The Surface Breaks: a reimagining of The Little Mermaid by Louise O'Neill

This book was amazing. This feminist take on The Little Mermaid was searingly poignant and really calls attention to the more problematic themes in The Little Mermaid. This is the story of Gaia, a mermaid who is forced to be what her father deems "perfect" and mold herself into what mermen want. She is the youngest of seven sisters all equally oppressed. Their father forces them to compete for his affections based on how pretty they are and how pleasing he finds them, he even goes as far and to line them up based on who he thinks is the prettiest that day, and Gaia always wins. By pitting the sisters (and all females) against one another allows this oppression to persist. But not only does Gaia have to serve the whims of her father but that of her betrothed. His name is Zane and he is hella old. Like in his sixties, the same age as her father.

With no mother around Gaia is forced to accept her father's ideas of what it means to be a woman in the patriarchal society. When Gaia becomes of age she is allowed to go to the surface, where she finds a yacht full of the rich and beautiful young people. She sees this one boy, Oliver, and is immediately enchanted with him. When a storm rolls up and the yacht is wrecked, Gaia saves Oliver from drowning, sacrificing his girlfriend to the Rusalkas (sirens) who drown men to exact their vengeance because they died at the hands of men and drowned.

 After she saves Oliver she becomes obsessed with the idea that she is in love with him. Meanwhile, she's fast approaching her sixteenth birthday and Zane is starting to get handsy. (ew eW EW!)

He blackmails her with her secret trips to the surface to get some "alone time" with her. Anyone else see how rapey that is?! When she's finally had enough she goes to the Sea Witch Cato and begs her to turn her human. Cato hesitates asking Gaia if she is sure Oliver loves her. Gaia insists all the while noticing some strange things about Cato, she's puzzling together something but can't believe it's true because her father told her differently. Cato agrees and makes a potion to turn Gaia human, she warns her that it will feel like stepping on knives every time she steps but Gaia doesn't care. She can only think of being with Oliver. Finally, Cato tells Gaia that there is a price to be paid for this kind of magic. Her voice. Cato tells her she must cut out her tongue. This gives Gaia pause but she remembers that "men don't like it when women talk" so she agrees. She gives away her voice and goes to the surface where she drinks the potion and becomes human. She has 1 month to make Olive love her or she will die. At first, everything is fine. Gaia tries to become everything Oliver wants. She even accepts his new name for her Grace. While Gaia is trying to win his heart every night her feet bleed and her skin peels off layer by layer. Eventually, Gaia realizes what she has done to herself all in the name of "love".

This book was amazing. You go on this journey with Gaia as she realizes her worth is more than what value men place on her. I cannot reccoment this book enough!

Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Shadowsong is the highly anticipated sequel to Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. It continues the tale of Liesl who now free of the Underground, but not free of her feelings for the Goblin King, tries to go back to her life before she was the Goblin Queen. Liesl finds she doesn't fit into the place she previously held due to the changes she underwent while Underground. This book shows the struggle Liesl faces trying to carve out a place for herself in the world, along with some fun new challenges.

When Liesl was released from the Underground she denied the Old Laws a sacrifice, and now the Wild Hunt is searching for her, corrupting the Goblin King and the Underground and finding all the others who are "elf-touched" (people who have received gifts from the Underground like Liesl and Josef). With this new "plague" running rampant Liesl is invited to Vienna by a mysterious benefactor. Excited to join her brother on a new adventure Liesl takes the opportunity and brings her sister Käthe along.

But everything is not what it seems. Liesl finds herself more discontented as time goes on, and Josef has lost touch with reality. Can Liesl find a way to save everyone from the new threats they face? Can she trust her mysterious benefactor? Or is Liesl in way over her head?

This book was amazing! Liesl's struggle after leaving the Underground is palpable, and her slow descent into madness was incredibly well written. I was incredibly sorry to see this book (and series) end. Finding out the past of the Goblin King was also very interesting. It was a look into what made him the man he was in the first book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, fairy tales, or Labyrinth!

I gave this book four owls instead of five because while I liked it, some of the plot felt rushed at the end. Which was fine, but after the slow buildup for more than 70% of the book I felt that the resolution and ending should have been more than like 4 pages. I also with the Faithful had played a bigger role in the book. So this book was great but the first book Wintersong was better. However I look forward to more books by S. Jae-Jones. She's an amazing author and any future books by here seem promising.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

THIS BOOK. THIS FREAKING BOOK! It has taken at least twenty years off my life in the last 100 pages alone! It lures you in with Feyre being a total bamf in the beginning and then crushes your very soul and cause much ugly crying! So basically this book was amazing.

