Throwback Thursday Review: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Title: The Historian Written by: Elizabeth Kostova Published: June 14, 2005 by Little, Brown Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history....Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of, a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.  The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself--to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.

I have been wanting to do this review for so long and for some reason I have not gotten around to it. This is one of my all-time favorite books and I read it years ago and just before I really started blogging but I never officially reviewed it. But I'm trying to do a monthly throwback reviews that fit the monthly theme and this is the perfect one for this month so let's dive right in.

First off I love the plot development of this book. I describe it as Dracula meets The DaVinci Code. It is one of those books where you are taken on a worldwide adventure to hunt for clues and believe me when I say it is a thrilling adventure. I am frequently whining about how much I dislike travel monologues and how they aren't plot points to me and I think it's because this book ruined all future books like this for me because it is so good. It's so well plotted as the clues unfold and you are taken along for an exciting ride. I think the thing that the author does so well is that there is not only are the stakes really high but each step along the way is purposeful and interesting. The plot was so exciting that even the second time around I was just as surprised and enthralled. And many of you will probably know that I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to mysteries. I knew how this was going to end and it still managed to keep me on my toes which really is the mark of a great read if you ask me.

The other great thing about this plot development is the historical aspect. The reason that I am doing this throwback review during this month is because this is a classic example of a historical mystery and why that is my favorite subgenre. The thing I like most about historical mystery is it takes something that happens in the past and attaches it to a mystery in the present. So because of that there are so many great elements of historical fiction, in this case Vlad the Impaler or the real Dracula, and the mystery of the main character trying to find her parents. The two elements blend together beautifully to craft a story full of mystery, fantasy, and adventure.

This book also has a great setting and world. As I said, this is one of those worldwide adventures kind of stories so there are plenty of places to explore. Most of the book takes place in different parts of Eastern Europe like different parts of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Each different place comes alive in your mind as you can perfectly visualize the locations and the history of the place. I felt like I could perfectly imagine everything from the castles of Romania to the markets of Istanbul. The author definitely transports you to these places as you are reading and it's one of the main reasons that the travel works and the book is so enjoyable.

Finally, I really liked the characters of this book. Because this is a book with a ton of mystery and is all about secrets it should come as no surprise that this is a book full of complex and mysterious characters. Every single one of them has something to hide and because of that they keep you on your toes. I loved getting to know each of them and learning about their past and present, It made for a really interesting read to see them at their best and their worst. The other thing about this book is that main character never gets a name. She's just sort of this nameless young woman. That might sound strange and annoying but it sort of lead this great thing where you could immerse yourself into her perspective and the story. It made things even more interesting.

As I said, The Historian is one of my all-time favorite books. I absolutely love everything about it. The plot, the mystery, the setting, the world, the characters. It's engrossing and enthralling. I read it ten years ago and loved it, I read it four years ago and loved. I could read it today and I would probably still love it.

I give The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 10 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! Is there any doubt? I love this book so much and want everyone and their dog to read it. If you like historical mysteries or books that take you on a worldwide adventure you must check this book out.

Have you read The Historian? I know a few of you out there love it as much as I do. Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Throwback Thursday Review: The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire

So I haven't done one of these in awhile but because I am in a reading slump at the moment and didn't have a review ready to post as planned I thought I would instead review a book/series that I read before I started blogging. A series that I really love and have never really talked about. It's a feature I do time to time here and may try to do a little more regularly, I call it Throwback Thursday Reviews.

This is my fantasy month so it only made sense that I talk about a fantasy for this post. But honestly, that is a really hard book to decide on. As many of you know, I am a total fantasy junkie. And this is nothing new, I have always read a ton of fantasy. And there are plenty of really great and even some mediocre fantasy that I could review. Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings? The Chronicles of Narnia? The classics. But instead I decided to go with something on the newer end. Something I talk about pretty often and I haven't reviewed, The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire.

