Lexicon by Max Barry

Title: Lexicon
Author: Max Barry
Genre: Thriller/Science Fiction/Fantasy

Maturity Rating: 13+
*Graphic scenes, but more than manageable for high level teen readers*
Overall Rating:

My Quickie Synopsis: Wil Jamieson finds himself in the center of a war that he cannot comprehend; there are people who can wield words as weapons, bending the world around them to their will. Caught in a tug of war between the two factions, Wil must fight to survive and uncover his hidden past before it's too late.

Enjoyment Factor: 

This is one of those books that grabs you by the collar on the very first page and dares you to look away. It's pretty balls-to-the-wall from the get go. It's uncomfortable. It's fantastic. It's bizarre. It's thought-provoking. There's a reason why the likes of TIME Magazine and NPR are shouting its high praises as one of the best reads from 2013. And yes, I know. It's 2014, but that doesn't make this book any less stellar. You know how in high school, or college (if you took certain liberal arts courses) you had to read books and write book reports? Yeah, this is a book that makes me want to write a book report. There's so much to discuss and I'm already having a hard time not jumping right into any highfalutin BS that you didn't come here to read. The premise is extraordinarily smart and edgy and it makes sense. Words have always held power, but their power is much more immediate and tangible in Mr. Barry's imagined world.

Start to think about why words, even images, affect you the way that they do.

But let's step aside from the intellectual side of Lexicon for a moment, shall we? I want to point out that Mr. Barry presents a highly entertaining read. You don't have to dig deeper to find the "greater meaning" of the book to enjoy it. It's an action-packed roller coaster ride of adventure and even if you only give it a surface read, it more than blows away most expectations for a good sci-fi thriller.

Technical Rating: 

Character Building:
I am not entirely certain how I feel about the main characters. I'm not sure whether my indecision is due to weak development, or just a general sense of unease about their attributes. That being said, the reason why I ultimately downgraded this particular rating had nothing to do with the protagonist(s) of the tale. The antagonist felt grossly glossed over. The announcement of the villain felt underwhelming in many ways, and truth be told, it detracted from the story.

Plot Strength:
For the most part (I'm talking a solid majority kind of part) I loved the plot. However, there are a lot of vague concepts that are never fully explained. I'm going to go ahead and say that the fuzzy "what the what?" feelings that Lexicon provides are purposeful; I think one of the main points to the tale is that you'll never fully understand every how or every why. Just like it's nearly impossible to wrap your mind around the why and the how of words affecting people the way that they do. Sure, you can give a technical explanation by going into the details of the brain and its mechanics, but after a certain level, you'll be left grasping at straws. Anyway, I'm starting to get into that highfalutin BS I promised I wouldn't get into, so let me just say why I didn't give this category a full star: the ending. It's such a cop-out! I actually felt a little shortchanged. Here I was, completely invested in what was going on, even though at times the story crumbled under its own weight. And then, BAM! A watered down ending that felt like Mr. Barry just wanted to be done with writing.

Sincerity:
Terrible ending aside, I think the sincerity was spot on. The way the plot was set up, I could see the events as having plausibility. And the characters felt like they belonged in that crazy world with their super secret war raging.

Editing/Writing:
I caught a couple of strange typos, but I'm going to chalk it up to E-book conversion. 
By the way, I haven't made any serious note about this, but I do generally read books in some kind of e-book format. At the moment it's just the more economically sound decision!

Pacing:
As I said before, Lexicon was a roller coaster ride, and the pacing reflected that. It picked up where it needed to and slowed down when it was appropriate for the tone of the events.

My Icing on Top:
So this review had been finished. And then it didn't save properly and I lost about half of it; I just can't catch a freaking break! I do feel slightly bad about getting back to re-writing it so long after the fact, but I owe you all quite a few reviews at this point! Anyway, go read Lexicon if you're looking for your summer fix. It's an intelligent story that will have you glued to the pages (or screen) until the very end. And if you're the type that likes to discuss the deeper meanings of books, hit me up! I'd love to discuss this with you :)

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

Happy reading!

-K

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King
Series: The Iron Fey #1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Romance

Maturity Rating: 13+
Overall Rating:


My Quickie Synopsis: Meghan Chase must go on a fantastical adventure when her younger half-brother is kidnapped and brought to another realm. Along the way she meets all manner of odd creatures and learns secrets about herself and those around her that send her reeling head-first into a secret war.

