Thursday, January 24, 2013

Bite Size Book Reviews (2)

Take a look at three of the books I read and enjoyed recently :-)


Title: Poison
Author: Bridget Zinn

This is my kind of story - fantasy, kick-ass heroine, some humorous moments, a bit of romance, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Plus the adorable magic pig. Who doesn’t love that?!

THE GOOD: I liked the idea behind the magic of poisons and how they can been mixed and diluted for different effects. In fact, I would have enjoyed seeing more of that! The occasional flashbacks were slotted pretty seamlessly into the main story, providing back story in bits instead of one large info dump. Most of the characters were believable, and I especially enjoyed Fred, who made me want to laugh out loud on several occasions!

THE BAD: There were some plot "twists" I saw coming, and some I didn't. One in particular could have been foreshadowed better, as it seemed to come out of the blue and wasn’t entirely believable. The pacing started off well, but after about halfway, the tension sort of … dropped.

THE PRETTY: As others have pointed out ... Have you noticed the similarity to the poster for Snow White and the Huntsman?! Anyway, I still like the cover :-)

THE BOTTOM LINE: Overall, it was an enjoyable story. I’d probably recommend it to a younger YA audience.


Title: Cinders & Sapphires
Author: Leila Rasheed

This review is based on the SNEAK PEAK from NetGalley (which, of course, ended at a VERY interesting moment!).

I am a major fan of Downton Abbey, so there was a good chance I was going to enjoy this. And I did! There's intrigue right from the first page, and characters you'll be desperate to know more about. (There are quite a few of them to keep up with, but if you pay attention in the beginning it's not too difficult.) The chapters flip between different characters, so you get to watch the dramas of the two different worlds (the servant one and the lord-and-lady one) play out at the same time beneath the same roof.

If you're concerned that you're just going to be getting a book version of Downton Abbey with different names, never fear. So far there is no hint of similar story lines.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I would very much like to read the rest of this book!



Title: Shadowhunters and Downworlders
Author: Many awesome names
Edited by: Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare's shadowhunter world is one of my top favorites, up there in the ranks of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings (for me, at least!), so I take any chance to read more about it. This book is a collection of essays from some fabulous authors who have come together to share their insights into the awesomeness of the shadowhunter world and its characters. Some serious, and others humorous (and others, admittedly, long-winded and a teeny bit boring), these essays go deeper into the ideas, worldbuilding and relationships that have made this series such a success.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This is a MUST-READ for any die-hard Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices fan!



(Thank you to NetGalley, who provided all three of these ebooks)

8 comments:

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I failed to get Poison from Netgalley, haven't read my C&S preview yet and didn't request Shadowhunders&D. Netgalley is a great way to get books and I have loads of galleys on my kindle to prove it. Glad you had some fun reads Rachel.

Unknown said...

Never heard of Netgalley, must take a look!

Camille Picott said...

Ooh! I am a die hard Mortal Intrument fan!! I must get my hands on that book!!

I love the cover on Poisin -- definitely going to check that one out.

Thanks for posting these reviews, I love to see what other writers are reading!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Thanks for the reviews, Rachel....

Some interesting reading here.

Arlee Bird said...

Magic Pig, eh? That might make a good name for a BBQ restaurant that specialized in pulled pork. I do love pulled pork.

Sorry, but that's the association that immediately hit me.

Hope you take part in the A to Z, even if you do it by the week like you mentioned at the A to Z Blog. That could work--just mention that's what you're doing on your blog posts. Still hope you go for the daily letter challenge.

Lee
A Faraway View
An A to Z Co-host blog

Allison said...

I want to read about a magic pig!!

Allison (Geek Banter)

Cherie Reich said...

Those books do sound good and I love your bite-sized reviews of them. :)

Kittie Howard said...

A magic pig sounds like fun! As much as I said I wouldn't, I'm also hooked on Downton Abby. Some of the plot lines are a bit thin but, never mind, the series works.