Like I said above, the book starts out with Feyre back at the Spring Court, and she's there to fuck stuff up and drink tea, and she just finished her tea... So Feyre is spying on the Spring Court who has allied with Pythian's sworn enemy Hybern. The king is like really super evil™, and has sent some emissaries to the Spring Court to figure out the best way to invade the human lands so the fae can enslave them once again. Feyre must pretend to be the swooning damsel in distress she was before Under The Mountain, all the while tying to find away to save the human world from their own Queens' folly of allying with Hybern.

This book was so good, my second favorite in the series. I loved the first book, but the slow burn romance in the second one was the best thing ever so it's the best in the series. This book also redeems Tamlin a bit, he's still a jerk, but Feyre is able to forgive him in the end, after she completely crushes him in the beginning. It also shows just why Rhys and Feyre are soulmates. I recently re-read the whole series because of this book's release, and I looked at my old review of the first book. I said how I would be upset if Feyre ended up with Rhys because it took true love to break the curse on Tamlin, because it was Feyre's love of Tamlin and his people that helped her to face the horrors and trials Under The Mountain, and while that is true, it doesn't mean that that love was forever. Feyre and Tamlin could not reconcile who they each had become after the events of the first book, their needs had changed after that and it left scars. While I do think their feelings we genuine in the first book, I also recognize that with Rhys everything he does is to make sure Feyre has a choice and plays and active role in her own life. Which is so important after she had that taken from her first by Amaranth, and then by Tamlin.

This book was so very good, and I'm sad it's over because I want more. I am excited since Sarah J. Maas is writing more for this series, thought not about the same characters apparently. Which makes me sad, but I realize that Rhys and Feyre's story is over, but still I love them so much I want to know so much more about their lives. Maybe the next books will focus on Feyre's sisters? One can only hope.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

So I recently re-read this book because of the release of the third in the series. This one is still my favorite of the series. While the first book was good and introduced us to the world of Pythian, this book made everything more real. The stakes are higher with the threat of Hybern and Feyre having been made into a fae in the last book. What makes this book so good is that we get to know Rhysand so much better than we did in the first book.

This book starts out a few months after Under The Mountain and Feyre, understandably, has been having nightmares and trouble dealing with what she had to do to save Tamlin, who has also changed and not for the better. Tamlin has become more controlling and protective of Feyre and she feels smothered by it. But because she "loves" Tamlin she feels she must accept her new role no matter how much it chafes. She hasn't heard from or seen Rhysand since their last encounter after the events of Under The Mountain, but she still worries about the deal she struck with him to save her life. Everything comes to a head at the wedding of Tamlin and Feyre. Where in the first book such an event might have been looked upon more favorably by the reader, this time you feel desperate for Feyre to escape it as she starts to panic and realizes she cannot marry him. She begs for someone, anyone, to save her and Rhys appears to do so still in the villainous disguise we became accustomed to in the last book. Rhys takes Feyre to the Night Court and Feyre starts to realize how poisonous Tamlin's love for her is, all the while finding herself and the strength within herself to carry on thanks to her new friendships with Rhys and his companions.

I won't give away anymore because this book is such a fun read! I absolutly love Rhys and this book does a good job of explaining how complex his character is and his motivations that we only got a glimpse of in the first book. I adore the allusions to different fairy tales and myths, especially the Persephone and Hades one going on in the book. I adore this series and I' eager to see what Sarah J. Maas does in the books after A Court of Wings and Ruin since she said she was going to focus on other characters besides the ones in the first three novels.

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Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

I got this book in my monthly OwlCrate box and I fell absolutely in love with this story!

Daughter of the Pirate King tells the story of Alosa who has been sent on a secret mission to infiltrate an enemy pirate ship to retrieve part of a map to the ultimate treasure stash. But things go awry when she meets the very handsome and perceptive first mate Riden, whom she shares a mutual attraction with.

But Alosa has more to contend with than just secrets and spies during her mission, she has to deal with her very nature because Alosa is more than just the daughter of the pirate king, she's the daughter of a siren as well and with that comes powers that sometimes Alosa cannot fully control, but she has to use them regardless as time is running out to find the map.

I absolutely loved the banter between Alosa and Riden, and the fact that he doesn't like her in her siren seductress form. I read this whole book in a day and I cannot wait until the sequel comes out and I can find out more about these characters and this world.

Firebrand by Kristen Britain

I am incredibly sad that this book has ended. It was such a good read. From start to finish Firebrand has been a truly wonderful addition to the Green Rider Series.