If you are unfamiliar with this name, you know it better as Wicked. Yes, that Wicked. The Defying Gravity musical about the witches of Oz before Dorothy arrived. But honestly, that's only the beginning of this series. Yes, that is the general plot of the first book. It's an origin story, a villain origin story about the Wicked Witch of the West. It's a much more self-contained story plot wise. It introduces us to the characters that we know and love from the original Wizard of Oz but in a new and different way. If you have seen the musical, I will say, it is very different. They are much more overt in their reference to characters beyond the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda. But it's still really cool to see the origin for these characters. And it also develops some of the unexplained questions from the original like why the witch is so wicked, why she wants the ruby slippers so bad, and why she's out west in Winkie territory. But my favorite thing is how dark it is. It's surprsingly complex and mature especially compared to the

The rest of the series is even more complex and mature. It focuses on the question of what happened in Oz once the Wicked Witch of the West is killed and the Wizard leaves. It also continues a lot of the big picture plot points that started in the first book. For that what I mean is that Oz is at war and there is a power struggle between who is going to control it. It's not the focus of the book but it's a big part of the world of the series. I think that it gives it this great combination of classic sword and sorcery kind of books and the more modern fantasy with political intrigue. Now don't get me wrong, it's not about scheming and plotting like some of the books with politics that I love but it does have a really interesting plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat with plenty of surprises.

The other thing that I really like about the series and the way it develops is the interconnection of the characters. I don't want to give too much away but considering that you can see by the title of the second book that this is about the descendants of the Wicked Witch. Or maybe you assumed it was about Glinda's son. Crap. Sorry. Spoiler alert? Whatever. Anyway, it's about Elphaba's descendants and kind of the lasting affects of her legacy on Oz. Each book you are interested to a new main character but you are able to connect with them because of their connection to the previous character. It's kind of an interesting way to structure a series and I really think it works. But it's not just the main characters, there is so much connection with secondary characters too. Certain ones appear throughout all the books where others make an appearance and then come back later in unexpected ways.

My only criticism of this series is the pacing. These are not fast reads. These are complex and long books that you need to slow down and take your time reading. It develops in a very methodical way as it takes us through the world and experiences of the characters. Now it's not a bad thing to have a slower paced book but it's not something that I prefer. It took me a long time to finish each of these books because I think it took me a long time to get into them. I think because each book has a different character and each book has to set up their story and how it connects to the larger story so it takes a little bit longer to get to "the good stuff." It's been awhile since I read them so I can't say if it's because there is a lot of exposition or why exactly this happens, but I do very distinctly remember it happening with every book in the series.

But on the whole, I really love this series. I'm a hug fan of Gregory Maguire and his retellings. He does such a great job in creating a new and unique story that captures the spirit and characters from the original book. This is the series that started it all for me. It's got great characters and a fascinating world. It's surprisingly complex and I loved the way it developed. It's a must read for fans of the original Wizard of Oz or fantasy fans.

I give The Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I'm a huge fan of this series. I love the way it developed and I loved how dark and compelling it was. If you liked the musical I think you should probably check it out.  And if you read Wicked and didn't realize there were more books in the series, there are and the rest of them are really good.

There you have it. My thoughts on a book I read years ago, before I started blogging. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got a case of nostalgia along with me. Have you read The WIcked Years? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Thorwback Thursday: Ink and Bone Review and Giveaway

Hey everyone, guess what. The paperback for Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine is coming out three months earlier than anticipated. Exciting stuff, right. I mean this was one of my favorite books of 2015 and the sequel is one I absolutely cannot wait for in 2016.

So when Penguin asked me to help spread the word about the paperback release by reposting my review as a Throwback Thursday, I of course said "ABSOLUTELY!" I love this book so much and any opportunity to gush about it is okay by me. I mean I know I already suggested a few of you read and you did and liked it so maybe I can get a few more. And if you read this review and think, I totally need to read that book well you are in luck my friend because the nice folks at Penguin are providing me with a copy to giveaway so check out the Rafflecopter below. Unfortunately this is a US and Canada only giveaway. I'm sorry international friends.

But first, onto the review...

Title: Ink and Bone Series: The Great Library #1 Author: Rachel Caine Published: July 7, 2015 by NAL (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…  Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.  Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.  When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Penguin First reads in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

This book right here, is everything I wanted it to be an more. It seriously delivered. Ink and Bone is an engaging read perfect for fans of historical mysteries who are ready for a wild ride full of magic and mystery.

