Book Review: Hold Back The Stars by Katie Khan

Publisher: Doubleday
Publishing Date: January 26th 2017
Length: 304 pages
Keywords: space adventure, sci-fi, romance 
Source: Publisher

Carys and Max have ninety minutes of air left. None of this was supposed to happen. But perhaps this doesn’t need to be the end…

Adrift in space with nothing to hold on to but each other, Carys and Max can’t help but look back at the well-ordered world they have left behind – at the rules they couldn’t reconcile themselves to, and a life to which they might now never return. For in a world where love is banned, what happens when you find it?

SPACE ADVENTURE GALORE

HOLD BACK THE STARS was among the first books I read this year and if this one book set the course for my reading year I should expect some more glorious reading experiences coming my way. I've read a bunch of brilliant space adventures including THESE BROKEN STARS, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and ILLUMINAE and Katie Khan's new book certainly deserves its spot beside those on my list of favourites. For starters, the time limit of 90 minutes makes for an exciting incentive and brings a certain drive to the story.

The love story Katie Khan gifted to her protagonists Carys and Max is bitter sweet yet every little piece is as rewarding as it is heartbreaking. Once the story fully evoles everything is a whirlwind of emotions and you can't but deeply care about them. Carys and Max fit perfectly together with all their imperfections and flaws and on this track we get to explore what it truly means to care for someone in every future possible.

HOLDING BACK THE STARS works perfectly with a very limited cast of characters because it sets an important focus to the story dedicating it truly to the two epic lovers. Flashbacks offer pieces of both of Carys and Max's past alternating with the moments they spend suspended in space. In those flashbacks the reader learns even more about the new exciting and futuristic world building Katie Khan invented for her stunning YA debut.

5/5 ***** HOLD BACK THE STARS - Best emotionally explosive debut to kick off 2017! 

Katie Khan's debut deserves all the (rating) stars in the universe as HOLD BACK THE STARS is a fantastic space adventure with charismatic protagonists and a thrilling race against time in the battle between life, love and death.

 

Book Review: Tell Us Something True by Dana Reinhardt

Title: Tell Us Something True
Author: Dana Reinhardt
Publisher: Rock the Boat
Publishing Date: July 20th 2016
Length: 208 pages
Keywords: YA, romance, friendship, heartbreak, LA, support group
Source: Publisher

Seventeen-year-old River doesn’t know what to do with himself when Penny, the girl he adores, breaks up with him. He lives in LA, where nobody walks anywhere, and Penny was his ride; he never bothered getting a license. He’s stuck. He’s desperate. Okay . . . he’s got to learn to drive.

But first, he does the unthinkable—he starts walking. He stumbles upon a support group for teens with various addictions. He fakes his way into the meetings, and begins to connect with the other kids, especially an amazing girl. River wants to tell the truth, but he can’t stop lying, and his tangle of deception may unravel before he learns how to handle the most potent drug of all: true love.

Summary by Goodreads 

This is the story of a boy named River. Yes, his real name. And he`s just the right guy to tell this story. He doesn`t drive and instead walks everywhere. To deal with his heartbreak he walks right into a support group for teens with addications and develops a bad habit of his own: lying. The better he gets to know the kids in the group, the harder it gets to keep up the facade. And it becomes even trickier when River gets to know Daphne. She`s tough and smart and just the girl who could help River mend his broken heart. Wanting to know how their relationship unfolds was the incentive that made me turn the pages of this book in no time at all. And they have many moments together that just bring a smile to your face. It`s also River`s unique humour that made this read worthwhile.

Set in L.A. TELL US SOMETHING TRUE could be all about city life and being one of many people with the same problem. But River`s story has a very genuine and individual feeling from the very first page. Readers go through all the stages of a bad breakup with him. Then we follow him to support group and learn to appreciate the differences that make people their own kind of beautiful. It`s the combination of very private moments of heartbreak and the feeling of being connected to a group of people who might not have the exact same problem, but understand you in a way no other person can, that make TELL US SOMETHING TRUE such a special read.

4/5 stars **** TELL US SOMETHING TRUE - A poignant funny and delightfully different story about heartbreak, trust and new love.