The book starts out with Karigan back from her jaunt in the future struggling to reconcile her life after the events in Mirror Sight. King Zachary is worried about Karigan and his pregnant queen, especially after an elemental being a la Snow Miser from A Year Without A Santa Claus. The Snow Miser (called Slee but I prefer Snow Miser) attacks the castle freezing people and tries to kidnap Estora because it is obsessed with her beauty and it desires her offspring. Eventually it kidnaps Zachary and impersonates him after they send Karigan, Estral, and Enver the half Eletian to find the Moose Centaurs (P'ehdrose). [half (hide spoiler)]

This book was a wild ride start to finish. I was torn though when Zachary and Karigan has some romantic moments, while I ship them with all my fangirl heart, I also feel for Estora who has developed feelings for her husband and father of her children.Though I'm 100% convinced that one of those babies is actually Karigan and Cade's from the future for reasons not yet revealed. I have so many new theories about how this series is going to continue, and I am really despondent over the fact it will be a long while until book seven. Now I have to wait until Caitlin and Kiera read their copies so I can fangirl with them.

Disney's 101 Dalmatians

Geekerella: A Fangirl Fairy Tale by Ashley Poston

This book was everything I hoped it would be. It was a very tongue in cheek look at nerdlife and fandom, while staying true to the Cinderella retelling plot without making it feel forced. Starfield, the made up show in the story, is well introduced and so well explained I wish it was a real show, or a book (hint hint wink wink). I could easily see the author pulling a Rainbow Rowell and bringing the made-up fandom to life in another book.

Main character Danielle, Elle for short, is our Cinderella. She is a hardcore Starfield fan thanks to her father who basically invented the yearly con, ExcelsiCon, for Starfield. Unfortunately he father died leaving her with her wicked stepmother Catherine and the twins, her "ugly" step-sisters, Chloe who is shallow and selfish and the archetype of a mean girl; and Calliope or Cal, who is quite and just goes along with everything. Elle works on a vegan food truck called the Magic Pumpkin in Charleston, South Carolina with her co-worker Sage, who becomes Elle's best friend/fairy godmother.

Now for the prince. Actor Darien Freeman, and closet nerd has been cast as Federation Prince Carmindor in the Starfield reboot movie. Darien is your typical actor in a reboot in the sense the fandom is heckling him, thinking he won't do it justice. Darien fears that himself as a huge fan of the original Starfield. He tries to contact the founder of Excelsicon to cancel his appearance there and accidentally reaches Elle. They begin texting and form a friendship over the span of months that Darien is filming the Starfield movie and Elle is learning to be herself, and that she hasn't lost everything we she lost her Dad.

I really enjoyed this book, it brought joy to my nerd loving heart. I loved all the references to other fandoms, and quotes. It was everything a fangirl could want. I like the fairy tale aspect of it, I mean how often have fans dreamed of meeting the actor (or actress) behind their favorite character and imagined falling in love? By tumblr's calculations, hella many times. This book brought all the warm fuzzy feelings I had when I read Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, and my love of fairy tales together. I actually pre-ordered this book so I can shelve it next to Fangirl and coyly look at them and relive our adventures together.

I would highly recommend this book!

Marco Polo (2014)

Everything I love gets cancelled. Firefly, Dollhouse, Terminator Sarah Conner Chronicles, Star-Crossed, and now Netflix's incredible and visually stunning show Marco Polo.

Marco Polo tells the tale of the titular character's journey to the Mongolian Empire and subsequent service to Kublai Khan. In the beginning Marco is a young man living in Venice after the death of his mother several years prior. His father Niccolỏ Polo returns to Venice to find his wife dead and a son he never knew about. Marco wants to travel with his father but Niccolỏ and Marco's uncle, Maffeo, refuse, causing Marco to stow aboard their ship and join them anyway. Through a montage we see the rigors of traveling across the world to the Mongolian Empire.

When Marco and his family makes it to the court of Kublai Khan, Marco is mystified by the grandeur of the Mongolian Empire. Niccolỏ and Maffeo are desperate to travel and trade along the legendary silk road, and Niccolỏ, despite displeasing the Khan for not bringing priests to Kublai, offers his son's service to the Khan in order to acquire the necessary requirements to travel the Silk Road. Marco must now navigate the dangers of Kublai's court as a Latin foreigner, unused to the customs of the Mongolian people. Marco will make friends and enemies as world's collide.

Marco Polo was an amazing show. I am a huge lover of historical shows like Vikings and now The Medici, but Marco Polo was in a different class than those aforementioned shows. Marco Polo is the explorer every kid learns about in school, he's who inspired Christopher Columbus to set sail in 1492. How many summers have countless children spent in the pool shouting "Marco" and waiting with baited breath for the return call of "Polo"? This show takes the legend and strips it down to show us the man. Marco is a scared child in the beginning, but he finds the Khan to be the father figure he has always craved and he works hard to please the Khan and make a place for himself in this strange world. This show takes you past the bloodthirsty reputation of Kublai Khan that proceeds him and shows us the cunning politician, and caring leader underneath his ruthless veneer. Other lesser know historical characters are also brought to life, The Blue Princess, Kokachin, Prince Jingham, Khutulan, and Jia Sidao to name a few.

