My 2014 Meh Mini Reviews

I had  such a bad book slump last year because I was so dissappointed with so many books that I've read. Most of it are YA fantasy and after awhile it gets tedious to read books with similar plotline, sketchy world building, love triangle, instant love and such bland female characters. Many of my favourite YA series have ended so it might be that I'm still getting over that. So here are my thoughts on some of the disappointments of last year.

The Dolls (The Dolls #1) by Kiki Sullivan
ebook, 384 pages 
Published September 2nd 2014
by Balzer + Bray
ARC from Netgalley
Goodreads | 

Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all. Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit. But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right. 

If you love to read about vain, snobbish and pretty rich high schoolers with magical powers then this is certainly for you. Otherwise just stay away from this Southern fantasy.I don't get the appeal of reading about some mean girls with voodoo powers. And the love triangle just made me cringe, Beautiful Creatures is still my favourite Southern YA to this day. Oh..how I miss Ethan and Lena.

The Fire Wish (The Jinni Wars #1)
by Amber Lough 
Published July 22nd 2014 
by Random House Children's
ARC from Netgalley
Goodreads |

A jinni. A princess. And the wish that changes everything. . . . 

Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.

I'm always intrigued when a YA fantasy is set in some exotic-non white/Western setting because hey..I'm all for diversity. And the fact that the book is about jinnis made me all excited. I mean.. come on..we need more jinni stories. Enough of those vampires, werewolves and fairies stuff. Jinni rocks! But after reading this and putting this review on hold for such a long time, I think I need to be honest and say that this is so disappointing. I tried very hard to like it and ended up so annoyed that a wonderful idea and setting is wasted on such boring characters, predictable plots and cheesy instant loves. (Sigh). 

The Queen's Choice (Heirs of Chrior #1) 
by Cayla Kluver 
Hardcover, 512 pages 
Published January 28th 2014 
by Harlequin Teen
Goodreads | 

Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again. When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself. Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined. She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future. 

I believe I had enough of fairies stories to last me a lifetime after reading this book. It was unbelievably boring even from the very beginning. Why would you want to rescue a spoilt faire prince who doesn't even want to rule in the first place is beyond me. Anya could have just taken the easier route by taking over the kingdom instead of getting hopelessly lost and powerless in the Warckum Territory.

Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Gatekeeper's Son

Hi, everyone! Today I'm having a Book Blitz for the YA Asian fantasy; The Gatekeeper's Son.


The Gatekeeper’s Son 
by C.R. Fladmark (The Gatekeeper’s Son #1) 
 Publication date: October 1st 2014 
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult  

Junya’s grandfather is a billionaire who keeps the secret to his success hidden in a heavily guarded safe. His mother is a martial artist who wields a razor-sharp katana—and seems to read his mind. And a mysterious girl in a Japanese school uniform can knock him over—literally—with just a look. What do they know that he doesn’t? Junya’s life takes a dangerous turn on his sixteenth birthday, when someone sets out to destroy not only the family’s business empire—the one that he’s set to inherit—but Junya himself. He’s fighting for his life, and doesn’t know who to trust. What has his family been keeping from him? Junya’s journey takes him from the narrow streets of San Francisco to Japan, and through hidden portals to the top of the ancient Japanese Izumo Shinto shrine, to places where death and violence are a way of life. And in a mystical world he’s never imagined, he finds his true destiny. .

Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | 

Award winning author, C.R. Fladmark lives in a small, historic town in British Columbia and travels often to Japan, where he researches his novels among the ancient sites in Shimane Prefecture. To learn more, and read a way longer bio of his life and see FAQ, visit www.crfladmark.com or find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/crfladmark.;

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | 

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May I Suggest Giveaway Hop

Hello everyone! Welcome to my stop of the May I Suggest Giveaway Hop hosted by Valerie  from Stuck in Books. I did this last year and decided to have another one this year since May is my birthday month. Yay!

Rules:

1. One winner will get a book from my suggestion list. These are books that I loved so far this year and some are my most anticipated for 2015. It's a combination of YA, fantasy and mystery which are my current favourite genre right now.

2. Fill in the rafflecopter and that's it.
3. Open to everyone! Don't forget to wish me a Happy Birthday..:).

 

 

 

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Review: Red Queen

Red Queen

by Victoria Aveyard

Published February 10th 2015
by Orion
Goodreads | Amazon| B & N | TBD

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red Girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

It is indeed one of my anticipated book of 2015 and when I started reading it, I was so confident that it is a 5 star read. I love the fact that Mare comes from a poor and loving family. I find it interesting that in her world even girls are conscripted to serve in the war when you turned eighteen. And Mare was doomed from the start. She was not an apprentice like her younger sister Gisa who is a skilled seamstress or her best friend Kilorn who is a future fisherman. She had no apparent talent other than pickpocketing. So she had accepted the fate that awaits her earlier on. 

But a chance encounter with a stranger and a twist of fate change Mare and Kilorn's life forever. Mare was whisk off to the summer palace of the ruling Silver to serve as a servant. And that's when things get really interesting. But let me spare you all the details.

As I said, there's so many things that I like about this book. The setting, the wonderful world building and the fact that the main character is not an orphan that just spring out of nowhere like most female YA protagonist. Mare reminds me a bit of Katniss. With her brothers away at war, her family looks up to her to take care of them so it does make some sense when she took the risks to protect her family.

What I don't get is..how easily she is caught up in a love triangle with the two charming Silver princes? I mean really...she is supposed to be this cool savior of the Reds but she has times to secretly dance at night with one and be all romantic with the other? Seriously I was rolling my eyes at this point.
And that ending just came out of nowhere. It bothers me that I was left hanging with more questions at the end.