This is the perfect book for a nice, sunny afternoon out at the lake. With about 200 pages TELL US SOMETHING TRUE is rather short, but that`s all the story needs. Dana Reinhardt wrote a well-rounded novel with winsome characters and a heartfelt love story. The story of River is also a story about being different, learing to accept help and most important, regaining trust in yourself. 

* Click here to read an excerpt of TELL US SOMETHING TRUE.
* For more information about Dana and her books visit www.danareinhardt.net
* Rock the Boat: www.rocktheboat.london | Twitter: @Rocktheboatnews

Book Review: Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

Title: Assassin's Heart
Author: Sarah Ahiers
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: February 2nd 2016
Length: 400 pages
Keywords: YA, fantasy, romance, murder, family
Source: Publisher

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay. (Goodreads)

Set in the kingdom of Lovero, ASSASSIN'S HEART introduces us to a world where killing means honor and death resurrection. Lea Saldana is a Clipper, an assassin from one of the nine Families who rule Lovero. She is well trained and clever. So how come love blinded all her assassin senses and got her entire Family killed? 

Her love to Val, a boy from the rival Family of the Da Vias, could be the thing that destroyed her family. What a dramatic plot! I was intrigued when I first heard about ASSASSIN'S HEART, especially about the emotional world of our protagonist Lea that would be sent into turmoil after the alleged betrayal by Val. That part of the story was a very interesting mind game, too. Like Lea, the reader doesn't know for a long time if Val's betrayal was real or if someone played a game with the young lovers' hearts. The revelation of this mystery and the direction in which the story was headed was promising at first, sadly losing its appeal in between and recapturing my attention towards the end. And the ending wasn't one I could've foreseen. Sure Sarah Ahiers gets plus points for writing surprising story turns, still I would've wished for a more romantic ending for Lea and Val. 

Sarah Ahier's debut novel isn't directly a Romeo & Juliet re-telling, but it features some of the key elements of the original story. Of course there are star-crossed lovers Lea and Val and the feuding families. There is also a priest that helps Lea find her way. Then there's still so much more to the story. A big part of ASSASSIN'S HEART, Lovero and its history are built on strong religious beliefs. In Lovero assassins kill people to honor their Goddess Safraella and the entire story is filled with mentions of this cult and its practices and what happens when someone disobeys the great Goddess. Religion is what lends Lea's existence and her actions its true meaning. 

   Lea's story is an emotional rollercoaster. She feels betrayed and seeks revenge. At the same time she's in love with someone she should want to kill. Sarah Ahiers did a good job portraying all these inner conflicts in Lea and expressing them in her actions and moves. 

In addition the story has a paranormal touch. And it's a scary one. There are ghosts roaming the plains outside the main cities in Lovero. If they spot or come near you, you are as good as dead. Strangely, Lea has a special gift that allows her to feel something different than fear around these ghosts. More about that and Lea's journey through Lovero you better find out yourself.

We learn a bit about Lea's family (biological) and her Family (her clan, defined by their solidarity) and Val's Family story as well. There would've been some room for one or two subplots exploring the relations between the other seven Families, too, while some parts of the story as it was felt redundant and kind of repetitive. 

   When I read ASSASSIN'S HEART I was expecting to read a standalone. Lea's story has an ending but it's part open, too. So I'm curious if there will be a sequel. I'd definitely give it a try because I liked the overall feel of Sarah Ahiers debut and its premise.

 

3,5/5 ***/* ASSASSIN'S HEART - An explosive debut about murder, heart-break and vengeance with ghostly fantasy elements!

Sarah Ahier's debut is a sure recommendation for YA fantasy readers! Her writing is engaging as is her world building. The conflict of the star-crossed lovers just sucks you into the story. A story that promises a mix of extraordinary religious beliefs, paranormal activity and action-packed duels between rival Clipper Families. And don't forget the most important part of the story: Lea's heart which is torn between revenge and love. Will she have it both in the end and triumph or perish as the last of the Saldana Family? Grab a copy of ASSASSIN'S HEART to find out!

 "Yes, my mother had tried to kill me again tonight. But she'd done it to make me a better clipper. In her own, twisted way she was protecting me by making me stronger. If Val's Family ever tried to kill him, they'd make sure he wouldn't have an antidote." – p. 16

ASSASSIN'S HEART by Sarah Ahiers you might enjoy RUINED by Amy Tintera, REIGN OF SHADOWS by Sophie Jordan or THE MURDER COMPLEX by Lindsay Cummings about a quest for revenge, star-crossed lovers and a murderous society.