I am extremely disappointed with Netflix's decision to cancel Marco Polo, but I am too bitter familiar with this process to believe that another network would ever pick up this show. Thankfully CW has announced that Legend's of Tomorrow is being picked up for another season so I have something to cling to whilst I cry bitter tears of resentment because the ending of Marco Polo season two left me with more questions than answers.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

This book is one of those stories that changes you after you read it.

The book starts out with a young girl names Liesl who is friends with the Goblin King and as she grows up she forgets about him and her promise to marry him one day. Flash forward to 19 years later and Liesl is a dutiful daughter who has put her dreams aside for her family. She composes music only for her talented younger brother to play, and she dedicates her life to watching over her sister who is devastatingly beautiful and all the things she is not. Now yes there are obviously echos of the plot from Jim Henson's Labyrinth, which only makes me love it all the more.

Like the movie Labyrinth Liesl's sister gets taken by the goblins and she must journey to the Underground to save her, but unlike Sarah, Liesl did not wish her sister away. Käthe instead tastes the forbidden goblin fruit (in a beautiful reference to the poem The Goblin Market) and is trapped in the Underground.

Liesl does save her sister but instead she must remain with the Goblin King as his wife in order to save the world above from eternal winter. The longer she stays with the Goblin King she has come to love, the more of her spirit and life is taken from her. Liesl finds herself slowly wasting away and she must decide what is more important, love or her life.

Over all this novel was fascinating and I would definitely recommend it to all my fellow fantasy lovers. As I said after I finished this book I felt as if it had changed something within me. Similar to when I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I related to the character Liesl so well (as I did with Cath from Fangirl) that it opened old emotional wounds. But that is the great thing about books, you learn and grow from the characters that are so close to you that their stories hurt. I loved this book and desperately hope for a sequel.

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

This book had a very interesting system of magic, but that's about all I found interesting. Sure the book is an easy read. The description says it's a cross between Pride and Prejudice and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and that is very accurate. However I felt as if I was simply reading Pride and Prejudice fanfiction; which is not to say that it was bad. No I enjoyed the plot and the characters, but overall it felt stiff. Like the author was trying to hard to color inside the lines. I'm curious about how the sequels are since the book ends with the characters being old and gray.

Shades of Milk and Honey is the story of Jane and her sister Melody. Jane is well, a Plain Jane and Melody is lovelier than all the world's beauties apparently. So Jane is the elder sister and is clearly supposed to be Elizabeth Bennett and Melody is supposed to be Mary mixed with Lydia. Basically the two sisters are jealous of each other while trying to navigate the social niceties of the regency period. They both are introduced to a revolving door of handsome suitors, some who turn out well, and others who reveal themselves to be rouges.

Despite my snarkniess I really did enjoy this book. I just have been so set in finding fantasy read a likes to Howl's Moving Castle that this one just struck me as only "okay". I think the problem is that the story was too grounded in reality where as I seem to like the more fantastical and whimsy of magic. As I said earlier I am curious about the sequels, and maybe someday I will read them but as for now I'm closing the book on this story and moving on to the next.

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

“There you are, darling. So sorry I'm late.”

I'm having a flashback to Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle film. Which is good, that has been my prerequisite for books lately. Kiersten White wow's us with a fantastic YA Fantasy book about a stubborn girl named Jessa. Jessa is from the island country of Melei (in my mind I think it's like Hawaii or the Caribbean Islands) but she is half-Albion. Thanks to that she has received the opportunity to study in Albion at a prestigious school her father teaches at. Though he is a huge jerk and refuses to acknowledge his illegitimate child.

On her way home from school she meets Finn, and enigma within an enigma. He is a mysterious lord who rescued her from the unwanted advances of another gentleman, things get more confusing with each meeting she has with Finn. Sometimes he's flirty and funny, other times he seems to ignore her very presence or wants nothing to do with her. One night she receives a mysterious package from him, in it is a beautiful dress and an invite to a ball, an because of this she is drawn into a world she does not fully understand. One of long standing grudges and magic. Can Jessa save everybody and find romance in the process?

I love, love, love this book. I'm literary going to be rushing to the bookstore next payday to buy a paperback of this book because I adore it so much. It has romance, wit, well rounded and relatable characters. Thinly veiled allusions to British and American colonialism and the effects it has on the natives (i.e. not good). This book deals slightly with prejudice and racism, but those issues take more of a back seat to the main plot point. I would have like to maybe have this dealt with a little more in depth, but alas I cannot always have what I want. The book is a nicely paced fantasy adventure with a heroine who actually is worth caring about. They only thing I did not like was how rushed the ending felt. This book could have easily ended in a cliffhanger and spurred a sequel, but instead the resolutions were all crammed into the last few chapters. Despite this I would still like to see a sequel. I feel like there is a lot more that can be told about this world, and it doesn't necessarily have to be about Jessa and Finn (à la Castle In The Air).

