Magonia By Maria Dahvana ~ Book Review

Title:  Magonia 

Author: Maria Dahvana

Pages: 320 pages

Published: April 28th, 2015

Goodreads Summary:  

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air. 

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. 

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia. 

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

Thoughts: 

I will try to keep this as organized as possible. I have a lot of things to say about this book and I will try to stay on topic. I have a lot of positive and negative feelings about this book and I am struggling with how to rate this book. So let's just do this! 

Why did I pick up this book??

• First of all, the cover. It is stunning! Pictures do not even give this cover justice. It is one of the most prettiest covers ever. Five stars for the artist who designed this book. It definitely played a role in how quickly I picked this one up.

• Epic Reads was saying that it was a mesh-up between: The Fault in our Stars, Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Stardust. I have not read Stardust but I have read DOSAB and it is one of my favorite series of all-time and I enjoyed TFIOS. 

• The synopsis sounds amazing! I love urban fantasies and I could not wait to read this one. 

What did I love about this book??

• The beginning of the book was very well written. I loved her writing style in the first part of this book. 

• Aza's story was heartbreaking. She has a rare lung disease that will eventually kill her. She has had it her entire life. She is almost 16 years old and has a great family and an awesome friend named Jason that supports her through it all. 

• The relationship between Aza and her friend Jason is fantastic. Their friendship is refreshing and much needed in the YA world. I loved their dialogue towards each other.

• Jason is such a well developed character. He is very unique and likable. He has OCD/autism characteristics. Even though the author does not go into details about it. 

• I loved the IDEA of this world. It was very whimsical and intriguing.

This image kept popping into my head while reading this book. :)

What did I NOT like about this book??

• The world building was VERY lacking. I felt like their was not enough details and explanations. The author basically just steers aways from the world and only focuses on the plot and characters. Which is really sad. She had such a great opportunity to make an incredible world and it was not even explored. Such a brilliant idea, but not executed throughly.

• The plot line was very predictable. I was waiting for something grand to happen or some big twist, but I was not surprised at all and I usually do not see anything coming in a book. This one was a little flat.

• The book was very rushed, especially the ending. The beginning was so great, but after that, the book was way too fast. I feel like she tried to fit a 500+ book into 300 pages.   

• The writing style was very inconsistent. It was very poetic and whimsy in the first part. The second half did not seem to have the same tone or voice. 

• The ending was not believable to me. I know this is a fantasy, but the author did not convince me. The author has to believe in their world so that  their audience will believe in it too.

• I wanted more. Way more. I feel like this was the draft of the story. It had some great bones but there was so much missing. 

Did this book meet my expectations? 

In a nut shell. No.

I can see why they compare it The Daughter of Smoke and Bone but the execution is completely different. The world in DOSAB is so vivid and detailed. Every characters, every piece of magic, and element is so well planned and described. You feel like you are in the world. I did not feel like I was in Magonia. 

Final Thoughts:

In the end, I did enjoy this book. I did have a lot of negatives but I hope the author really makes a come-back with the second book. She still has a opportunity to open this world up! I have not seen anything about a sequel, but the ending definitely does leave it open for another book. 

I would still highly recommend this book. It is original and has some great themes and characters. Definitely worth reading. I think my expectations were way too high. Since this is my favorite genre, I do feel that I am being a little too critical of the story. 

Goodreads Rating: 

The first part of the book definitely was a 4 stars. Once the book shifts to Magonia the rating went down for me.

I would love to hear your thoughts about this book. Have you read it?? Are you planning on reading it in the future?? 

Thanks for visiting! 

Happy Reading!!

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs ~ Book Review

Note:
There will be no spoilers for this book or the first book in this review. If you have not read the first book, I encourage you not to read the Goodreads Summary. 

Click here to see my review for book #1

Title: Hollow City 

Author: Ransom Riggs

Series:  Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #2

Pages: 416 pages 

Published:  February 24, 2015

Goodreads Summary:
This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.
Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

Thoughts: 

The first book in this series is definitely just the beginning to this story. In this book, there was a stronger plot line. There is a lot more action! This one had a lot more character development than the first book. We learned a lot more about the characters, especially the peculiar children. Even though this story was very action-packed, it still felt a little slow. I felt that the story was very patterned at times. We would meet new characters, learn a little and move on. Then we would meet more new characters, learn a little more than move on. None of the new characters stayed in the story very long. I liked a lot of the new characters, but as soon as we got to know them the story would move on. Overall, I thought the story was enjoyable and I am very interested to see where the story goes from here. I still think it is worth the read! 

Things I Liked About This Book:

• I loved the introduction to the new characters. I hope they come back in the final book!

• Again, another great cliff hanger! Ransom loves to end with a bang!

• I liked the plot in this book and I like where the story is headed next. 

• I loved that the author had peculiar animals in this book. I loved that part of the book!