Enjoyment Factor: 
The Iron King has been on my radar for a while now, but for some reason I just never felt the pull to read this particular book. However, I was specifically searching for books that were similar to the feel of the 80's movie Labyrinth recently, and The Iron King consistently came up. So I finally gave in. Don't judge me; David Bowie fascinates me! But, my obsession with 80's movies aside, I didn't rate this book based on its nostalgia factor for me, I promise!

If anything, The Iron King reminded me of Alice in Wonderland.

Ms. Kagawa is one powerhouse of a writer, and it shows in this book. It is an enjoyable read, but I wasn't falling all over myself to get to the second book right away. I had a few problems with plot execution to the point where I started to feel slightly disenchanted. The story is like a deliciously tantalizing piece of chocolate that's only slightly expired. You eat it anyway (well, if you're me, ha!), but you realize that it's not as good as it had the potential to be.




Technical Rating:

Character Building:
I suppose the one character that I take issue with most for development purposes is the Iron King, himself. The book is titled after him, for goodness' sake! And yet, I don't feel like we learned much of anything about him at all. What's up with that?! I'm not also entirely sure how I feel about the shaping of Ash; I understand for the time being his character is supposed to be more on the mysterious side, however, already there are inconsistencies.

Plot Strength:
Oh, boy. Well, like I said, this book was an enjoyable read, but had some plot issues. SPOILERS HIDDEN

How could a mother not realize that her son is not the same, especially considering that she remembers her encounter with the Seelie king. That shows that she must have a higher sensitivity to the Fae, right? And what was the point of the Iron King, except as a prop at the end? Perhaps he isn't truly dead, but still, his sudden demise left much to be desired.

I'm somewhat wondering if these issues had to do with the fact that this is Ms. Kagawa's first series. In my mind, perhaps she wasn't sure of the reception of the story so she gave it the ability to be a stand-alone if it came to that; but with a story of this magnitude, wrapping the story up so tightly actually suffocated the plot and didn't allow it to play out naturally.

Sincerity:
Perhaps I'm out of touch with the times; I hear that it's a problem that plagues adults as they get older. Anyway, I think that the insta-love was ill-placed. I understood it to a point, but seriously? A girl who just turns 16 and a boy (man?) who is quite possibly immortal and who is supposedly her enemy just don't add up. Sorry, not buying it!

Editing:
The Iron King shows Ms. Kagawa to be quite the proficient writer with a fantastic editing team.

Pacing:
The main antagonist and the general romance were so incredibly rushed. I was highly disappointed! This is the first book in a series and I felt like rushing those elements was a great disservice to both the book and the series overall.

My Icing on Top:
I haven't read many books that center specifically on Fae; usually Fae are companion characters to paranormal story-lines. I'm not sure if that's because I haven't been looking hard enough, or if it just isn't what's "in" right now. Either way, this book was interesting and I do know that I will eventually continue on with this series. My hope is that because her first book was so well received, Ms. Kagawa's remaining books in the series will strive to be a bit more polished in terms of plot and character development.

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

Happy reading!

-K

World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee

Title: World After
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #2
Author: Susan Ee
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal/Young Adult/Romance/Science Fiction

Maturity Rating: 13+
Initial Rating: 3/5
Technical Rating: 4/5

My Quickie Synopsis: Penryn finally has the family back together again, but things go awry when Paige slips away after a terrible massacre at their new home base. Penryn and her mother, desperate to not lose Paige again, attempt to find her, but find trouble instead.
Raffe isn't having much luck of his own, as he tries to recover his wings and exact revenge on the angels that took them.

My Initial Response: It's always bad when you attempt to write a synopsis and you struggle to articulate the point of the book. And then, when you come up with something that sounds right, it mimics the point of the first book of the series. What is that all about? I wanted to rate this book higher, if only because the writing seems to have slightly improved. Apparently, this book is longer than the first one, but I actually didn't take issue with finishing it. It's still choppy in its structure sometimes, but it was bearable. So that must count for something, right?

Really? The same basic plot twice?