Overall this was a solid read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Howl's Moving Castle or The Paper Magician series.

The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Ceony is fast on her way to completing her apprenticeship as a Folder to her mentor/boyfriend Emery Thane. Due to their student/teacher relationship they have decided to keep there romance a secret until Ceony graduates, not that people don't suspect they are a bit too close because they do. To combat the gossip that Ceony had an unfair advantage in passing her exams to complete her apprenticeship, Emery sends her to study with another Folder temporarily. Only this Folder hates Emery and dislikes Ceony even more. Ceony finds herself losing focus on studying for her final exam when Excisioner Saraj Prendi escapes from prison to once again go after Ceony and the secrets she learned last year from former Gaffer turned Excisioner Grath Cobalt. Ceony can bond and unbond to materials at will, a magical art long forgotten.

Ceony is ordered by the Cabinet and Criminal Affairs to stay out of the investigation to find Saraj, but Ceony cannot help it. She goes after him, again and again. Each time finding that Saraj is making his way closer and closer to London, and not out of the country as Criminal Affairs believes. On top of this Ceony must navigate her way with Magician Bailey, her temporary mentor, and with the sudden silence from Emery Thane. Has he lost interest in her?

All in all this book was amazing! Seriously this series is one of the best things to happen to me ever. My only complaint is that it was too short! I wanted more happy endings at the end. I was happy Emery and Ceony are engaged at the end, kind of. A little epilogue with them happily married is all I'm asking for seriously! Well I suppose I shall just have to scour the internet for fanfiction to satisfy my curiosity.

The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The adventure continues in The Glass Magician! Ceony Twill is an apprentice Folder to Magician Emery Thane who is struggling to keep her feelings for her mentor hidden. Ever since she trekked through Emery Thane's heart and rescued him from his ex-wife and Excisioner Lira, Ceony has found herself falling in love with her teacher. But she hasn't broached the subject with Emery even after reading his fortune with a Fortuity Box confirmed that she and Emery were destined to be together.

Soon Ceony finds herself in the middle of a cat and mouse game with the other Excisioners from Lira's group. Wanting to know what she did to defeat Lira three months ago, and how to reverse it. Ceony must find a way to stop the Excisioners and continue her studies in Folding, but it's hard to do when her mind is so focused on her feelings for Emery, and examining the possible feelings he might hold for her.

This book was amazing! I could have finished it in one sitting if I didn't have this pesky thing called life interrupting me. The slow burn romance between Ceony and Emery was perfect. It wasn't rushed and it didn't feel like it came out of no where like in some books. There was beautiful romantic tension à la Numair and Daine from Tamora Pierce's Immortals Quartet. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Continuing on my quest to find books similar to Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle I found The Paper Magician Trilogy by Charlie N. Holmberg and I have to say I was delighted by this book.

It starts off a bit slow introducing us to Ceony and Emery Thane, as well as focusing on world building. Then the book really takes off with a twist I seriously did not see coming!

The Paper Magician is the story of Ceony Twill who after completing her classes at Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined she is assigned to be a Folder (a magician who works in paper) rather than being a Smelter (a magician who works in metal) like she wanted. There are less students signing up to be Folders, so some students like Ceony are assigned to the study. Ceony is distressed by these turn of events and wows the audience with some very lovely snark. Which her new teacher Magician Emery Thane all takes in stride.

Eventually Ceony resolves herself to being a Folder and even finds that she doesn't mind it so much as she once did. She gets into a routine with Thane and advances quite quickly in her studies. When everything is looking up for Ceony finally, the calm bubble that she has created bursts with a visit from Emery Thane's ex-wife and magician on the run, Lira. Lira is an Excisioner (a magician who works in the dark arts, flesh magic). She takes Emery Thane's heart and Ceony manages to keep him from dying by quickly folding a paper heart to keep him alive. Ceony goes further when it looks like no one can save Emery Thane, and goes after Lira to recover her teacher's heart.

Through a series of magic booby traps Ceony finds herself traversing through Emery's heart and seeing who exactly Emery Thane is and was. She has to navigate the four chambers of his heart, see his greatest triumphs, fears, and regrets; all while fleeing from Lira who has followed her. But the deeper into his heart Ceony gets, the more questions arise. With the clock ticking will Ceony save her mentor before it's too late?

This book was fantastic. It has a very slow buildup to the action but once you get there the novel's pace quickens quite a bit. My only complaint is that the book, and the sequels, are all very short. I just know I am going to want more!

