, Georgie finds a magic phone that allows her present day self to talk to Neal before they got married, when they were in a big fight. Blah blah blah, Georgie has to make a decision: Now that she knows her marriage is shit, should she break up with Neal in the past so that they never get married?!
....No mother would ever consider a choice like that if she was given the option. Neal wasn't abusive physically or emotionally; he was unhappy because Georgie worked insane hours, never got time off, and he had to raise the kids pretty much exclusively. Georgie, on the other hand, was content aside from the fact that she knew Neal was unhappy. So for her to give any thought to breaking up with Neal in the past and thus not having kids with him is far-fetched and ridiculous.
I realize this novel is about a magic phone, which is far-fetched and ridiculous in itself, but that should have been the only thing far-fetched and ridiculous in the novel. That way the reader could connect to it somehow, someway. In theory.
The majority of my issues with this novel were due to Georgie and her utter lack of emotion towards her children. It wasn't realistic, and really makes me think that Rainbow Rowell has never had children, because she does not appear to understand the type of bond a mother has with her child. Not even close. Because of this, I felt that Landline read more like a young adult novel, because young adults would be less apt to be bothered over the lack of a mother-child bond than say... a woman that has had a child.
Do Georgie and Neal end up staying together? Who cares. Read Eleanor & Park instead.
Georgie herself did nothing for me, nor did any other character in the book. Neal, the husband, a short, fat guy, really did nothing for me, and I found myself rooting against their marriage. In the flashbacks prior to when Neal and Georgie married, when they were supposedly in love, they had no chemistry. Their relationship just never felt right.
Georgie and Neal have kids, but they are hardly worth mentioning. Neal is a stay-at-home dad while Georgie writes for TV sitcoms -- think Liz Lemon, but without the personality. Throughout the duration of the novel, the children are with Neal visiting relatives for Christmas, and Georgie hardly ever gives them a thought.
So blah blah blah, Georgie finds a magic phone that allows her present day self to talk to Neal before they got married, when they were in a big fight. Blah blah blah, Georgie has to make a decision: Now that she knows her marriage is shit, should she break up with Neal in the past so that they never get married?!
....No mother would ever consider a choice like that if she was given the option. Neal wasn't abusive physically or emotionally; he was unhappy because Georgie worked insane hours, never got time off, and he had to raise the kids pretty much exclusively. Georgie, on the other hand, was content aside from the fact that she knew Neal was unhappy. So for her to give any thought to breaking up with Neal in the past and thus not having kids with him is far-fetched and ridiculous.
I realize this novel is about a magic phone, which is far-fetched and ridiculous in itself, but that should have been the only thing far-fetched and ridiculous in the novel. That way the reader could connect to it somehow, someway. In theory.
The majority of my issues with this novel were due to Georgie and her utter lack of emotion towards her children. It wasn't realistic, and really makes me think that Rainbow Rowell has never had children, because she does not appear to understand the type of bond a mother has with her child. Not even close. Because of this, I felt that Landline read more like a young adult novel, because young adults would be less apt to be bothered over the lack of a mother-child bond than say... a woman that has had a child.
Do Georgie and Neal end up staying together? Who cares. Read Eleanor & Park instead.
In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks
2.0
In Bed with a Highlander (McCabe Trilogy #1) by Maya Banks is a Scottish Highlander historical romance novel, very reminiscent of earlier works done by Julie Garwood. While a quick, rainy day read, In Bed with a Highlander does not add anything new to the genre.
It's been years since I've read any of Julie Garwood's historical novels, so I unfortunately cannot do a side-by-side comparison. What I can say, though, is that if I didn't know who had written In Bed with a Highlander, I would have thought Julie Garwood had, maybe when she was sick with the flu, or experiencing writer's block or something.