Turns out, I still only felt the mildest twinge of interest for this book. Why, you ask? Well, nothing really happens in the story. You get a little bit of background on Raffe, and you find out what happened to Paige and even uncover what Uriel is trying to do. But by the end of the book, it doesn't feel like there was any stride forward within the overall plot. All the information that was provided simply creates a better foundation, but it doesn't magically create the house as well. The series darn well should be called "The Hunt for Paige and Raffe's Wings" because that's all there is to it at the moment. The main characters are so focused on those elements alone, that everything else might as well be window dressing. Locusts? Yeah, they are bothersome, but I need to get to Paige. Angels seeking an Apocalypse? Oh, that is worrisome, but I need to get my wings. It was fine for the first book, but to rehash the same thing in the second book makes the series start to feel repetitive. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how hooked you are), the next book isn't slated to drop until 2015, so that gives me plenty of time to possibly let the series grow on me. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

Character Building: 1/1
I'm glad that we got a little more insight into Raffe's character. I'm also glad that there was a little bit of growth in the relationship between Penryn and Raffe. However, right now, my favorite character is Paige. Ms. Ee is taking her in quite an interesting direction, and I hope that her character is explored more in the coming book. Overall, I'm not sure if the character building evolved as much as I would have liked, but it was still on par with what she created in the last book, so a full point for that!

Plot Strength: 0.5/1
There is a very rude part of me that wants to give this a big fat zero. But, I'm not without heart. I think that Ms. Ee used this book as a means of creating some of the foundation that she probably should have had for the first book. But nothing really happens in the story. It seems like an updated re-run of the first story. You learn some tidbits here and there, but it doesn't lead up to anything, really. The ending was middling to fair. There was a big, heavy, action-filled moment and then...nothing?! It fades off abruptly and that's it. That's the end. It's definitely weaker than the ending of the first book in the series.

Sincerity: 0.5/1
There was some improvement here! I started caring just the slightest as to what was happening to the characters and what was going to happen next. The story felt a bit more genuine and the writing came together a bit better than it did with the last book. However, it still needs polish.

Editing: 1/1
Nothing really to add here; the editing was fine.

Pacing: 1/1
I felt a bit more locked into the story and it never felt like the pacing was lagging behind. If anything, perhaps there were times when the pace was a little too fast for the story; but, just as with Angelfall, these flaws didn't detract from the story overall.

My Icing on Top:
It seems like Ms. Ee is getting a better grasp on her writing style, but I think that her plot could use some work. If the Paige/wings plot somehow repeats itself in the next book, I just might lose my mind. Well, at the very least, I'd be hesitant to complete the series. I really am rooting for the series to get better, because it does have the potential. Part of me is glad that the third book in the series doesn't come out for a while, because I really don't want to be disappointed again so soon. Is that mean of me? Yeah, probably. But I have to have a healthy does of skepticism in with my optimism :) If you've already read Angelfall, you might as well continue on with World After. It isn't necessarily better, but it isn't worse either. If you haven't started the series at all yet, you may just want to let this sit on the back burner for a while until the majority of the books are out. Just my two cents!

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

Happy reading!

-K

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #1
Author: Susan Ee
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal/Young Adult/Science Fiction

Maturity Rating: 13+
Initial Rating: 3/5
Technical Rating: 4/5

My Quickie Synopsis: Angels have descended upon Earth and they aren't particularly friendly. When Penryn's sister is snatched away by the winged predators, she makes an unlikely alliance with Raffe, an angel who brutally had his wings removed. Together the pair trek to the nearest angels' home base; Raffe goes with the hope of saving his wings while Penryn simply wants to rescue her sister. But the journey is rife with danger at every turn, with unimaginable horrors terrorizing the streets. Even if she makes it to the stronghold, there's no guarantee that Penryn will ever see her sister again; but, in a world full of desolation and darkness, it's a chance she has to take.

My Initial Response: I struggled to finish this book. Everything about the story screams that it's something that I should love, so I feel bad for not adoring it. everything, or some of the plot elements, but something about it was really off-putting.

