Book Review: The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynne Herman

Title: The Devouring Gray Series: The Devouring Gray Written by: Christine Lynn Herman Published: April 2nd, 2019 by Disney-Hyperion (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…  Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbours treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid.  When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?

I was super excited to read this book when I first learned about it. Not only is it pitched as the kind of atmospheric fantasy I usually enjoy but it also takes place is the part of New York where I grew up. So I got a copy from the library and brought it home with me when I was visiting family. And while this was definitely interesting, it didn’t quite blow me away.

One thing I will say about this book is that it had good characterizations. This is a book full of messy and imperfect characters who are trying to figure things out and making lots of mistakes along the way. They are far from perfect and that what made them interesting and realistic. The book alternates perspectives between three main characters and it is one of those books that lends itself well to that kind of format. It gave each of the characters a lot of depth because you got to know them on a more personal level. And while Violet is arguably the main character, I didn’t at all feel like Justin or Harper’s perspectives were unnecessary (and I can’t say that very often in these kinds of books). I think a lot of that can be attributed to the characterization.

However, the format did make for a kind of muddled plot and pacing. The overall concept of definitely a cool one. A sinister force in the woods murdering people, and families with inherited powers are the only ones who can protect the town. It should have been a perfect book for me with the combination of mystery and fantasy, but it never quite delivered on either of those aspects. There was a mystery which I enjoyed but it didn’t feel solvable for the readers. I like being able to figure things out along with the characters not have them just tell me they found the answer. It just felt too simple for me. And that may have also lead to the pacing issues for me. The beginning of the book I loved and was incredibly engaged. I read most of the first half on a train and didn’t want to put it down. But then when I got home the plot seemed to slow down enough that it took me five days to read the rest. The second half should have been the most gripping but it didn’t quite recapture my interest until the last 50 pages. I’m just such a plot-driven reader so this was big for me. One thing I did like however is the fact that this is the first book of the series and it had a clear ending. It set up future books but it had a solid conclusion.

The other thing I liked but didn’t love was the setting. Now granted, this is really a personal problem. I grew up where this book takes place so I am probably way more critical than the average person. But if you are going to try and ground a book in a specific location, you really have to get that place right. And this honestly felt like the kind of book that could have been anywhere. There was only one reference to something from Rochester and then it went and called it “Upstate New York.” Clearly I am nitpicking because I’m from there but it brought up the whole Upstate vs. Western NY debates I haven’t had since college. This is not a problem most people will have with this book, but I just wanted to rant a little bit.

But as far as the other aspects of the world, it was an atmospheric and interesting setting. It’s one of those books that walks a fine line between fantasy and magical realism. The magical system is tied to the family and the location where they are from like magical realism but it is a little bit more of a general fantasy kind of structure. I really liked learning about the powers of the different families and seeing them talk about their rituals. I think we have only scratched the surface with the magic and I am excited for more. I also am excited for more about the Gray and the Beast. The book definitely didn’t overwhelm us with information about either of those things but it did capture my interest. I was honestly expecting this book to be a little bit more creepy and lean more towards horror but instead it was more magical realism. And honestly, I have no complaints about that.

On the whole, this was definitely an enjoyable read. The Devouring Gray was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year and it was a good book. Some aspects didn’t blow me away but the characterizations were great and the setting was intriguing.

I give The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. Not a perfect book but very entertaining. I would recommend this to fans of magical realism or atmospheric YA fantasy in the vein of Maggie Steifvater.

Have you read The Devouring Gray? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thank for stopping by and HAPPY READING.

Review: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Title: Girls of Paper and Fire Written by: Natasha Ngan Published: November 6, 2018 by Jimmy Books (Little, Brown Books) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for...and the most cruel.  But this year, there's a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she's made of fire.  In this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it's Lei they're after--the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king's interest.  Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king's consort. But Lei isn't content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable--she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.  TW: violence and sexual abuse.

This book was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year. I read a lot of YA fantasy (because I love it, obviously), and I am always excited to see a standalone, especially one on the darker side with political intrigue. And this was a really good read.