I was completely engrossed in the world that Rachel Caine was able to create here. It is one of the most multi-faceted worlds I have come across in a long time. For one thing she was able to create a unique and interesting boarding school that is full of magic. I'm a sucker for books set in a boarding school and the Library definitely satisfied that for me. It was like Hogwarts in the best possible way. The characters arrive in this school where they have their lives upending learning about different kinds of magic and putting it into practice. And this magic was also really cool. It was one part steampunk, one part alchemy. And while I loved reading about the characters learning, it was when they went out into the larger world that things got really good. I'm used to think that I didn't like revisionist history but it has to be done really well. Ink and Bone was a bit like The Bone Season in that it is set in the future but because of something that happened (or in the case of this book, didn't happen) things are very different. This book walked that perfect line between feeling like historical fiction and feeling like speculative fiction. It almost felt like a dystopian world in some ways. You see, this is a world at war, a world where the average person is stifled by a ruling entity that will do anything to stay in power. And it's the library! I'm sure it's hard as a bookish person to see the beloved library play the role of antagonist but boy were they terrible! Seeing the characters torn between those two worlds added so much conflict and drama.

And this fantastic world was made all the more engaging by Rachel Caine's writing style. Ink and Bone was also atmospheric and engaging. Her writing takes you into another world that you can immerse yourself in. Each chapter is started with a bit of extra information that added a level of dramatic irony and made the book more well-rounded. Dramatic irony is another thing for me that can be hit or miss. It can get frustrating very quickly if it comes off as the characters being obtuse. I don't like knowing things the characters don't. But in the case of Ink and Bone, it added to the mystery. And boy was this book was full of mystery. There were so many twists and dramatic reveals I never knew what was coming next. And things were perfectly timed and plotted. It felt like each reveal served to expand the story and drew you to an exciting climax that had me on the edge of my seat. When it was all over I was desperately hoping for the next book.

And the mystery of Ink and Bone also extended to the characters of the book. Like all good boarding schools, this one is populated by a diverse cast of characters. They're the brightest and most promising students worldwide taken to become a part of the prestigious library. And the conflict outside the library is mirrored by the students in the library. Each student was interesting and well-rounded. There were those you love and those you hate. But each of them had great character development throughout the book. In particular I really like the main character Jess. He seems like the kind of person who never really fits in completely but is still always able to assimilate. That in particular made him easy to like and root for because you want him to find where he belongs but appreciate that independent streak in him. But I think my favorite character was the teacher, Wolfe. He reminded me so much of Snape and if you know me you know that's a good thing. He is unnecessarily hard on his students but in the end comes to respect them and protect them. But the best part about Wolfe is his secrets. As the book unfolds we slowly learn more about his past and yet I still want to learn more. He's so complex and enigmatic. All the characters are enigmatic and fantastic!

My only criticism is that the pacing was a little problematic. It had a bit of a slow start as the world was being developed and we were connecting with the characters. I expect that in new fantasy books. But then when things did pick up, it was an action-packed story that may have been a little too thrilling. I know that sounds like a weird thing to say but it just didn't have the flow that I like to see when it comes to the pacing of fantasy novels. It moved too quickly through the ending of the book and I felt like I was missing some important things because it just moved from moment to moment with me even being able to catch my breath. The pacing just felt a little unbalanced. I would have liked it a little more if the action was evenly balanced throughout the book.

But when everything was all said and done I really loved this book and cannot wait to find out what happens next. Even just writing this review is getting me amped up about this book, that never happens. But now that I can step away from it, I can say that I absolutely loved it. It is the kind of book that is familiar, reminding me of great things about books I love, while still being unique and different. It was incredibly engaging and I would absolutely recommend it.

I give Ink & Bone by Rachel Caine 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! You need to read this book. Fans of fantasy and dystopia will find a unique and fascinating world with great characters and thrilling action. It felt familiar and creative at the same time and is an amazing first book in a new series I am excited to see develop.

Have you read Ink and Bone? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Did I convince you? Enter the giveaway and tell me why you are excited to read it. Or if you have already read it, why are you excited for the sequel.

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Throwback Thursday Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - (Amazon / Goodreads) The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - (Amazon / Goodreads) Life, The Universe, and Everything - (Amazon / Goodreads) So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - (Amazon / Goodreads) Mostly Harmless - (Amazon / Goodreads) Plot of the series: The various versions follow the same basic plot but they are in many places mutually contradictory, as Adams rewrote the story substantially for each new adaptation. Throughout all versions, the series follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, a hapless Englishman, although the story also follows the adventure of other major characters: Ford Prefect (who named himself after the Ford Prefect car to blend in with what was assumed to be the dominant life form, automobiles), an alien from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse and a researcher for the eponymous guidebook; Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ford's semi-cousin and the Galactic President; the depressed robot Marvin the Paranoid Android; and Trillian, formerly known as Tricia McMillan, a woman Arthur once met at a party in Islington and the only other human survivor of Earth's destruction. [Source]