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

This book was a wild ride from start to finish. Recently I have been looking for books that are similar to Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and through my sleuthing I came across this title.

It is the story of a girl names Sydelle who is from a small desert town that is in the middle of a ten year drought. She is a talented weaver and longs to travel. We find out early on that there have been some political upheavals since the death of the king, but to Sydelle it is all a far away thought when your very survival hangs in the balance from the drought. Then suddenly these problems are brought to her doorstep with the wizard Wayland North. He has sensitive information about the king's death that could prevent a war, but he is being chased by an evil wizard and an army. To slow down those who are pursuing him he brings forth a rainstorm, breaking the ten year drought. Thankful for his help Sydelle's parents, the leaders of the village, offer a reward for Wayland telling him to take anything he wants. What he wants is Sydelle. Sydelle is angry at North because he has forced her to leave her home against her will and has left her village under siege. Too make matters worse North is keeping things from her, important things, like why he choose her, what this is all really about, and about North's mysterious past.

Like I said this book is comparable to Howl's Moving Castle, but it's similar in such a way where the feel of the story is alike without it seeming like you're reading the exact same thing over again. This is a marvelous book that every fan of fantasy books will enjoy. My only complaint is that I cannot find an eBook copy to buy of this book anywhere, and I know it has to be somewhere as I read this through my library's overdrive program. Alas I have resigned myself to buy a physical copy (don't feel too sorry for me it's not as all dramatic as that).

Tamora Pierce: An Author Review

I was going to write a review of all of my favorite Tamora Pierce Novels (i.e. all of them) but I decided to review them all as a whole rather than individually. When I was in the fifth grade I had not yet discovered the incredible world of reading. I read when I had to, and usually short books I was more interested in watching television than reading. (I mean I still love TV but now it had reading to compete with.) A year or so prior my friend had suggested the “Alanna books” for me to read but I forgot about them until one fateful day at my elementary school library. I was browsing for a book and was unable to find anything I liked, so remembering the books my friend Zoë recommended I asked my school librarian, Miss Skibbe (whom I would later work at a Public Library and befriend her sister. Life is weird y’all), and she found the book (Alanna the First Adventure) for me. Still I was determined to stubbornly cling to the “I don’t like to read” persona all the cool kids had, but through a month’s worth of SSR (Silent Selected Reading) time I became addicted. Since the school library did not have the rest of the series, (they had First Test of the Protector of the Small series which I read next and was really confused the whole time) I braved a visit to the public library during the summer reading kickoff party of 2003 with my parents and checked out the next book in the Songs of the Lioness Quartet: In The Hand of the Goddess. What proceeded next was a series of visits to the library to read all the series and then to re-read them a million times until my maternal grandparents bought all of the books for me on my birthday in 2004. 

By the time I was in the sixth grade my teacher tried to encourage me to read something other than Tamora Pierce books to no success. I loved reading, but I was only interested in the Tortall books. I was then introduced to fanfiction and was content for a while longer to continue my Tamora Pierce only reading list. Eventually I did begin to read other books, lots of other books as being monogamous to one series is not within my character. But Tamora Pierce books taught me so much, they taught me about working for your dreams, feminism, sex, relationships, friends, growing up, the feudal system, and so much more. So without much further ado I bring you a cohesive author study thirteen years in the making.

Songs of the Lioness

This series is about a girl Alanna who wishes to become a knight, meanwhile her twin brother Thom has no desire to become a knight and instead wants to study magic. Devising a plan and convincing the adults in their life to keep it secret from their father and the world, they switch places. Alanna cuts her hair and dons the persona of Alan, while Thom goes off to study magic and become a mage.  Alanna discovered training to be a knight and keeping her gender a secret harder than she initially thought, but she sticks to her guns and continues on. She makes new friends while at the Palace in the Tortall capital, Corus. She befriends the Crown Prince Jonathan, his cousin Gary, Raoul, Alex, and the King of Thieves George Cooper among several others. Throughout the first book Alanna deals with the demands of Palace life and her ever changing body. She finds ways to hide her newly grown breasts by binding them first with linen and then with a special corset, and then deals with getting her period for the first time by totally freaking out. I can relate to that last one. She reveals her true gender to first George, then to Prince Jonathan through a series of events that lead her to fight a powerful old race trapped in an abandon city in the desert. By the end of the first book she becomes Jonathan’s squire.