Something is definitely suspicious here

 And for those who claim that this is a romance book?<rant> Get over yourselves, please. There are maybe two hints of romance going on here and that's it. I can understand that perhaps that's where the series is heading, but it's not there yet! So stop putting this as a romance! If a guy simply looks at you or even hugs you, it does NOT mean he wants to love you forever and ever. That being said, yes, I know, the ending. But come on! It's not a romance, it simply has the slightest bud of one. <end rant> When I started this book, I made the mistake that I always make; I didn't check to see how many books were in the series or if they were all out yet. If there's one thing that can kill a series for me, it's having to wait overly long for the conclusion. Don't get me wrong, though; I started Harry Potter in the 5th grade and stuck it out until I was a senior in High School. Reading like that can be a very frustrating commitment. At best, you can't get the story out of your head and you crave the next book until it's released. At worst, you slowly start forgetting the story, and by the time the book comes out, you're not sure if you care enough to finish it. For each series that falls into the former, there are about a dozen more that fall into the latter. Is it unfair to an author who had a pretty good story going? Absolutely. It's why I try not to read a series until it's finished. My point here is that because I'm already squarely on the fence with the series, I'm not sure I'll finish it in the long run. And that kind of makes me sad. Overall, Ms. Ee is set to release five books in this series, with two of them already out. The third book is slated to drop in 2015. So just keep that in mind!

There's just something so incredibly dry with the writing that I couldn't read more than a few chapters at a time before focusing my attention elsewhere. I'm not sure if it was the tense that it was written in (first-person present), or the clinical descriptions of

Character Building: 1/1
It's kind of hard to believe that Penryn is only 17 years old. She makes references to high school a couple of times, but other than that, she just doesn't seem that young. I'm going to go ahead and say that it's because of how she grew up, but don't be surprised if you catch yourself thinking that she's older. Honestly, I can't say for sure if Ms. Ee did this on purpose or not though, so I'm not going to knock it. Raffe is an interesting character as well. It's a little difficult to get a proper read on him, but that's only because the book is written in Penryn's voice. Not much you can do there except to learn about him through her eyes. There is a veil of mystery surrounding almost all of the characters, but in this case, I don't think it's a sign of weak character building.

Plot Strength: 0.5/1
Ah, the plot. I know that Ms. Ee has a full series to build up, and I understand that it's normal to not have everything laid out in black and white in the first book. However, almost nothing is said about what exactly happened during the first six weeks of the apocalypse and it leaves you feeling slightly detached from the story. And it's not just that; there's a great majority of background information that's left out. When you build such a complex setting and pair it with an intricate plot, you've got to give it a stable foundation to stand on. A good background is usually a part of that foundation. And then there's the ending. If you read it, you'll understand. Something there just didn't add up.

Sincerity: 0.5/1
My main problem with this book is how flat the writing was at times. There are a lot of exciting scenes, but I never felt as if I was on the edge of my seat. The descriptions, although well-articulated, felt lukewarm. The disconnect comes from Ms. Ee doing a great deal of telling instead of showing. It's such a fine line to walk, but it can affect the feel of the entire book.

Editing: 1/1
The editing was great-nothing out of the ordinary.

Pacing: 1/1
I do think that at times the story was dragged out. But only in a select few spots. Overall it wasn't bad. The pacing was appropriate for the plot.

My Icing on Top:
My sincerest hope is that the series will evolve with each new book. The story line could be incredible, the characters have raw potential and the author seems to have the ability to give me one of my favorite series of all time, but it all just needs a little bit more push to it. It may just be that I should re-read it at some point in the future; there has to be a good reason why a great majority of reviews (especially from some of my most trusted sources) are so overwhelmingly ecstatic. But for now, if you're looking for a new angel series to start, I would suggest reading The Premonition series by Amy Bartol first. I am head over heels in love with this lady and her books, and her foray into the genre feels a lot more genuine than Angelfall. But, if you can handle intense first-person present writing, and love angel stories anyway, go ahead and give this a try. I'm not making any promises, but considering the rave reviews, chances are you'll like it.

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

Happy reading!

-Keana

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Young Adult

Maturity Rating: 13+
Initial Rating: 5/5
Technical Rating: 5/5

My Quickie Synopsis: Celaena Sardothien, best assassin in the realm, has spent the better part of the last year in a labor prison camp for crimes against the crown. Her fate is changed drastically, however, when Prince Dorian calls upon her to act as his champion in his father's competition. Should she win, she will become the King's Royal Assassin, enjoying luxuries beyond her wildest dreams. But there's that pesky task of having to outsmart the rest of the champions, and, of course, guarding her heart against both the charming Prince and the stubborn Captain of the Guard.

My Initial Response: WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS BOOK SOONER?! No, really. Throne of Glass  is so refreshingly different than what I've been reading lately, and I don't mean that just in terms of genre. The writing is absolutely superb. The characters are witty and real. The story itself is compelling. What more can a book lover ask for?