It's Science Fiction month here on My Thoughts Literally. It has been a long time since I have done a Before I Blogged I Read post and I thought this would be the perfect time to do that. Plus I had the perfect series to do that. One of my absolute favorites, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

It has been so long since I have read these books but I have seriously always wanted to review them here on the blog. And then as I started to write a review I realized that doing that is nearly impossible. I mean it has been nearly four years since I read them. And one thing I have realized recently is that I seem to compartmentalize my thoughts on books. Like I usually vaguely remember what I thought about a book, like if I loved it or hated it, but I rarely remember exactly why I liked it and I almost never remember any details about the plot of the book.

However I do remember basically every detail of the first book in this series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It is one of those books that has always stuck with me because of it's creative and engaging Science Fiction plot and world that is full of action and humor. I remember reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and literally laughing out loud at so many moments and to this day I reference things from book in my daily life. It also got me hooked on so many different things that I'm not sure I would be the same type of reader had I not read this book.

First and foremost The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy got me hooked on space operas. For those who are not aware, space operas are a subgenre of Science Fiction where typically a quirky cast of characters travel through space on some sort of galactic adventure. Think Star Wars, Firefly, or The Lunar Chronicles (well mostly just Cress). The Hitchhiker's Guide took us to all kinds of crazy corners of the galaxy including a legendary planet that creates planets. Along the way we get to see and experience all kinds of crazy places and unique technology. You guys know that I hate travel monologues, moving around for the sake of moving around is something that always bothers me. But put it in space and I am more than down for the ride. There's just something amazing and interesting about travelling through the galaxy at lightspeed (or with the use of an Infinite Improbability Drive) and exploring places both mysterious and weird. And that is one of the best things about this book, the weirdness factor. It creates this intricate Science Fiction world with advanced technology like a book that contains all the information about the universe and computers to find the answer to life, the universe and everything (comment with the answer and I will love you forever). But it also seems to poke fun at the genre and almost appears satirical. Either way it was a fun ride and an amazing series.

And one thing that was incredibly amazing about this series is the fascinating cast of characters. Something you should know about me is that I hate aliens. It's a serious irrational fear that I have. I blame my brother for using an ET doll to terrify me as a kid. And for that reason I avoided a lot of Science Fiction novels for a really long time. But then I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The humor in this series and the quirky characters made me realize it's not all bad. As far as the characters go, my personal favorites are the aliens. Sure, the earthlings are great. There's our everyman main character Arthur Dent is great and the perfect combination of curious and concerned. But the best characters for me are the hilariously dry and sarcastic Ford Prefect who is resourceful but pragmatic and loves a good drink, the lovable rogue Zeephod Beeblebrox, and the whiny "paranoid android" Marvin. The series also has a  hilariously villainous conquering alien race known as Vogons that I enjoy despite the fact that they are far from humanoid (a thing that usually gets me over my fear of aliens). And those are just the main characters. The characters in this series are what makes it so fun and enjoyable. Especially when weird secondary characters come back into the story in later books (the whale? Argrajag?).

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also got me hooked on audiobooks. I listened to the audio when I was stuck on a train for thirteen hours headed to Rochester, NY (my hometown) from Providence, Rhode Island (where I was living at the time). And that was the best and worst decision I have ever made. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy first began as a radio play so it was the perfect book to have in an audio format. It was full of action and excitement, a thrilling plot, and engaging characters. Plus this book is a hilarious and sarcastic book that is almost satirical. I found myself trying desperately not to laugh out loud and failing miserably. People most have thought I was crazy but I didn't care, it was so fantastic! And after that every time I was traveling, whether it was on a plane, train, or automobile, I had an audiobook for the trip.

I give The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy a 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Whether you are a Science Fiction fan or not this is a brilliant and funny series that includes a thrilling space adventure, a creative world, and amazing characters. I would definitely suggest this book as a gateway not only into Science Fiction but also into audiobooks. There are amazing versions of the this series including one narrated by who was a great Arthur Dent in a less than stellar movie adaptation. Although be warned, like a lot of series some of the books are better than others. The first one is the best and despite that I didn't hate Mostly Harmless, the series does sort of fizzle towards the end.