In the second book Alanna is well into her squire years and has become a teenager with all the lovely hormonal changes that brings. She and Jonathan begin a relationship and Alanna works out how she will reveal herself to the court and what she will do after she has been knighted. Alanna’s plans go haywire when Jonathan’s evil cousin the mage Duke Roger concocts a plan to usurp the throne by killing Jonathan and his parents. Alanna uncovers his plans after her Ordeal of Knighthood, injured and tired; she faces the duke and kills him in a trial by combat. (Yeah trial by combat my fellow GoT buds.) She is revealed to be a woman during this fight as well, shocking those who knew her, and confirming what others had suspected all along. Afterwards Alanna leaves the capital to have adventures with her newly earned shield. She winds up in the southern deserts of Tortall fighting the patriarchy. Her and Jonathan reunite and he proposes to her which she ultimately turns down and ends up with George. Her stupid brother brings her arch nemesis back to life because bringing back a traitor with a strong claim to the throne is always a sound plan. In the final book of the series Alanna goes on a quest for a magical stone to bring back to her King. Then she ruins Duke Roger’s plan to usurp the throne again, because who didn’t see that coming?

Don’t mistake my snark for a lack of love for these books; I’m just naturally a snarky person.

The Immortals

This is probably my favorite series Tamora Pierce wrote. This story tells the tale of Veralidane Sarrasri or Daine an orphan in Galla who is picked up by Onua the assistant horse mistress to the Queen’s Riders (think like the King’s Musketeers from ye old France).  Daine discovers she has wild magic, which allows her to talk to animals among other things. She becomes the student of the Great and Powerful Oz Numair Salmalín. She meets familiar characters like Alanna and her husband George, King Jonathan and others we were introduced to in Songs of the Lioness.  Meanwhile the people of Tortall are dealing with immortals being released from the divine realms wreaking havoc all over. Creatures of myth such as centaurs, unicorns, griffins and many more are suddenly thrown back into the mix á la Jurassic Park. Daine discovers who her father is and saves the country along with her friends.

This series is truly one of my favorite of all time. It has magic and romance along with adventure.

Protector of the Small

               

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl to try for her shield since King Jonathan made it into law that women were allowed to. But she is put on probation because the patriarchy is a bitch. The Lioness, Alanna is not allowed to have any contact with her what so ever because they are afraid she’ll use her witchcraft to magically allow Kel to become a knight. Kel is up for the challenge though. Having been raised in the Yamani Islands (basically Japan to Tortall’s Europe) she already is an outsider and she is use to having to prove her worth. And prove her worth she does through four books of patriarchy smashing feminism, and not the man hating feminism either, actual equality and peace loving feminism! She makes friends new and old and proves that girls are just as good as boys.

What I like most about this series is that while Kel has a few romantic interests that is not the focus. Her gaining her shield is the focus, and then her quest to find the Nothing Man and stop him from using necromancy and murdering children to make terrible war machines. While you may think this is just a rehashing of the Songs of the Lioness series it’s not. Kel is forthwith about her gender and she faces all new problems and some familiar problems we have dealt with before in Tamora Pierce’s books. But Kel has a special place in my heart, and not just because her shield ends up having an owl on it. Cause obviously I love owls, but I adore Kel and her fickle heart because of who she is. 

Daughter of the Lioness

This is the first duology Tamora Pierce wrote in this universe.  This series focuses on Alanna and George’s daughter Alianne or Aly. Aly is at the same time nothing and exactly like her mother. Aly wishes to become a spy for her father and grandfather but they refuse her. It’s too dangerous they say. Aly fights with her father and newly returned mother from the front lines of the Scanian War. Aly then decides she is going on a sailing adventure to give her parents some space while she decides what she wants to be when she grows up. Unfortunately things do not go smoothly; Aly is kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in the Copper Isles.

 She is bought by a rich noble family and winds up in a cat and mouse game for the throne. Backed by the Trickster God and her once crow now human love interest Aly stealthily plays the game of thrones (I couldn’t resist the comparison). She works hard to get the daughter of the family of her masters on the throne as queen and stop the race wars happening in the Isles. Eventually she is freed from slavery, and even refuses to go home when her father arrives to bring her home, Aly assures him she is well and not to worry, she has found her place in the world.

This is Caitie’s favorite of the Tamora Pierce Tortall series, and this series were the first books I ever bought the day they were released in hardback.

Beka Cooper

Now this series seems to have several names but according to Goodreads it’s called Beka Cooper so we shall stick with that. I haven’t actually read this series yet, as I am anxious that it won’t be as good as the rest and it will disappoint me, and also because I am a master procrastinator.

This series is about George Cooper’s however many times Great Grandma who worked for the Provost’s Guard, (Like the City Watch in Got, or the local police) which is kind of ironic considering that George becomes the King of Thieves. Though later he become the unofficial Spymaster for King Jonathan after he marries Alanna and forsakes his life of crime. That’s all I know about this series. Eventually I will read it, I own all the books, but I am currently working my way through the Song of Ice and Fire series if you couldn’t tell by my copious GoT references.