Things I Did NOT Love About This Book:

•  I still think the romance is awkward. I think I have accepted it, but it is still annoying at times. 

• There are too many new characters that we did not get to see much from in the story.

• I felt that Ransom still choose photos and characters that were not needed for the story. A lot of them added to the story, but some were unnecessary.   

• I still feel like I have too many questions that have not been answered! 

Goodreads Rating:

Have you started this series yet?? What are your thoughts about it? 

Happy Reading!

The Wrath and the Dawn By Renee Ahdieh ~ Book Review

Series: The Wrath and the Dawn, #1

Published: May 12, 2015

395 Pages, Hardcover 

Goodreads Summary:

A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.




Thoughts:

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I fell in love with the story line as soon as I read the synopsis on Goodreads. I knew I had to read it and really soon. Let me just say, it did not disappoint. It was an absolutely beautiful story. I cannot wait for the second book "The Rose and the Dagger" which is supposed to be released sometime next year. 

I liked the characters from the very beginning. They are not your typical YA Fantasy characters and I liked their uniqueness and intensity. They have very strong, mysterious attributes and they captivated me right away. The story is very well written, especially for a debut novel! It reads like a historical fiction and I really liked that. 

Things I Loved About The Book:

• The setting was told with such details. It feels like you are there in the story and I can see all the details of the castle and the surrounding area. 

• I loved the mystery in the book. There are many secrets and things that are unrevealed in this story that keep you on your toes. 

• I loved the intensity in the story. The characters and story line are very strong and captivate you.

• This felt like you were reading a true, original fairy tale story. I loved that element!

• I loved the element of magic in this book. I wish the magic was better explained but I think we will see more of the magic shine through in the sequel. 

My Favorite Quotes:

“There is no one I would rather see the sunrise with than you.” 

“Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable...and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power.” 

“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky.”

“When she wound her fingers in his hair to draw her body against his, he stilled for breath, and she knew, as he knew, that they were lost. Lost forever. In this kiss. This kiss that would change everything.”

Goodreads Rating:

If you have read this book, I would love to hear your thoughts! Do you plan to read it soon? Thanks for visiting!

Happy Reading!!

Top 10 All Time Favorite Authors

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly bookish feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

This weeks Top 10 list is: Top Ten All Time Favorite Authors

Sorry this post is a little late! I have been so busy this week decluttering and cleaning my house. I am following a new organizing book called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  Review will be coming soon! Anyways, back to my top ten- let's get started!!

10. Alexandra Bracken- I definitely have a love/hate relationship with The Darkest Minds series. It is not one of my favorites series but it is one that I think about a lot. I absolutely love, love her writing style. Is it perfect? No. But she is so creative and she creates such wonderful, captivating characters that just draw you into the story even if the the world-building is lacking or something doesn't make the best sense. She has a way of creating suspense and anticipation in her novels. Highly recommend giving her a try. She has a new book coming out this fall and I will definitely pick it up. 

9.  Cassandra Clare- Oh how I love her Shadowhunter World! I think it is so unique and amazing! If you love fantasy with paranormal creatures and romance, you need to read these books. She is also the queen of ending her series. Clockwork Princess is one of my all time favorite books and it mostly because of the ending. I highly recommend her epic books! She is amazing!

8. Stephanie Perkins- What can I say?? Her writing is beautiful! She is definitely the best at writing YA Romance. She knows how to create the perfect relationship. I love how she makes the setting of her books a huge part of the story. She makes you feel like you are actually there with the characters. 

7. George RR Martin- Okay- he is a genius. No one is a storyteller like George RR Martin. His writing is so complex and beautiful but so easy to read. He makes you LOVE his characters! Even the horrible ones. You cannot put down his books and even though most of them are 1,000+ pages, they are really quick to read! 

6. Laini Taylor- Anything this author writes is a YES for me! She is absolutely incredible.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorites series of all time. She creates very strong worlds, with amazing plots and complex characters. Highly, highly recommend reading her amazing books. 

5. JK Rowling- Do I really need to explain?? How can you compare anything with JK Rowling?? She is JK Rowling. She is the creator of the most famous world ever! I love everything about her and Harry. They hold a very special place in my heart, and no one holds a candle to them. Ever. 

4. Rainbow Rowell- Rainbow has the most beautiful, simplistic writing style. I LOVE her writing. She has such an amazing tone in her stories. I love how she writes dialogue! She is the queen of dialogue. My favorite book by her is Fangirl but Landline is a close second. Highly, highly recommend reading her books!

3. E.Lockhart- I have only read one book by this author, but I do consider her one of my favorite authors. Her writing is unique and amazing. I read We Were Liars last summer and I think about this book just about every day. I loved everything about this book. She incorporates a lot of metaphors and unique descriptions in her writing. I cannot wait to reread this book. It will definitely be on my summer book-et list! 