Have you read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? What did you think? Do you quote and reference it any chance you can get? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Celebrating Banned Books Week with Before I Blogged I Read: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

(I first saw the idea of Before I Blogged I Read from Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner)

I'm sure that many of you know that this week is "Banned Books Week" here in the US. The week where we celebrate all those books that get challenged for their content and themes which are "unsuitable" and should therefore not be taught in schools or even for sale according to some people. Many of the books which have shaped my upbringing and view of the world are in fact "banned books" so for today's Throwback Thursday and in honor of Banned Books Week I have decided to review one of my favorite banned books/series...

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman (Published 1995 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (Published 1997 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (Published 200 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. You may also know this as The Northern Lights trilogy or by the first book in the series which became a movie, The Golden Compass. It is an incredible Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy series with interesting and complicated characters, a thrilling and mysterious plot, and a complex and interesting world that develops with each passing book.

One of the things I love about this series is that with each book it takes on a very different tone as it explores a different subgenre or trope in Fantasy novels. In The Golden Compass the series seems like it's your typical YA/MG High Fantasy adventure story. Our plucky heroine Lyra Belacqua goes on a mission to find her lost friend with the help of some interesting and unlikely characters (more on them later). Then at the end of the book we are left with a cliffhanger. This leads us to book 2, The Subtle Knife, which takes a more Science Fiction feel as it takes place in multiple worlds. Then in the final book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, we get the end of the world epic fantasy vibes that the Fantasy genre has been known for. But this is not your typical story of good versus evil.

Much of this series breaks with the fantasy tradition of good and evil and nothing communicates this more than the characters. What you would usually think of as an evil entity is good in this series like witches and a race of militarized bears (seiously the armored bears are totally kickass!) are supportive and helpful to our heroine and her goals. And those that you would usually think of as good are the more diabolical entities in this world like angels and the Magisterium, the church like entity in the world. And then there are the individual characters, many of whom walk the line between right and wrong and your opinion of them changes often throughout the series. Most, if not all, of these characters are manipulative and care more about their own self-interests than those who they claim to love and care about. In the first book the best example of this is Mrs. Coulter & Lord Asriel who use Lyra to prove their points in their church versus state argument and their science versus religion argument. They put her in all kinds of compromising positions and even attempt to turn her against the other person. Then later in the series we have Balthamas and Baruch, angels who are doing the same thing yet interestingly enough, to characters who had previously been the manipulators. And I can't even begin to talk about the dubiousness about the god-like entity in this series (I'll attempt to later).

Even the main characters, Lyra and Will, are far from perfect. Lyra, the ultimate heroine of the series, is your typical strong female characters. When we first meet her she is a tomboy who would rather be running around the roof with the gyptian children than being a proper "young lady." She is intelligent and curious but she often uses her quick thinking skills to manipulate people and is a notorious liar. Her lies and manipulations do get her out of many a tricky situation that her impulsiveness got her into in the first place. Her Hero's Journey in this series actually leads to more corruption than anything else. It all makes her rather dubious and you guys know how I feel about dubious characters. Will on the other hand is arguably Lyra's polar opposite (comment if you get that pun). He is honest and kind and unlike Lyra who is in a perpetual state of childhood, he has had to grow up too quickly. He has a strong sense of right and wrong but still often does things that breaks with his moral code. But as they say opposites attract and I totally ship Lyra and Will. They are great well-rounded characters that make this series interesting.

Lyra being careless and Pan changing shape!

What is perhaps the most interesting thing about this series however is the world. The Golden Compass begins in a High Fantasy version of Oxford. It's a steampunk kind of Victorian world with zeppelins and interesting gadgets that run via a supernatural force. But there are also daemons! And I don't mean this is the usual sense of the word (just another dichotomy in this sereies). This is the absolute coolest thing about Lyra's world. Every person has their soul manifested as a talking animal that follows you around. As a child your daemon changes shape and then when you become a teenager is settles into something that best represents you. Lyra's daemon Pan is not only one of her best friends but also tries to act like her conscience throughout a lot of the series. As the series goes on we learn more about the larger world. We see how it's connected to our world and we travel between worlds to some interesting places. And then there's this world's view of the afterlife. It is reminiscent of Greek mythological views on the subject and the storyline that takes place there are quite creepy and interesting.

