Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken: Review

Brightly Woven

By: Alexandra Bracken

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry. 

My Review: I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and I was so excited when I got a copy of this book in the mail from Egmont.  First of all, the cover is gorgeous, don't you think?

But, beyond the beautiful cover, this was a fantastic book! My favorite books are the ones that have deep characters and complex relationships. This book had plenty of both.  Sydelle was a wonderful heroine. She was compassionate, but always stood her ground with North when necessary.  It was really refreshing to read the different ways that she was able to get herself and others out of trouble.

North was fascinating.  In many fantasy books I've read, wizards are almost invincible and infinitely wise. That was not the case in this book. North's character flaws were glaring, but not so much that he was a despicable person.  Despite his shortcomings, it's obvious that he's a caring person and really tries to do the right thing.

The one complaint I had about this book is that there wasn't enough of Henry or her family from back home.  I would have liked to have seen a little more interaction and a pull from home keeping Sydelle conflicted.

Overall, this was a wonderful fantasy book by a very promising debut author.  I am really excited to read more of her work in the future.  This book was released today, March 23, and it's definitely worth buying/checking out.

Book-A-Likes:  Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones (Wizard with a temper); Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George (Weaving and sewing talented heroine)

Rating:

I gave this book a hearty 5 stars!

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild; North doesn't have a lot of control when it comes to alcohol

Sexuality: None

Violence: Moderate; Some of the fighting descriptions were a little graphic

Acknowledgement: I was sent a copy of Brightly Woven to review by Egmont USA. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier: Review

Wildwood Dancing

By: Juliet Marillier

Description (From Goodreads.com): 

High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.

But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.

When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.

 

Review:

This was a wonderful retelling/mashing of the 12 Dancing Princesses and the Frog princes with some vampires thrown in for fun.  I tend to really enjoy fantasy that has interesting historical lore, and this book had plenty of that. The Transylvanian setting was intriguing, and added a lot of depth to the story.  The book had a lot of foreshadowing which made the book slightly predictable, but there was still plenty of surprises and twists that quickened the pace.

My one real complaint with the book is that there were just too many sisters. Sometimes their personalities melded together and I'd have to read back through parts of the book to get the story straight.  Also, at one point in the book, one of the characters falls in love with a "forbidden" lover and basically stops caring about everything else in her life. I wasn't impressed by it, but thankfully it didn't cloud up the story too much.

I loved Jena's character, and her relationship with her frog Gogu.  It was really a best friend relationship that was both touching and incredibly funny at times. Another wonderful part of the story is the villain and how he weasels his way into the story. It was a great example of how we shape our character by our actions, no matter how well-intended we may be.

 

I will definitely pick up the sequel and see how the story continues.

Rating:

I gave the book 5 stars

Book A-Likes:

The Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. Recommended for those who like fairy-tale retellings and fantasy

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Sexuality: Mild

Violence: Mild

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison: Review

The Princess and the Hound

By: Mette Ivie Harrison

Description:
He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.

She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound.

Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs. Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?

Review: This book really surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. It was told from the male perspective, which was not only refreshing, but very well done. Prince George's mother dies when he is still quite young, and his father never seems to learn how to connect with him.  Having animal magic is frowned on, and while George does his best to ignore his abilities, they are still a huge part of who he is. In the beginning of the book, most of George's development is learning how to cope with his powers and try to live a life that will set him up for his future as a king.

I loved George's relationship with Beatrice. It's difficult to describe without giving a lot away, but basically, George wasn't expecting what he found in Beatrice. This causes him to do some reflection on who he is, and what he wants out of life.

Anyway, the characters were fantastic, and I loved the story. I highly recommend it to those that love fantasy.

Rating:

I gave the book 5 stars

Book A-Likes:

I can't think of a good book to compare it to, but the writing was similar to that of Robin McKinley, Jessica Day George, and Gail Carson Levine.