* Click here to read an excerpt of ASSASSIN'S HEART.

* For more information about Sarah and her books visit www.falenformulatesfiction.blogspot.com.

Book Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)
Author: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Publishing Date: October 22nd 2015
Length: 608 pages
Keywords: YA, sci-fi, thriller, conspiracy, space travel, romance
Source: Publisher

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Summary by Goodreads

In the beginning there is destruction. Kady and Ezra are on the run while their planet is bombed and invaded by two duelling mega-corporations. They need to evacuate and make it on one of the space ships that are fleeing their enemies. But will they make it out alive in the end? That's what you'll have to find out by reading the Illuminae files, all analysed and supplied by the Illuminae Group. They share about six hundred pages of visual, audio and written data collected from battle carrier Alexander and science vessel Hypathia where the action of ILLUMINAE takes place.

So Kady and Ezra are the two protagonists whose story we get to follow in ILLUMINAE. We learn that Kady just broke up with Ezra and now they are thrown into this horrifying scenario where their entire planet is destroyed. No time to be vindictive. In order to survive Kady and Ezra have to find a way to beat the enemy together. You can imagine that this scenario was pretty intriguing. In the face of death, new hardships and more catastrophes on board almost constantly dare them to get back together and admit their true feelings for each other. Even though they never even narrate one chapter of the book themselves, we still learn more about the development of their relationship through the hacked files.

So what are those files? Videos by surveillance cameras, military documents, chat communications, interviews, emails, diary entries and other forms of data. The collection is splendid!

   When I first dove into the Illuminae files I didn't really know how to read them best. I'm used to personal narrations that bring a reader close to the character's thoughts and emotions. So I was concerned I wouldn't care about Kady and Ezra as much as maybe other characters. And actually it took me some time to get used to the documentary and informative narration of ILLUMINAE but after about one hundred pages I was deeply immersed in the story. Just give yourself a little time to acclimate to the new style of narration.

Never have I read a book where its page design was as important to the story as in ILLUMINAE. It keeps up the authentic character of storytelling and offers a completely new and riveting reading experience. A few basic page designs run throughout the entire story, like chats, military reports, audio files. But there are countless pages that got their very own special design with great love to detail. I bow to the art department for supplying ILLUMINAE with its own authentic style that makes up a huge part of the stunning reading experience Amie and Jay's novel offers to readers.

Part of the narrating scheme reminded me of chapters from THESE BROKEN STARS, where a military investigation is under way, too. I have never read anything like ILLUMINAE and now I'm more than curious about its sequel, if it's told in the same manner as the first book and if there will be more hints or parallels to Amie's THESE BROKEN STARS series. 

As to the story's course of action, that is one gigantic struggle for survival. Imagine bad things happening to Kady, Ezra and an entire planet's population. Then prepare again for the worst! There are epic space battles, explosions, conspiracies, hacking attacks and a dangerous artificial intelligence that overtakes an entire ship. Further you can add a deadly plague that turns humans into brutal zombies and ILLUMINAE into a slasher and horror story. That one was literally a killer move of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. This book is definitely not for the faint-hearted, but for the thrill seekers! Thought you booked a romantic cruise on a space liner? With ILLUMINAE you'll receive the gore galore adventure!

   Constant countdown alerts until "the end" and updated numbers on the current death toll (yep, these are totally justified) make the reading experience even more nerve-racking and dramatic.

With about 600 pages ILLUMINAE is a pretty big book. So I suggest you reserve a weekend to enjoy Kady and Ezra's unique space adventure to the fullest!

4/5 **** ILLUMINAE - Simply mind-blowing!  Best book design award 2015 goes to ILLUMINAE!

Conspiracies, space chases, gigantic explosions, terrifying enemies, sly artificial intelligence, emotional losses and a subtle yet sublime love story. Sci-fi, horror, thriller, romance, ILLUMINAE has it all. This book is the full package, a space adventure promising to blow your mind. I can guarantee you haven't read anything like it before!

"I only know one thing for sure. Whatever they don't want me to see, that's where I'm digging. I need to be where the secrets are.