But that probably explains the plot of this book pretty well, interesting and enthralling but quite creepy. I've already given a little explanation about each of the books in the series and some of it's themes. What this series does really well is combine classic fantasy adventure with mystery and plot twists and larger themes about humanity and society.Throughout most of the book, as the reader, you are easily along for the ride as Lyra and later Will go on their missions to save someone or something. You enjoy exploring the world and meeting new characters. But along the way there are so many questions about what is happening in the world and why. It is all a little unsettling at times as it makes you question what you thought was good and real about society as you know it. Phillip Pullman throws in ingenious plot twist after ingenious plot twist keeping you on your toes and questioning things. There's a great sense of mystery with the adventure of the series.

But the really interesting and unsettling thing about the plot and themes of this series is the reasons why it is listed among the banned and challenged books, its themes about science versus religion, biblical allegories, and criticism of organized religion. Lyra is this prophecized girl who will bring about the downfall of the Magesterium, a religious and governmental entity in her world who we learn throughout the series is doing some not so great things in the name of their religion. It definitely takes a very critical look on the subject of religion, pointing out it's flaws and making it and even the higher power working in the world the ultimate antagonist of the story. Pullman expertly crafts an antagonist out of something you usually see as being positive. It's sort of the ultimate contradiction where you are rooting for a person who is probably doing something not very good and while it is unsettling to think you support them, they really do seem to have the right idea. Part of Lyra's prophecy is that she is a "second Eve" or the "betrayer" that will lead to "an end of death" or a sort of second original sin. It is definitely the kind of book that could offend someone who is more religious. However when taken on it's storytelling and as a fantasy novel, it's quite incredible.

I give the His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman series 9.5 out of 10

It's a complex and interesting series with complex and dubious characters, a creative and engaging world, and a interesting and mysterious plot that combines fantasy elements with a criticism of society and religion.

Have you read His Dark Materials? What did you think? If you could have a daemon what form would it take? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. If you haven't read His Dark Materials (or even if you have) tell me what is your favorite banned book? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Throwback Thursday Before I Blogged I Read: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of Witches Author: Deborah Harkness Published: Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:  A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday was to talk about "gateway books." I mentioned A Discovery of Witches because I hated it so much it got me back into blogging. A few comments made me realize I never actually blogged about this book, but also that I should probably explain myself. But first a story:

Remember how amazing it was when 1-click buying was created on Amazon. How you could, for the first time, use your preferred shipping address and billing information to purchase a book with the swipe of a single button. It was GLORIOUS! Did anyone else accidentally order a book without even realizing it? Just me? That's cool, I'm not ashamed. If you haven't deduced why I'm telling you this story it's because that book was A Discovery of Witches. 

So I ordered this book that I wanted but wasn't totally sold on and decided it was fate. I thought I should give it a try and read it. Now this was a time where I was going through a lot personally. I was about to move to Pittsburgh, a city where I knew one person, for a brand new job and it was very stressful. I was also going through a bit of a reading slump so I decided to dive into what seemed like the perfect book for me. It was fantasy with a focus on magic and seemed like a lot of the Historical Mysteries/Thrillers that I always love. So I started reading with high hopes thinking that the universe wanted me to read this book, and who can argue with the universe? (No one, that's who). But as I started reading I realized that this book was not at all what I was hoping for.

The first reason I hated this book is that it had such promise. From the description it sounds like a book totally up my alley. I really wanted to love this book but I couldn't, I really couldn't. I kept waiting for it to get interesting and it never got there. I was waiting for the magic to come into play and there was so little that it was almost like there wasn't any at all. If you are expecting a book about magic, you have come to the wrong place. I told multiple people when I was reading this book that "it sounds so interesting, but it really isn't."

Another problem is that the pacing was terrible. It took forever to get interesting and when something exciting did happen it was over before I even realized what was happening. Certain things dragged on and on but then other moments were over way too quickly. There were so many times where I thought that entire chunks of the plot were missing because things passed way too quickly. But I also think I was just really not a fan of the writing style. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the editing but there was just something about it that felt unfinished and poorly executed. It felt like amateur hour.

But my real problem was that I just  couldn't get behind the protagonist. I was hoping for a strong female academic and she was not it. She changed her opinions more than she changed her clothes and couldn't stand by any of her decisions. Every time she would tell herself she should do something or not do it seconds later she would change her mind. She was spineless and I hated it. 