Emelan

Tamora Pierce also wrote another series about four mages and their mentors set in the fictional world of Emelan. Now I have read all the books of this 

series but I did not like is as well as the Tortall books. The story follows Sandry, Briar, Tris, and Daja as they navigate the world with their unconventional magic. They find mentors and apprentices of their own as they grow and become formidable mages in their own rights. 

Upcoming Titles

Tamora Pierce has some interesting books she is working on in the Tortall universe. First up are stories about Numair Salmalín when he was still in Carthak and called Arram Draper, which should be interesting to learn the events that lead to him, fleeing to Tortall working as a magician and eventually becoming the friend and ally to King Jonathan. She also has a book coming up about the girl Maura of Dunlath from Wolf-Speaker. Not sure what it will be about, but what I am most excited about is her book that will be about Kel and her squire. At the end of Lady Knight it was heavily implied that Kel would be open to a relationship with Dom, and while I do like that there was less romance in the Protector of the Small series, I am a shipper at heart.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: A Book Series and Show Review

***Spoiler Alert*** This post will contain spoilers.

So who else is emotionally compromised after last night's season two finale of STARZ Outlander? (To be fair I was emotionally compromised last season finale too and I have read the first five books.) In a true Doctor Who-esque style we learned that history cannot be changed as there are certain events that must always take place.

But let's take a step back and revisit the books and season one. The year is 1945 and the series starts out with meeting our heroine Claire Randall (played by the fabulous Caitiona Balfe), a British combat nurse during WWII. She and her husband Frank have been separated by duty and the war and now that it is over they are taking a second honeymoon is Scotland. There Claire is whisked away two hundred years into the past to 1743. Claire is taken in by the MacKenzie clan and there she meets the young and handsome Jamie (played by the dashing Sam Heughan). Who is running from the law, but it;s okay it's just the British Army being jerks and such. (Who better to understand the Scottish peoples' dislike of the oppressive and overreaching British army than Americans and their obsessive love for the American Revolution.) Not all of the British soldiers are bad, most are actually decent fellows, but our villain in this tale is Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, the direct ancestor of Claire's husband Frank (both are played by the incredible Tobais Menzies).

So Claire must hide the fact that she is a time traveler and knows that in a few short years the Jacobite Uprising of '45 will reach a head and that many of her new Scottish friends will die on the battle field at Culloden. She gets closer to Jamie, but remains faithful to her husband Frank, until while she is out with a group of the MacKenzies collecting the rents along with the handsome Jamie, she encounters British soldiers who "invite" her to their garrison and she runs into Black Jack again who is convinced she is a spy due to the oddities surrounding her and her inability to be forthright to protect her time traveling secret. As a British citizen she is ordered to go to Fort William for further questioning. However Dougal MacKenzie knowing the abuse of Black Jack will subject her too decides to marry the "widowed" Claire to Jamie to make her a Scottish citizen instead.

Claire and Jamie marry and their is infatuation and lust between them at first and it develops into love. Their's is a story of love and loss, as Claire eventually returns home to the present for the sake of her and Jamie's unborn child on the day the Battle of Culloden where Jamie intends to fight and die on the battle field. However their story doesn't end there, eventually (20 years later) Claire discovers Jamie survived the battle and goes back to him at the urging of their daughter Brianna Randall whom Frank raised as his own until his death. Claire returns to Jamie and their adventure continues across the Atlantic Ocean in the New World and now their are a separate set of rules as they arrive on the cusp of the Revolution.

This series has wrecked my heart. I love it so dearly and Jamie is one of my many, many book boyfriends. Overall this series is worthwhile, the books kind of drag on for me I have read 5 out of the 9 novels: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, and the Fiery Cross. (somewhere in the distance you can hear me singing Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi cause whoooooa I'm halfway there!) I don't know how Diana Gabaldon keeps going and finding more story to tell about the Frasers but she does. Though some of this stems from book fatigue on my part. It's not that I am tired of reading about Jamie and Claire (my saved fanfiction links can attest to that) I think it's the other characters that are involved, like Brianna and her husband Roger MacKenzie Wakefield that I don't like as much. Sure I care about them but I am not as emotionally invested in them as Claire and Jamie. Which is why I haven't read any of the novellas, though there is one about Jamie and Ian I am interested in called Virgins and a prequel novel I am excited about.

Despite my book fatigue about this series I do intend to finish it because I am no quitter!

Okay maybe a little bit of a quitter but I refuse to have a DNF (did not finish) list or pile on Goodreads. It's one of my redeeming qualities, I always finish books, movies, and TV shows because there is the chance it might get good. It may take me a while since I am a professional procrastinator but mark me it will be done. Also someone needs to make a time machine so I can go back in time to punch the Bonnie Prince Charlie because he said "mark me" one to many times and hurt my Jamie.