 I'm more interested in ensuring I have a future than they think." – p. 124

ILLUMINAE you might enjoy THESE BROKEN STARS by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, A THOUSAND OF YOU by Claudia Gray and ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill. Only the first title is set in space like ILLUMINAE but they all have one thing in common: thrilling adventures, mean conspiracies and stunning romances.

* Have you read THESE BROKEN STARS?

* Click here to read an excerpt of ILLUMINAE.

* For more information about Amie visit www.amiekaufman.com. And here's Jay's website www.misterkristoff.wordpress.com

* Thanks to Oneworld Publications for sending me a copy of ILLUMINAE for review!

Book Review: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Title: Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: October 13th 2015
Length: 479 pages
Keywords: YA, fantasy, romance, magic, kingdoms, war
Source: Edelweiss

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

Summary by Goodreads

The sequel to SNOW LIKE ASHES primarily concentrates on the political side of relations between the kingdoms of Primoria. Politics is very important to strengthen Winter's position in Sara Raasch's intriguing game of kingdoms. Every action is followed by a reaction, every small comment by Meira could be interpreted in many unfortunate ways. I really appreciated that Sara Raasch planned some greater variety for ICE LIKE FIRE in so far as that she introduced us to other kingdoms, their leaders and their histories. There is also a new secondary character that I really grew to like. She's so kick-ass! 

   

Winter might not be as strong as it was before, but it is taking new shape again. In ICE LIKE FIRE we visit Winter and see how people are recovering from the years of servitude and fear. We learn what it means to come back home and to slowly rebuild the kingdom.

   Despite being her people's new leader, or especially because of it, Meira goes on a journey. A huge event brings along another quest for Meira and her friends. They are leaving Winter to search for three hidden keys that should either help solve all their problems or destroy their world forever. We are given clues and Meira has to figure them out before anyone else does. Don't you just love these kinds of quests, too? 
  In the second book in the SNOW LIKE ASHES series readers will get the chance to travel even more kingdoms than in the first book. Meira and Theron travel to Summer, Yakim and Ventralli. We are in Winter for some chapters before and learn more about Cordell and Autumn, too. 

So ICE LIKE FIRE is about Meira's politically motivated travels to the other kingdoms, but the story focuses on Meira's inner journey, too. In SNOW LIKE ASHES we got to know Meira as the little orphan girl who wanted to be a warrior. Now we meet Queen Meira, the well-being of an entire kingdom resting on her shoulders. She's often torn between being the person she once was and the person she is supposed to become. So who is she right now, in this moment?

Where SNOW LIKE ASHES was told from Meira's point of view, in ICE LIKE FIRE we've got alternating perspectives between Meira and Mather. Which was a good feature since they aren't together the entire story. And I'm very happy about Sara's choice to let Mather have his own chapters, he's such a great character!

   For me Meira and Mather are a dream couple. Well, at least in theory they are. It feels like there are a hundred obstacles between them and their happiness. They are both very strong and impulsive personalities. And they sure are taking their time to finally acknowledge their true feelings. I can't even tell you now if they will ever find a way to be together or if Meira's heart truly belongs to Theron. Grab a copy of ICE LIKE FIRE as soon as you can and find out yourself!  

If you read the first book in a series and fall in love with it, you want the sequel to be just as good. Unfortunately, there were some parts of ICE LIKE FIRE that were too lengthy. Still, knowing many sequels are a series' weak spot, ICE LIKE FIRE is definitely one of the better sequels I've read.  

 

 

4/5 **** ICE LIKE FIRE - And suddenly the series turns into a game of kingdoms!

Politics, tactics and game play on the one hand. Affairs of the heart and finding your identity on the other hand. ICE LIKE FIRE is a potpourri of epic fighting scenes, solving clever riddles, finding love in times of war and surviving the world of politics in Primoria. Expect a few plot surprises as well!

"He’s afraid of our pasts too. He’s afraid that what happened will happen again, nightmares that keep playing out.“You don’t have to keep me safe,” I whisper." – p.9

 

ICE LIKE FIRE you might want to have a look into these 2016 YA releases. I have a feeling they are going to be epic! They are REIGN OF SHADOWS by Sophie Jordan, BURNING GLASS by Kathryn Purdie and SWORD AND VERSE by Kathy McMillan.

* Have you read ICICLES LIKE KINDLING, the original prologue to the story? You can read it here for free.

* Click here for an excerpt of ICE LIKE FIRE!