Bottom line is this: If you have not read any of Julie Garwood's Scottish historical romances, stop, and read those, instead. If you have read Julie Garwood's Scottish historical romances, stop, and re-read those instead. While the writing styles are indeed similar, Julie Garwood mastered the genre that Maya Banks is tentatively stepping in to.
If you do not know much about Scottish history, of clans, lairds, highlanders, and lowlanders, you're not going to learn much here. Going in to this book, the author seems to have expected everyone to have at least a basic understanding of medieval Scotland. In truth, the "historical" aspect of the novel is lacking.
What's not lacking is instant love. Aye, both characters fall in love very quickly, after an instant, powerful attraction. And the end... was just not great.
It's been years since I've read any of Julie Garwood's historical novels, so I unfortunately cannot do a side-by-side comparison. What I can say, though, is that if I didn't know who had written In Bed with a Highlander, I would have thought Julie Garwood had, maybe when she was sick with the flu, or experiencing writer's block or something.
Bottom line is this: If you have not read any of Julie Garwood's Scottish historical romances, stop, and read those, instead. If you have read Julie Garwood's Scottish historical romances, stop, and re-read those instead. While the writing styles are indeed similar, Julie Garwood mastered the genre that Maya Banks is tentatively stepping in to.
If you do not know much about Scottish history, of clans, lairds, highlanders, and lowlanders, you're not going to learn much here. Going in to this book, the author seems to have expected everyone to have at least a basic understanding of medieval Scotland. In truth, the "historical" aspect of the novel is lacking.
What's not lacking is instant love. Aye, both characters fall in love very quickly, after an instant, powerful attraction. And the end... was just not great.
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
5.0
As posted on Bibliobrat.com...
Excuse me if this review sounds like it is coming from an obnoxious fan girl, but The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa, has completely restored my faith and renewed my interest in the overplayed vampire genre that previously bored me to tears.
I stumbled upon this series on accident; I requested and received and ARC of The Forever Song, on Netgalley, without realizing that it was part of a series, Blood of Eden. Once I realized and read the reviews on Goodreads for this series, I decided I had to read it. I immediately purchased The Immortal Rules and have since purchased the second novel as well, so... well played, Netgalley and Harlequin Teen.
This book was released in 2011, and is therefore considered old news to most avid YA dystopian fans. I don't have much to say about it that hasn't already been said.
This is what you need to know:
Dystopian. Vampires that are monsters, not beautiful, sparkling beings. Zombies (called rabids). Strong female lead. Great writing. Excellent world-building, and viable explanations on as to how the world ended. Fast-paced. Masterfully detailed. And as far as I'm concerned, insanely underrated. I had never heard of this series until a few days ago!
There are some religious undertones throughout, but they did not offend my heathen sensibilities.
The novel is amazing, and has many strong points, but the main character's love interest is not one of them. Boring! Hopefully that improves!
Excuse me if this review sounds like it is coming from an obnoxious fan girl, but The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa, has completely restored my faith and renewed my interest in the overplayed vampire genre that previously bored me to tears.
I stumbled upon this series on accident; I requested and received and ARC of The Forever Song, on Netgalley, without realizing that it was part of a series, Blood of Eden. Once I realized and read the reviews on Goodreads for this series, I decided I had to read it. I immediately purchased The Immortal Rules and have since purchased the second novel as well, so... well played, Netgalley and Harlequin Teen.
This book was released in 2011, and is therefore considered old news to most avid YA dystopian fans. I don't have much to say about it that hasn't already been said.
This is what you need to know:
Dystopian. Vampires that are monsters, not beautiful, sparkling beings. Zombies (called rabids). Strong female lead. Great writing. Excellent world-building, and viable explanations on as to how the world ended. Fast-paced. Masterfully detailed. And as far as I'm concerned, insanely underrated. I had never heard of this series until a few days ago!
There are some religious undertones throughout, but they did not offend my heathen sensibilities.
The novel is amazing, and has many strong points, but the main character's love interest is not one of them. Boring! Hopefully that improves!