Only Rene Rancourt can express the awesomeness of this book!

 My only criticism is that the whole series isn't finished yet! I cannot do this book justice in words alone; you honestly have to read it for yourself. Believe me when I say that you'll get lost in the fantastical world that Ms. Maas has created. But, be warned, as I said before, the series isn't finished yet, so be prepared for some serious Celaena withdrawal.

Character Building: 1/1
So I read somewhere recently that this book took inspiration from the tale of Cinderella. I don't see it, but I honestly don't care. What a fantastic cast of characters! Celaena is such a bad-ass, strong woman and I absolutely love that. Dorian has just the right amount of cute playboy. And Chaol is the unexpected surprise of the book. I truly enjoyed the way Ms. Maas weaved the tales of all of the characters, both major and minor alike, to the point where you could see yourself being friends/enemies with all of them.

Plot Strength: 1/1
It wasn't hard to see where a lot of the story was heading, but the ride there was extremely enjoyable. The plot elements are stable and consistent, and Throne of Glass created a great foundation for the remainder of the series. I can't wait to see how Ms. Maas expands upon her world in the next book!

Sincerity: 1/1
I'm going to rant a little here, and I apologize in advance. There's one comment that I've seen throughout a lot of negative reviews of the book and that's simply that they don't feel that an assassin of Celaena's caliber could be "girly" in any way, let alone how she's portrayed in the book. I've also seen comments that say that some of her actions and thoughts don't entirely coincide with what we are told about her. I think that these kinds of comments are the main reason why we only ever see one particular kind of heroine portrayed in the young adult/fantasy/romance/paranormal genres lately. Just because a female is a bad-ass doesn't mean that she's without emotion. And a true bad-ass doesn't have to be a bad-ass all the time, especially one who is as young as Celaena. I think Ms. Maas gives us such a rich character, and each quirk of her personality makes sense. The times that she doubts herself or feels concern lets the reader know that she is human. She isn't a cold-blooded killing machine. But she still knows how to be tough when she needs to be. And she knows how to play her feminine charm. To that end, I can't really see any fault there. What I do see fault with is the notion that authors have to write their heroines as only having one dimension. I could understand the outrage if the character seemed all over the place with little rhyme or reason, but that was NOT the case here. The character was well thought out and everything about her made sense. Okay, whew. End of that rant.
Long story short guys, this book screamed of sincerity all day long. Cohesion was Ms. Maas word of the day!

Editing: 1/1
Well, if I ever decide to write a book, I would like the editor of Throne of Glass to edit my book. Enough said.

Pacing: 1/1
I must have gone into a time warp because I started the book at one time, finished it without stopping, and have no freaking clue what happened to the time in between. The book evolves continuously and you never feel as if the plot is lagging or as if things are progressing too quickly. So, if you're anything like me, you should probably set some time aside to power through this book. You aren't going to want to put it down.

My Icing on Top:
This book is long. For me, that's not a problem, but for others it might be, so I'm letting you know now. It can be a commitment. But it is worth it! It's such an enchanting world of intrigue, and although there's romance, it's not forced onto the story. If you're looking to add a little fantasy into your book line up and are craving a story featuring a strong lead female, Throne of Glass is most certainly for you!

Check out my informal review at Goodreads!

Happy reading!

-K

Alejandro's Sorceress by Alyssa Day

Title: Alejandro's Sorceress
Author: Alyssa Day
Genre: Paranormal/Romance/Adult

Maturity Rating: 17+
Initial Rating: 2/5
Technical Rating: 2/5

My Quickie Synopsis: Garden-witch Rose Cardinal has a problem of the paranormal variety; a family of basilisks has taken over her garden! When her mother calls in the help of a federal agency, Rose quickly finds that she may have a bigger problem on her hands. Agent Alejandro is too tall, dark and handsome to be ignored and his sights are set on her. Opposites attract in this quirky, light novella.

My Initial Response: Whew! I made it through in one piece! Meet one of the prime reasons why I normally don't read novellas: Alejandro's Sorceress. I found myself rolling my eyes all too often, shaking my head every other sentence and feeling generally detached while reading.