* Want to meet Sara Raasch? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Sara Raasch and her books visit www.sararaasch.tumblr.com.

Book Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: October 14th 2014
Length: 416 pages
Keywords: YA, fantasy, romance, magic, kingdoms, war
Source: Edelweiss

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Summary by Goodreads

Sara Raasch's debut novel was one of my favourite reads in 2014. In fact Sara Raasch is one of my favourite authors, too. I got to meet Sara at her SNOW LIKE ASHES launch party at Books of Wonder in New York last year. She was just the sweetest, a bit nervous and so modest about her brilliant book!

It wasn't only the stunning cover that made me want to read SNOW LIKE ASHES. It was the promise to let my mind wander to an entirely new and enchanting world. I'm also easily hooked by such a love story as we are promised between Meira and Mather.

   The entire character cast of SNOW LIKE ASHES is made of awesome. Meira is an orphan girl and she lives the life of a refugee. Still she's optimistic about a brighter future and set on getting back the kingdom of Winter and freeing her enslaved fellow Winterians. The story is told from Meira's point of view and so we get to know her very well, her deepest feelings, thoughts and motivations. Mather is her best friend and Meira has been secretly in love with him (I'm not so secretly in love with him, too). There's only one problem. Mather is the future king of Winter and all the sorrow and hope of an entire kingdom is resting on his shoulders. He's smart, loyal and and a fearless leader. So I'm sure he'll be on many readers' book boyfriend lists!

   At this point I have to warn you though, that there's another man in Meira's life who is trying to win her over. So yeah, SNOW LIKE ASHES comes along with a love triangle, which is not my favourite, but definitely doesn't make the story of SNOW LIKE ASHES any less enjoyable.

   Meira and Mather's group is made up of eight refugees in total. They are a group of isolated Winterians, and you just can't but love every single one of these peculiar characters and want to get to know them all. As they are the last of their kingdom to be free, to be able to put up resistance against the oppressive Spring tyrant, their group is tightly knit and they are all so brilliantly fierce and dedicated to their goal. In numbers they are weak, but in courage and belief they are very strong. So Meira and Mather's story is also the story about the gigantic feat of a group of eight refugees who fight for themselves, to protect what they love most and together rebuild their kingdom of Winter.

At the beginning of SNOW LIKE ASHES we are provided with a map of Primoria, showing where each kingdom is located. This map really helps navigating the world of Primora and makes it much easier to follow Meira's journey in SNOW LIKE ASHES. A few months ago Sara Raasch shared this exact same map in her featured Behind The Pages post with annotated fun facts. Have a look at the post here.

What fascinated me most about SNOW LIKE ASHES are the eight kingdoms of Primoria that Sara Raasch imagined and so richly brought to life in her captivating debut novel! There are four Season kingdoms and four Rhythm kingdoms. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Yakim, Paisly, Ventralli and Cordell. Every kingdom has their own king or queen, depending on the bloodline. And these royals are the only ones who can wield magic, brought to them by special conduits. Clever, huh? It is an elaborate and very smart concept that allows for many different and ever new adventurous and smart storylines to spring from it. I just love every single detail about SNOW LIKE ASHES!

5/5 ***** SNOW LIKE ASHES - A phenomenal start to Sara Raasch's magical YA fantasy trilogy!

Sara Raasch is an extraordinarily articulate and imaginative, young, talented author who I hope gets a ton more book deals beside her SNOW LIKE ASHES trilogy. Her world building in SNOW LIKE ASHES is exceptionally beautiful and rich, her characters sincere and so fierce! There is also an ultimate villain and a noble goal to risk everything for. What else is there to be desired?! If you haven't read Sara's debut book I recommend getting a day off so you can delve into her world of Primoria, a world with eight kingdoms, one more fascinating than the other, and spend a time-out of the most fulfilling and bookish kind!

"But he's not just Mather – he is Winter. He will always be Winter first and foremost, and there is a palace in his future, not a cottage.

So I help him over to the fire and hurry to pack what I'll need for the trip, moving and doing in silence because silence is infinitely easier than talking. And now, finally, I'm moving and doing what I've always wanted – helping my kingdom." – p.21

SNOW LIKE ASHES you will enjoy these three fellow YA fantasy stories: SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo, THE WINNER'S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski and THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THRONS by Rae Carson. 