One of the best things about this book is the world. I'm surprised by how rich and engaging the world of this book is even though it's more subtle. It's a book inspired by Asian cultures and the emphasis is interesting and makes for a lush and beautiful setting. I usually like my fantasies to go big when it comes to magic but this one didn't. Instead it just developed the story around the world where people have animal features. These are the people who are the most revered and powerful within this world and there is a firm caste system between the others with people just being human at the lowest level. And like a lot of fantasy there is a brutal and authoritarian ruler. It added more depth to the world and a lot of political intrigue to the plot.

But I will say, that I still have a lot of questions about the world of this book. I know the general rule of them is to show instead of tell when it comes to world building but then you have to actually show these things. Maybe I was just reading more into it then it actually was but I thought there was some opportunities for big reveals in the explanation of the world and magical system. This boiok never went there and I wish that it had.

However, it may be possible that the world building was simple because the plot took more of the focus. This is one of those books where I think the trigger warning is good because this is very much a brutal read. It doesn't shrink away from the abuse of power of the Demon King, not only on the people in general but the young women who are his courtesans. It's often hard to read but it made for a dark and engaging story that had me wanting the protagonists to succeed in their goal to overthrow the king. I'm a plot-driven reader and usually I prefer a book full of action and surprises but this too was on the more subtle side. It was a simple sort of rebellion story but it was an interesting one nonetheless. I was invested in the story and it definitely did build to an exciting conclusion.

As far as the characters, I am not entirely sure how I feel about them. I already mentioned the brutal antagonist and I feel like Ngan did a great job in developing a terrible villain that was easy to dislike. But I would have like some more from the protagonists. Lei was a good enough main character, the kind of person who goes through so much that you can't help but root for her over the oppressors. But as an individual, I don't think she really came to life. It's not that she didn't have individual traits, because she was definitely fierce and determined in a way that usually endears me to a character. I mean she has some serious Sansa Stark vibes and you know how I love me some Sansa. But she just didn't make that strong an impression on me.

What surprised me though it that I did however like the romance. It's a f/f relationship and I actually liked the way that it developed. It is a little bit of a instalove, I mean it develops very quickly, but I think the author does a good job of showing the character's inner thoughts about the relationship. It's a bit of a forbidden fruit sort of thing but it never got to over the top with that. I liked that the character was torn about her feelings which makes it all the more satisfying when it came together. It had a good balance too and didn't overpower the story for me.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book even though it wasn't perfect. It had a rich and engaging world, a plot that pulled me and kept me reading until the exciting conclusion, and a romance that I actually enjoyed.

I give Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. This is a good debut fantasy and I am interested to see what's next for this author. It may actually be a sequel with the way this book ended.

Have you read Girls of Paper and Fire? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Title: Muse of Nightmares Series: Strange the Dreamer #2 Written by: Laini Taylor Published: October 2, 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.  Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.  As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?  Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

I don't think I can coherently explain my thoughts and feelings about this book even after waiting a day to write this review. Strange the Dreamer was my first Laini Taylor book and it is what convinced me she is a master storyteller who writes beautifully unique worlds. This book absolutely showed that.

One of the things I liked the most about this book was the world. Laini is definitely a master at crafting engaging and unique worlds. In Strange the Dreamer we were first introduced to the Mesarthim and the Godspawn and here we learned even more about them. Laini took us back and we got to see some of them in action and they were just as dark and complex as I expected. Through the course of that we also got to learn about some new powers and see them in action. I love books with magical systems like this and I found these ones truly fascinating. But being that this was Sarai's book there were also some really great parts where she explored her powers and what they mean now. But the best thing about the world of this book was how it relates on a larger scale. I am so glad that I read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy because there was some connection to that series and it keeps doors open for future series within this world which I am very excited about.