It felt like it was trying too hard to be an adult alternative to Twilight. The similarities between that story and this are astounding. I already mentioned how I disliked the MC and she seemed to just be a regurgitation of all Bella's bad qualities. Then we have the insta-love with a vampire situation who by the way is super overprotective. It was just too much of an Edward and Bella situation for my liking. Plus a lot of the vampire lore and mythology is similar to Twilight and they were things that differ from traditional vampire lore. It really just felt like this book was trying to capitalize on the popularity of Twilight and I cannot get behind pandering. 

I really wanted to DNF the book but all my other books were packed away in boxes for my move and so I forced myself to finish it. I'm glad that I did because the last 50 pages were actually not that bad but it was a case of too little too late. I've read some reviews about people who really liked this book and the second one in the series sounds a lot better but between the poor writing, the fact that I didn't like the characters, and that I found the world uninteresting I don't think I will be picking the next two books up.

I give a Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 4 out of 10 stars

And now that you know why I didn't like this book you can make up your mind for yourself about if you want to read it. If you are a fan of the Twilight series and looking for something similar than check this book out. If you've read A Discovery of Witches leave me a comment with your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Throwback Thursday: Before I Blogged I Read... A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

This review will be about the A Song of Ice and Fire series (which the HBO series Game of Thrones is based on) by George R.R. Martin but mostly the third book on the series, A Storm of Swords. This is going to be a long one, so...

 

This book, this book right here, ruined me! It seriously ruined me. Every single human emotion that is possible I felt in this book. I was angry, happy, sad, scared, and confused. Sometimes all at the same time. The book was so good that when I was finished it left me so emotionally scarred that I went to a meeting an hour early because I couldn't focus on reality. But then when I read this book there was no reality, only Westeros. 

And in the land called Westeros there is a power struggle for control after the previous ruling family (House Targaeryn) was overthrown and exiled in a rebellion lead by some of our heroes. There's been about fifteen years of relative peace but in Book 1 in the series, A Game of Thones, all hell breaks loose and the power struggle becomes the main plot point. It's not your typical high fantasy world where magic is incredibly important to not only the story but power, in this world you derive your power from military strength and your connections. That being said, the world-building is amazing. The land as well as each character has an incredible mythology and detailed back stories that really immerse you into this world and make it feel so real. For me when I'm reading these books the world of Westeros is all I can think about. I relate it to things I see or hear in my every day like and I make references to it constantly. I haven't felt this obsessed with a world since Harry Potter, but it's that engrossing.  

As the series goes on we meet more and more inhabitants of this world. When the series begins the book focuses on a few key players in this world who are members of important families but as time goes on the world build to gigantic proportions. In this book we meet a host of new, mostly secondary, characters that are interesting and compelling. Among my favorite new characters are Oberyn Martell known as the Red Viper who is in Kings Landing to sit on the small council but also to seek revenge for the death of his sister Elia and her children when  they overthrew the Targaryens, I also really like Margaery Tyrell and her grandmother Olenna who is known as the Queen of Thorns they're both playing the game but in a more sneaky way plus Olenna is a grumpy and sarcastic old woman and she's fabulous. And as the characters part ways and go on separate adventures we also get a bunch of new point-of-view characters (each chapter is told from a different characters perspective).

But in addition to some new characters our old favorites are back as well. The best part about these characters is that they pretty much all of them change drastically throughout the series. Many of them experience these terrible life-changing events and have intense character arcs because of what they experience. Throughout the series your opinion of them changes more often than they do. To express this point I offer up three of my favorite characters as examples. First is Daenarys, the last surviving member of House Targaryean. When we first meet her she is exiled to the Free Cities in Essos and being sold to a terrifying Horse Lord for his army of soldiers. She is scared and meek and the idea of her taking back Westeros is hard to believe but as the series goes on she becomes this hardened leader who conquers cities, plus the fact that she rehatched some dragons doesn't hurt to make her more of a badass. Then there is Sansa Stark. She is the daughter of the ruler of the North and is your typical girly girl obsessed with pretty things, stories about knights, and marrying a prince. But she has a harsh reality check and learns that those are just make-believe. She sort of becomes the scapegoat for a lot of people and is very harshly treated but she has this quiet strength about it all. In this book she really takes matters into her own hands and ends up getting what she wants on her own terms (there's some debate about this but if you want I will debate you). Finally we have Jamie Lannister. When we first meet him he is a cocky knight who is best known for breaking his oath and killing the previous king (everyone calls him Kingslayer as a sneering nickname) who is in love with his twin sister (the queen) and is kind of a jerk. But in this book he has a life-altering experience and he kind of finds his honor and keeps his snark which makes me totally love him. And those are just a few of the characters and their redemptive arcs.