 

 
* Have you read ICICLES LIKE KINDLING, the original prologue to the story? You can read it here for free.

* Click here for an excerpt of SNOW LIKE ASHES!

* Want to meet Sara Raasch? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Sara Raasch and her books visit www.sararaasch.tumblr.com.

Book Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1)
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publishing Date: November 4th 2014
Length: 368 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller, sci-fi, romance, dimension travel
Source: Edelweiss

Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

Summary by Goodreads

The very best books are those that surprise you! A few years ago I read Claudia Gray's EVERNIGHT series and wasn't that impressed by her writing. Therefore my initial scepticism. But I decided to give A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU a chance. It sounded so good and in the end it was exactly up my alley. I am beyond thrilled that there will be two more books in the FIREBIRD series. Right now after the first book, I can honestly say that I can't get enough of Claudia Gray's new story universe.

The author sends her protagonist Marguerite after the killer of her father. For truth and revenge this girl is willing to risk everything. She even crosses dimensions to other parallel universes. The Firebird is a precious invention. It is the device that allows her to travel and the reason why her father was murdered in the first place. 
   With Marguerite crossing dimensions she has to be in strong shape, mentally and physically. She is constantly confronted with alternate lives that could have confusing effects on her emotions.  

Marguerite's family and the relationships to her father, mother and sister make up a very big part of A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU. The reason she is doing all this dimension hopping is because she lost her father and has a big hole in her chest. Going to another dimension could mean her father would still be alive there, or an entirely different person. Meeting a version of her father that was still alive could be devastating for her. 
   The different constellations and how they change and fit back together in every dimension really fascinated me. Claudia Gray did a fabulous job letting us be part of Marguerite's emotional world.

Marguerite, Theo, Paul. They are friends. Or at least they had been, until Paul supposedly murdered Marguerite's father. Now Theo helps her go after Paul.

   Their relationships are all connected by the fact that Paul and Theo are students of Marguerite's father and she has deeper feelings for the two men, too. Marguerite's feelings don't just show up out of nowhere. The three of them have history together and she has liked the boys for quite some time now. Both for different reasons. 
   Bonus, the fact that they were already attending college and them being so smart, gifted and on such a high level of intelligence, gave the story a more grown-up feel.

Pretty interesting is the dichotomy between physics and arts displayed in A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU. Physics, engineering and rational thinking have an enormous influence on Marguerite's family. Both her parents are professors. 
   But Marguerite's interest lies in painting. She is an artist, an aesthete. And in every dimension she is going to, art has an impact on her life. It's her creative and versatile way to look at things the way they are and the way they could be, that defines her. I loved that side of hers!

Marguerite travelling to other dimensions should not be confused with her travelling through time. Meaning that she isn't able to influence her past. In other dimensions her life, her family, the world itself could be quite different from Marguerite's own dimension. Things being different in another dimension would depend on how advanced the other dimension is or how life-changing decisions vary from the version Marguerite is living now. 
   Claudia Gray created a very complex web of plot events and possibilities here. I just love the intricacy she put behind her story. Everything in A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU appeared profoundly and extensively researched and well thought-out.

So Marguerite's journey takes us to California, London, Russia, even to an oceanographic station.  
   Her adventure in Russia was gorgeous! It was by far my favourite part of the story and I was mesmerized by how it influenced Marguerite's story as a whole, but could also create its own story in the story. I wish we could get an entire book with that magical and sophisticated Russian winter wonderland the author fabricated. 
   Claudia Gray's writing in A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU has a great imaginary and visionary power in itself. I never wanted the story to end!

5/5 ***** A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU - My favourite read of 2014! I loved every minute of this book!

With her new book, A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU, Claudia Gray outdid herself. Marguerite's story is filled with dimensional travel extravaganza, tech concern conspiracies on a very big scale and one of the most emotional family stories YA had to offer for me in 2014. A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU has a stunning cover. It is artsy. It is dashing. And it is complex. Just how I love my books! 

"Fingers trembling, I unscrew it and scrawl on a tattered poster on the wall of the alley. This is the message I must pass on, the one goal I have to remember after everything else I am is gone.

KILL PAUL MARKOV.

Then I can only wait to die."  ― p.1-2

A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU you might enjoy ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill, PIVOT POINT by Kasie West or UNRAVELING by Elizabeth Norris. ALL OUR YESTERDAYS and UNRAVELING are just as fast-paced as Claudia Gray's A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU. PIVOT POINT explores the concept of two alternate futures.