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Sexuality: None

Violence: Very Mild

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray: Review

A Great and Terrible Beauty
By: Libba Bray
Fantasy, YA Fiction

After witnessing her mother's murder in a vision that turns out to be true, Gemma is enrolled in Spence, a girl's academy. She is snubbed by the popular Felicity and Pippa, and even her dumpy roommate Ann until she blackmails herself and Ann into the clique. Gemma soon discovers she has a power that she's not sure how to control or whether she wants it.

I have to admit that after I finished this book I couldn't quite figure out what it was about. Ultimately, I determined it was about choices. Every character in the book makes a series of choices that have both negative and positive consequences. Okay, so I know all books are about that, and I know I'm not doing a very good job of explaining the point behind this book. Basically, I really liked the conflict that Gemma had within herself on whether or not to use her powers. I think that kind of struggle is very real, and I really like the conclusion she came to in the end. Each character in the book had their own personal struggle that ultimately was resolved. I really liked the way this book ended.

Things I didn't like... I don't really like cliquey, bratty girls. So, sometimes reading about their stupid little fights was annoying at times. And, sometimes I just felt really lost when Gemma had her "visions."

I gave it 3/5 stars.

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George: Review

Dragon Slippers

Jessica Day George

Fantasy; Young Adult Fiction

Creel definitely doesn't need to be rescued. Her aunt, desperate for money, decides that Creel's marriage to a rich Lord or Prince will be the best way to secure the family's future. She forces Creel to be "captured" by a dragon. In exchange for her release and preventing anyone from coming to the dragon's cave, Creel receives a beautiful pair of slippers. After befriending another dragon who rescues her along the way, Creel seeks employment near the castle as a seamstress. Soon, she learns the secret behind the mysterious slippers.

I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to have time to read this book before it was due to the library. I've read so many dragon books that I was pretty sure what this one was going to be like. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Some things were very similar to other stories with dragons, but much of the story was refreshingly original. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I may have shed a tear or two at the end. One of the things I liked best about this book was that the love story/interest was pretty much non-existant. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I will definitely be checking out the other two.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. If you liked the "Dealing With Dragons" series by Patricia Wrede, you'll love this book.

Dragon's Milk: Review

Dragon's Milk
By: Susan Fletcher
Children's Fiction

Dragon's Milk is the first in the Dragon Chronicles series. I was recommended this book by the children's desk at the library and didn't know much about it.

This book has a bit of an older feel to it. Kaeldra, the main character, is different from the rest of her village. She has green eyes, like those rumored to be able to speak to dragons. Kaeldra's sister, Lyf, is ill, and the only thing that can cure her fever is dragon's milk. With the help of her Granmyr, she finds a dragon that has recently hatched a clutch of draclings and agrees to watch the draclings while the mother hunts in exchange for milk. When the mother is killed by hunters, Kaeldra must find a way to save the draclings.

I really loved this story by the end. Sometimes the lore in the story was a little corny, and it was kind of predictable. However, it was much better than I had expected, and I really loved it. A well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars.

Beauty: Review

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
By: Robin McKinley
Young-Adult Fiction

The plot of this book was pretty straightforward. Beauty is the youngest daughter of a wealthy merchant. Her given name was Honour, but as a young girl, asked to be called Beauty instead. She grew up to be plain and never felt like she lived up to her nickname. Her father's shipping business falls into disaster and they are forced to move to the country, where she meets the beast.

I had heard a lot about this book, and its author, Robin McKinley. I didn't enjoy the book quite as much as I had hoped I would. I felt sometimes like there was too much time spent on characters talking about what had happened, rather than what was happening at the time. Also, the ending was quite abrupt. A lot of time was spent building up the story and then the ending fell flat. But, those few flaws aside, it was a really fun book to read. I enjoyed reading about Beauty's thoughts and how they changed towards the Beast. The imagery and change that took place in the book came together really well.

Overall, I would give the book 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more from Robin McKinley.