2. Jennifer Niven- Okay- this is another author that I have only read one of her books. I recently read All The Bright Places and did a full review on it. This was her first YA Fiction book. This one was just so incredible! I loved so many quotes in her book. It captured my heart and I thought it was extremely well written. I cannot wait to see what she writes next for YA Fiction! 

1. Sarah J. Maas- Okay. She is amazing. I think her Throne of Glass series is something very special. I love the world, plot, characters, everything she has created! I will read everything this author ever writes. I think she is brilliant. If you have only read the first book in the series, keep going. It only scratches the surface to this epic story. Love her so much. I cannot wait for her new book to come out next month.

Please let me know- what are some of your all time favorite authors?? I will talk to everyone soon! Happy Reading!!!

Book Review: The Well of Ascension

There will be no spoilers for this book or the series in "My Thoughts". You may not want to read the summary of the book if you have not read book one in the series. 

THE WELL OF ASCENSION BY BRANDON SANDERSON

                                               Series: Mistborn Trilogy, #2

Publication: August 21, 2007 

(first publication) by Tor Teen

Source:  Paperback, 784 pages 

Goodreads Summary:

They did the impossible, deposing the godlike being whose brutal rule had lasted a thousand years. Now Vin, the street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and Elend Venture, the idealistic young nobleman who loves her, must build a healthy new society in the ashes of an empire.

They have barely begun when three separate armies attack. As the siege tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.

It may just be that killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part. Surviving the aftermath of his fall is going to be the real challenge.

Goodreads Page 

My Thoughts:

- Do you like unique and amazing worlds??

- Do you like character development at its finest??

- Do you enjoy bigger-than-life plots??

- Do you like to be completely blown away by plot twists??

Then you HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!

This story is a complete masterpiece. I was completed blown away! 

First of all, do not be intimidated by the book's size. It is completely worth the time reading this book. It does not move slow and completely captivates you from page 1. There is some slower brewing moments, but they are with purpose. Brandon Sanderson is a genius at storytelling. Everything is woven together so beautifully that all the little, slower parts come together very well in the end of the book. 

One thing I loved about this book was the characters. I have to admit that I did not love the characters when I first started book 1. I had a hard time relating to them and I was not that attached to them. As I continued, and their stories started to develop, I was hooked! Vin the main character is such a quiet, timid character at the beginning of the book. But as the story progresses she becomes so strong and confident. I loved her relationships that she built with Kelsier, Sazed and Elend. The characters are so dynamic and have so much depth. 

THE PLOT is amazing! I don't want to go into any information about the plot with either book because I think you have to read to discover it for yourself. But, it is truly epic. One thing that I love about high fantasy (and Sanderson does it so well) is the fact that the plot is so big and impacts the entire world. There are so many plot twists in both books in the series and you DO NOT see them coming. You may think you have things figured out- believe me, you do not. The author is the master of plot of twists. 

I have no bad things to say about this book. None. It is absolutely incredible and I highly recommend you read this book series. It is on my favorite shelf! I cannot wait to start the final book in the trilogy. I know that the series does continue after the trilogy too, which is really exciting too. 

Book Rating:

My Most Anticipated Reads For 2015

There are so many wonderful books being released this year! These are my top 5 most anticipated books that I plan to read as soon as they come out. 

#5.  The Raven King
Final book in The Raven Cycle Series, By Maggie Stiefvater
(no cover yet)

Release Date: September 29th, 2015

Goodreads Link to Book 1: The Raven Boys 

I have not started this series yet. I plan to start reading this series before the release date of The Raven King. I have heard mixed things about this series, but I am so excited to read it. If you have read this series, I would love to hear your thoughts about the book series. 


#4. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Release Date: April 28, 2015

Goodreads Link 

This is a stand-alone YA fantasy novel. It is very rare to find an awesome stand-alone fantasy book and this one sounds like it going to be fantastic!! 


#3 A Court of Roses, Book #1 by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Goodreads Link 

I will read ANYTHING that Sarah J. Maas writes. This one mixes Beauty and the Beast with fairies! This book is the first in a new trilogy series.


#2 Winter
Final Book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: November 10, 2015 

Goodreads Link to Winter       Goodreads Link to Book #1: Cinder

I am soon excited to see how this series is going to end!! I need this book now! I plan to start re-reading the series in October so everything will be fresh in my mind. If you have not started this series and you love fairy-tale books, you need to right now!

and my most anticipated book is...


#1 Queen of Shadows 
Book #4 in the Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Goodreads Link to Queen of Shadows      Goodreads Link to Book #1: Throne of Glass 

This is one of my favorites series of all-time!! This story is so epically amazing and the world is so unique and intricate. This series builds, and builds, and builds on itself! The first few books lay a foundation for the rest of this amazing fantasy series. The last book was incredible and I cannot wait to see what happens next. 


Happy Reading!! Please let me know what are your most anticipated reads for 2015???