* Have a look at the gorgeous cover for the second FIREBIRD book!

* Read an excerpt of A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU.

* Click here for a Q&A with Claudia Gray on the cover of A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU.

* For more information about Claudia and her books visit www.claudiagray.com.

* Thanks to Harper Teen for providing me with a review copy via Edelweiss.
 

Book Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World (Starbound #2)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publishing Date: December 23rd 2014
Length: 390 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, sci-fi, space travel, romance, war 
Source: Netgalley

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Summary by Goodreads

In the fashion of THESE BROKEN STARS, THIS SHATTERED WORLD is told from two alternating perspectives by two very different characters. Jubilee is a soldier, trained by the government in order to keep order and peace. Flynn is a rebel and set on freeing his planet, Avon, from the military's tight reign. Avon's problems are their private problems, too, which definitely makes them star-crossed lovers. The two fight against each other. And when they know they can trust each other, they are fighting for the war to finally end.

The moment Flynn and Jubilee meet in a bar for the first time, you just know that their relationship is not going to be easy. Both carry emotional baggage with them. They are both very intelligent characters strongly defined by their goals and their pasts. Jubilee's personality is shaped by very methodical thinking and rational acting patterns. Whereas Flynn is more the emotional and passionate type. You never know what happens next, because their romance isn't as predictable as people might think. Especially in times of war their romance is bitter-sweet and every second of their young lives is endangered.
   Many attacks and the whole rebellion in general are leaving us with many casualties, violent crimes and victims. This second book in the STARBOUND series is much more fast-paced than the first, the characters are always charged up, the action top-notch. 

The spaces in between chapters are filled with bits and pieces of the story of a little girl who is plagued by illusions and memories and who is also witnessing strange occurrences and feelings of fright and loneliness. I wasn't too interested in these parts. But as readers fast guess they are an important part of explaining Jubilee's past. 

Amie and Meagan explore what it means to be a female commander, to have a high-ranking position in the military. And on the other hand what it means to be the leader of a rebellion. While THESE BROKEN STARS was set in a very sparse and lonely setting with only two characters most of the story, THIS SHATTERED WORLD totally blew my mind. There are so many characters, changes of setting and plot surprises that make Jubilee and Flynn's story so great. 

Tarver and Lilac, the two THESE BROKEN STARS protagonists, make a guest appearance, too. They get involved in Jubilee's case and help her find a solution. Tarver is a friend of Jubilee and only the mention of his name made me one happy, giddy reader. Now I'm counting on all four of them to show up in the third book in the STARBOUND series again. It is the best when beloved characters come back!

5/5 ***** THIS SHATTERED WORLD - A war-torn planet, star-crossed lovers and a galactic conspiracy. What's not to love about the sequel to THESE BROKEN STARS?

Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner invite us to another planet of their marvellous story galaxy. They are definitely not holding back on evoking strong emotions in their readers every way they can. There are massive casualties in the rebellion on Avon and no one is safe. Not even our two lovers Jubilee and Flynn. How are we ever going to endure the wait for the last book in the STARBOUND trilogy?

"He tugs me off the main path and into the shadows between the bar and the supply shed next door. Then it hits me: I'm not going to make anyone run laps in the morning. I'm a military officer, being captured by a rebel. I'm probably never going to see my troops again, because I'll be dead by morning. 

With a snarl, I jam my hand back and down, sending the blade of the pink plastic cocktail sword deep into the guy's thigh. Before he has time to react, I give it a savage twist and snap off the hilt, leaving the hot-pink plastic embedded in the muscle. 

At least I won't go without a fight." ― p. 10

THIS SHATTERED WORLD you might enjoy AVALON by Mindee Arnett, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis and  GLITCH by Heather Anastasiu. Teens in space, rebelling, looking for freedom. Accompany them on their way to winning a big war with their enemies and themselves.

* Read THIS NIGHT SO DARK, the prequel to THIS SHATTERED WORLD.

* Click here to read an excerpt of THIS SHATTERED WORLD.

* For more information about Amie and Meagan visit www.meaganspooner.com and www.amiekaufman.com.

*Thanks to Disney Hyperion for providing me with a review copy via Netgalley!