In general these characters are so different and so complex that is hard to downright hate them. Besides the fact that they often redeem themselves as the series goes on, even the most evil and villainous characters in the series you love to hate. Plus pretty much all of them are vicious, nasty, and manipulative jerks that are trying to take seize or keep their power. Most people are only out for their own interests and are playing the "game of thrones" for their personal gain even when it seems like they're doing it for someone else. And because every character seems to be playing the game you spend a lot of time trying to suss out their motivations and what their actions will lead to down the road. Remember this is a world where the main plot point is the constant struggle to take control of this country, at one point there are five people claiming to be the kings and three of them stating they are the rightful kings of Westeros. Because of this the book is full of political intrigue. There is tons of plotting, scheming, backstabbing, backdoor deals, and offers to scratch each other's back for their own personal gain. It's an over-exaggerated  example of what really does happen in politics. 

However this power struggle doesn't only take place within the politics of the capital. This is a world of death and destruction. There are rebels trying to take control and battles being fought all over the country. This is definitely the most action-packed of the series. It's full of sword-fights, one-on-one battles to the death, castle sieges, and murder. So much murder! This is not a series for the faint of heart. More than one main characters does not make it out of A Storm of Swords. The expression "kill your darlings" is an understatement when it comes to George R.R. Martin. He really likes to remind his readers that absolutely no one is safe in this world and there is no such thing as a happy ending. 

But fear not fans of tradition fantasy this is also a land of magic and wonder. As the series goes on more magic seeps back into the world. Part of the mythology of this world deals with magical elements like dragons, frozen zombies, people with the ability to dream that they are inside the body of animals and even invade their bodies. There is even a religious orders with the ability to bring people back to life, see into the future through flames, and kill people with shadows. These magical elements make some of the most entertaining chapters and make characters that were slightly dull to begin with or on their own way more cool because of the magic they are able to witness and perform. Some of my favorite characters have associations with the magic of this world. But the magic is as much a part of the plot as the violence. There are a host of prophecies and stories that have been foretold that directly relate to some of the characters and as a reader you cannot help but speculate about who they are referring to and where the story is going.

And boy things are really going somewhere in this book. A Storm of Swords is the most action-packed of the series. The book is over 1100 words long and by far the longest book that I have read to date but nothing in this book was dull. What tends to happen in this series is that it takes awhile for the book to get rolling but not A Storm of Swords. It was non-stop energy and excitement and I couldn't stop reading. Just when I thought things were slowing down for a character or I thought I had figured out where the characters was going George R.R. Martin reminded me that he is completely in control of this story and would throw a plot twist or surprise out of absolutely nowhere. I spent the last third of the book in complete shock about what was happening. If you've seen season 3 of Game of Thrones, you only know the half of it, and I don't mean that just because they only used half of the book. 

But as fabulous as this book was, it was not entirely perfect. Many people criticize GRRM for the fact that he takes way too much time explaining things like banquets, clothing, locations, and people making it repetitive and feel longer than it is, but in my opinion this leads to the sweeping epic feel of the story. My criticism is that are some issues with the pacing because all the stories move at different speeds. It is not a perfect timeline of events and there is not an even amount of chapters from each point of view or location. So some characters will be the narrator for a lot of chapters and be involved in the chapters of others while some characters only appear in the few chapters that they narrate. In  A Storm of Swords there are so many people and so much going on that things get very muddled. You'll get a chapter for someone you haven't heard from in awhile like Arya or Theon and find yourself thinking, "where are they and what are they doing?" It gets hard to keep track of the insane amount of characters that populate this world. 

But I can forgive these pacing problems because the story is so entertaining and thrilling. This is by far my favorite book in what is quickly becoming one of my favorite series. It is a detailed and interesting world full of magic, complex and complicated characters and compelling themes, plot points, and mysteries. 

I give A Storm of Swords a 9 out of 10

I definitely recommend this series who is a fan of fantasy, adventure stories, book with complicated characters, or action-packed violence.  If you have read this series or plan to read this series please leave me a comment. I love talking about this series and speculating about how it will end. This series is very complex and I love talking about my theories and hearing other peoples. SO, please let's chat. If you haven't read this series, you definitely should.