The range of emotions I went through while reading

The writing reminds me of watching a sitcom. I could picture this being on TV, me watching for all of a few minutes, and then swiftly changing the channel. Why? Because it's shallow. I generally don't take issue with instant love syndrome, but this was just ridiculously unbelievable. I think overall that I just wasn't the right audience for this book. I'm guessing Ms. Day wrote this for her established base of fans who already know her world and her style of writing; maybe this was just a quick appetizer to whet the appetites of her fans waiting for her next full-length book. Who knows? The writing wasn't altogether terrible though, so maybe I'll give one of her novels a try in the future. Maybe.

Character Building: 0.5/1
I have to give Ms. Day some credit here because she did try to flesh out her characters. I'm not saying that it was a masterpiece by any means, but I could see the beginnings of some concrete building. Overall though, I didn't really care about the characters. I didn't hate them, I didn't love them. They were just there. Some of the interactions were amusing, some even steamy, but most were very awkward.

Plot Strength: 0/1
There was a plot? If there was, I missed it. Completely. There isn't any major conflict, unless you count the cat and mouse game of the instant love syndrome. There are a few cool ideas introduced along the way though and my bet is that those ideas come more into play in Ms. Day's other books. But these ideas were mere decoration and really didn't add on to the story at all. Highly disappointing.

Sincerity: 0.5/1
I struggled with this rating a bit. To be perfectly fair, I didn't want to give any points for sincerity at all. However, I think that the events of the book fit in with the world that Ms. Day created at the very least, so I had to give some credit. I don't want to spoil the story, but if you read it, you'll understand why I was hesitant to give it credit at all.

Editing: 1/1
There were a few minor errors here and there, but they didn't detract from reading.

Pacing: 0/1
This story is a little all over the place. The progression didn't feel natural at all, especially with the insta-love element added into the mix. Beyond that, there wasn't even an actual plot.

My Icing on Top:
I didn't get much out of this book. As I said earlier, I think those who already read books by Alyssa Day would probably enjoy this more than I did though. Aside from that, I suppose if you love crazy instant love syndrome, this story may be up your alley as well. Anyway, this was the second book in the anthology that I mentioned in the last post, so if you really want to give it a try, I'd suggest heading over to Amazon to buy the set. It's currently on sale for the low price of $0.99 so you can't go wrong! Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

Happy reading!

-K

Starbound by J.L. Weil

Title: Starbound
Author: J.L. Weil
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Young Adult/Paranormal

Maturity Rating: 13+
Initial Rating: 1/5
Technical Rating: 1.5/5

My Quickie Synopsis: The fates of Katia and Seth have been intertwined from birth; they are a rare starbound pair, destined to love each other. But an ancient curse could kill them both if they give in to their love.

Initial Response: I am so glad that this book is over. As a matter of fact, after getting through the first chapter, my initial thought was, "I really hope this wraps up fast!"
Now, normally when I'm looking for a new book to read, I prowl Goodreads until my eyes glaze over. Unfortunately, the site was down and I had to take a shot in the dark, relying on an Amazon recommendation. But I can't say that the rating on Amazon was too far off; I looked at the rating this book got on Goodreads and the two are comparable. So, maybe I'm crazy, but this book did not do it for me. Shallow characters, terrible writing, and a weak plot equal extreme dissatisfaction. Generally I'm all for giving authors a second chance when I read a flop book, but I do not foresee any other J.L. Weil books in my future.

Character Building: 0.5/1
I can't get behind a book that does more telling than showing, and this is especially true when it comes to character building. There were moments when Ms. Weil pulled through and showed the growth of Katia and Seth, but it wasn't consistent. Katia was supposed to be Ms. Popularity, but the reader only gets to see a minimal shadowing of that side of her personality. It's unfortunate because I think that the balance of characters is appropriate, but their relationships and personalities are never explored beyond surface necessities.

Plot Strength: 0.5/1
There are some good ideas going on in Starbound, but not enough to save it. It's easy to follow along with the story line, but every element of the plot was shaky. There are a lot of people who harp on about how to create a good story with certain building blocks. Introduction of characters, crisis, climax, resolution, and conclusion are all buzz words to me. I don't necessarily believe that there has to be a set way to write a story, but I do think that the concepts have to be cohesive. This book had little to no cohesiveness.

Sincerity: 0/1
This entire story revolves around a singular curse and the resolution of that curse. There was no true complexity there, and yet there were a couple of major plot holes that I couldn't overlook. The inconsistencies made the story hard to believe, especially the resolution to the book.