Also, I really loved about this book is the characters. I feel like this is going to be my theme for the month, but this was a book full of dark characters doing bad things for good reasons. I don't think I was expecting that from this book but I was expecting complex characters which is what I found. Lazlo and Sarai were are our main characters here and I definitely fell in love with them in the first book in the series. And while the first book was more about Lazlo, here it is very much Sarai's opportunity to take the lead. Sarai is the kind of character who is kind and supportive but has this terrible power that can very easily be used for evil. I loved getting to explore that more. But being that we got more of Sarai we also got more of the rest of the Godspawn which was amazing. We learned a lot more about Minya here which was so fantastic because she is definitely the complex and dubious character that I love reading about.

But I think the reason the characters in this book are so good is because the heart of this story is about family. There are so many concepts about family and love explored in Muse of Nightmares. I love books that deal with that, especially books that explore the idea of found family and that's what we Sarai has only ever know the Godspawn as her family and now having her real father in the picture that is changing. Lazlo has never really had a family and finding people who he is related to he now has that for the first time but navigating that can be difficult. And then there are these really great flashbacks between Nova and Kora who are sisters that get separated and it added a lot to these themes and the plot in general.

And the plot here was really good but again I felt like it lacked a little cohesion. I guess I'm just realizing that this is just how Laini writes. There are always a ton of perspectives and a ton of people who have different agendas. In the end everything ties together well but along the way it just seems confusing and muddles. I felt like with Muse of Nightmares you had two different storylines. You had the Kora/Nova storyline and you had the Minya storyline. We were already invested in the Minya stuff because of Strange the Dreamer so it took awhile to get into the second one. I knew they had to be connected somehow so I was looking for them which made me engaged in that portion of the book but I think for a lot of readers that is going to be a bit frustrating. But thing that was more annoying for me was the way it ended. It knew this was a duology so when we reached the ending I was ready for it to be over. And it had a really satisfying conclusion. Then suddenly we get a prologue with a backdoor to return to the series. And while I would love to go back, it kind of soured things a bit for me. If you are going to end it, end it, don't leave me wanting more and then say... maybe you'll it one day.

But all in all, this was a really fantastic book. it had a unique and engaging world, fantastic and complex characters, and a plot full of mystery and adventure. It was a great conclusion to the series which is absolutely one of my favorite YA fantasies now.

I give Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you loved Strange the Dreamer you definitely need to read this one. It was just as good as the first book and I loved the direction the story took. If you are looking for a new YA fantasy and you haven't read this, change that immediately.

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

Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylore

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Written by: Laini Taylor Published: November 6, 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.  This is not that world.  Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.  In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.  While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.  But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

I know everyone loves this series and I wasn't really planning on reading it but I read the first book on a whim and totally getting the hype. Thus continues my marathon of the audiobooks in this series. I really loved this book, the series is getting so good.

One of the best things about this book is the world building and setting. If like me you were more of a fan of the second half of Daughter of Smoke and Bone then you are going to love the world of this book. Here we get to go to Eretz and learn much more about the chimera and the work of their resurrection. I was way more fascinated by the chimera in Daughter of Smoke and Bone so I really enjoyed learning more about them in this book. We got to explore where they are from including Loramendi and the Kirin Caves where Madrigal's people were from. Laini's amazing writing really did a great job in making these locations come to life with her descriptive and beautiful writing. I could completely visualize everything and usually for me everything is kind of just a blur when it comes to settings and characters.

Speaking of characters, the characters here were completely amazing. I am thoroughly impressed by the character developent in this series and it was very evident in this book. First and foremost you have Karou and Akiva. In the first book in the series I became really attached to them and their story. After Daughter of Smoke and Bone they have been separated and while their ultimate goals align they are also in conflict which made their personal development really interesting. Karou in particular is in a really dark place. It was easy to root for her and want her to succeed over the books antagonists. Who by the way are amazing. On both sides of the conflict you had some truly heinous characters. With the seraphim you had Jael, Akiva's uncle, and with the chimaera you had Thiago. Both are scheming and power hungry, doing truly terrible things to our main characters. And that was only the beginning of the amazing secondary characters. Zuzanna and Mik were amazing as always, and Liraz and Hazael were so good in this book. They are quickly becoming some of my favorite characters.