Editing: 0/1
It was my sincere belief that this book had no beta reader, but then I went back to read the credits. This book at the very least had an editor, who can act as a beta reader of sorts. Now, I'm not sure if this editor hasn't had much experience, was rushed, or just generally didn't care, but there were a LOT of errors. I'm not talking little punctuation errors either. This was full of word choice errors,  incorrect usage of the parts of speech, and indecision on the voice of the characters. In one example, "were" was used instead of "where." Then there was this gem: "You of all people should know that what I feel for you is so much deeper than physically appearance." I cringed when I read it. Starbound is in dire need of a revision.

Pacing: 0.5/1
The book would have been improved greatly had it slowed its pace just by a little in order to give proper attention to the ideas that it was trying to portray. The story felt a little rushed sometimes which made it hard to really connect to the plot. After a while, it all just felt like going through the motions.

My Icing on Top:

I'm not so good at holding my tongue when it comes to bad books!

I don't think there's much else I can say here. I was really disappointed in this book! I think that there is some spark there, but the book just wasn't ready to be published. It needs to be polished quite a bit and then maybe it'll be a halfway decent read. I can't suggest this book to anyone, because there are so many better books out there just waiting to be discovered. But I do have to say, if you're on a book snob high, read this book. It will ground you back to reality and show you just how bad things can really be so that you appreciate well-done books a little more.

Happy reading!

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

-K

Beauty and the Beast by Shoshanna Evers

Title: Beauty and the Beast
Author: Shoshanna Evers
Genre: Erotic Romance/Fantasy/Re-Telling

Maturity Rating: 17+
*WARNING*: VERY GRAPHIC SCENES
Initial Rating: 3/5
Technical Rating: 3/5

My Quickie Synopsis: In this highly adult re-telling of the fairy tale classic of Beauty and the Beast, the Prince of the realm has been cursed by his wicked stepmother. He must live alone in an enchanted castle, trapped in the form of a Beast unless he can find a woman to love him as he is.

Initial  Response: Okay, so this was pretty much what I'd like to call a "Cotton Candy Book." It looks so pretty, and it seems like there's a lot to digest, but once you bite into it, you quickly discover that it's really nothing but a lot of empty calories that you probably could have done without. Does that mean I regret it? Nah. This book was entertaining and I liked it for the most part. I usually try not to read books that are under 300 pages, but I was on a fairy tale kick and I couldn't resist! However, I have to say that I'm not entirely sure that I can ever watch the Disney movie again without blushing. This book is definitely XXX rated in a major way! It wasn't perfect, but it was a good light read, giving it a deserved 3/5 initial rating stars.

Character Building: 0.5/1
One of the great things about creating a re-telling is the fact that the main characters are generally already well-known. Most readers come into the book already having a preconceived notion about how they act and how they think. I think that benefits Ms. Evers' story because she doesn't spend too much time making sure her reader base connects with the hero and the heroine. However, because the basics of the story are so familiar, she can get away with that for the most part.

Plot Strength: 0.5/1
The book makes sense and is easy to read, but sometimes the scenes start to feel repetitive. This is extremely bad in a story of this length. I found myself wishing that some of the ideas presented were fleshed out a bit more. I think Ms. Evers has a good idea, it just got stuck in the land of smut.

Sincerity: 1/1
The story is believable; Ms. Evers even goes as far to explain the plot hole that plagued the Disney movie-how could an entire town forget about its royalty? And again, with this being a re-telling, there's already an established fictional world that a reader can pull from.

Editing: 1/1
Great editing; just write more!

Pacing: 0.5/1
Everything felt a little on the rushed side. 150 pages of potential great story rushed with lust at the reins made for a bumpy read.

My Icing on Top:

It could have been worse

I think this book was the reason I fell off of the re-telling wagon. It wasn't that it was a bad book, but simply that my expectations were too high. I was looking forward to the more adult angle of the story, but the level of X-rated material was actually a little too much at times. Don't read this book if you're looking for an awesome re-telling of a fairy tale-this isn't it. I would suggest this book as a rebound book, meaning the following: if you're waiting for the next book in your series and need something new to read, read this as a little light fluff. But be warned, this is a very adult book with erotic content.

Check out my informal review on Goodreads!

As always, happy reading!

-K