But I think the part I liked the most about this book was the plot development. I thought the first book in the series was a bit slow in the plot department but here that was not the case. There was so much action and adventure. The stakes were very high with the war between the seraph and chimaera and the threat of impending doom on Earth. There were tons of surprises and I was absolutely on the edge of my seat for a lot of the book. By the end of it I was so emotionally invested in the outcome which is really the best outcome yo could expect.

I really loved Days of Blood and Starlight. I felt like it had everything I loved about Daughter of Smoke and Bone with some of the things I was hoping that book would have. It had a fascinating world, amazing characters, and a thrilling plot.

I give Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I am really enjoying marathoning  this series and definitely recommend that if you like YA Fantasy and have not read this series you check it out. The audiobooks are fantastic and you should definitely listen to it.

Have you read Days of Blood and Starlight. What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1 Written by: Laini Taylor Published: September 27, 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.  In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.  And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.  Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.  When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

I'll be honest, I never really planned to read this series. I know so many people love it but I just didn't think it was my thing. But I loved Strange the Dreamer and I heard this audio was really good so I decided to pick it up on an Audible sale ages ago. And finally this month I decided to give it a try (in secret in case I hated it) and I am so glad I did because it was amazing.

One thing I really loved about this book was the world-building. Laini Taylor is definitely the master of building a world that draws you in. Her writing is beautiful in the way it establishing a mysterious and atmospheric setting. In this series you first have the backdrop of Prague which in and of itself is unique and compelling, but then you add the underground of the magical creatures. I am not usually a fan of books about angels however I think here it worked. I think because I often forget that we were talking about angels. The seraphim just felt like one more magical creature that this world was built about. Speaking of magical creatures, the more interesting ones were the chimera. I was fascinated by characters like Brimstone and Issa, then eventually Madrigal in the flashback. It gave the book a really subtle Urban Fantasy feel to it which I really enjoyed.

As far as the plot goes, this definitely felt like it had some pretty serious first book syndrome. A lot of the book was just exposition. It seemed like it's main goal was to set up the future books. Which is fine for me because I decided to marathon the series but overall I think the book misses out on something because of that. I have heard some criticism from people about how they lost interest when the book began focusing on the flashbacks, but for me that was the best part. That was the part that interested me because that was the part that had plot implications for the series. But overall it did feel like two different stories, both of which were important but gave the book a disjointed feel.

But I think what redeemed things a bit for me was the characters. I really enjoyed the characters in this Book. First and foremost we had Karou. Karou is smart and quick-witted in the best possible way. She's tough and stands up for herself and the people she cares about in ways that will make you laugh and root for her at the same time. She's the kind of character that I always love reading about because she's so charming. But she's also mysterious. A lot of this book is about her figuring out who she is and how she fits into this world of chimera and seraphim. I was more than happy to figure that out with her.

The secondary characters however were maybe even more amazing. Karou's chimaera family were so interesting and I wanted to learn more about them which really drew me into the plot. I also really like Akiva. He's got a tortured past that could easily become cliche but it never does. And while I'm not fully committed to their relationship yet, I don't hate it. The idea of falling in love with an angel however star-crossed that love may be isn't something I usually enjoy but here I like the way it is developing at least. But the best character, without a doubt, is Zuzanna. Zuze is a tiny and fierce spitfire who is there for Karou no matter what and as a reader who is there as well she's very relatable. Plus she's just a total bright spot in what might otherwise be a pretty bleak book.

All in all, Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a fantastic read. I can see why so many people love this series and I am glad I took the time to read it. It has all the things that I love about YA fantasy. There's a unique and compelling world, interesting and likable characters, and a good story of personal development. I do wish there had been less exposition though.

I give Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you have wanted to read this series and like me you have been dragging your feet, stop waiting and go read it. Also I would definitely recommend the audio if you are fans of audiobooks.

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