Eon by Alison Goodman

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.

When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

Review:

I’m a little late on the Eon parade. It looks like it came out in 2010. It is on my 2014 challenge list. Actually, it’s the last book in my challenge (so yay mission complete!). But the question I find myself asking right now is why aren’t more people obsessed with this one? It was magical. Really, I haven’t read such a fun, epic fantasy in way too long.

It was this kind of hodgepodge story made up of Japanese and Chinese mythology and dragons. It was an adventure about a girl pretending to be a boy to become a dragon warrior. Between the sword fighting, the dragon magic, the political back-stabbing, the children fighting each other to become the next apprentice, the poverty to riches element, the masterful world-building, and the high stakes battles at the end, seriously, this book was amazing.

There were some extremely interesting characters too. Between the man who was known for dressing as a woman, the master who knowingly trained a girl for a man’s job, the evil political figures, the other dragon eyes, the eunuchs, the revolutionary servants, and the crippled friend, there really wasn’t anyone just normal.

Also the main character was a bit crippled herself. How can you not immediately love a crippled girl fighting to be a warrior in a world where if she were discovered, shed’ be killed? Seriously, Eon was one brave human being. It’s such a story about an underdog, it’s almost like an epic fantasy version of a Glee episode. But, there’s no music or high school, or anything remotely similar now that I’m thinking about it.

I found the whole concept of the dragons to be so unique. Only certain people could work to see the dragons (though Eon could see all of them when most could just see their own). And each dragon represented a different year of the Chinese zodiac. There’s this whole idea of these kids training to be able to share power with the dragons. And the form of government that developed from this was really unlike anything I’ve ever read about.

One of the things mentioned in other reviews is a somewhat slow beginning, heavy on the world-building. I never really found the book to be slow. I was intrigued from page 1. Though, I do happen to really like a well-developed fantasy world. And if you don’t like world-building, this is not the book for you. There was also a lot of fighting/sword-fighting. There were definite Samurai elements. And I loved that Eon could compete with the boys in this brutal world.

The one thing that was lacking was romance. There just wasn’t any. I kind of get how this would have been hard to impossible, considering how Eon was mostly dressed as a boy and not many people knew that she was in fact a girl. I can see where something might start in book 2, and I really hope it does start. Though,  I guess this was a good example of a book that actually didn’t really need romance.

While I got to see so much of this incredibly interesting world and the fascinating characters who lived in it, I do wish I got to see a little more of the dragons. There is still so much I don’t know about them. Book two better come with more information!

Also, that was one epic ending! Seriously, I was shocked by how things went down. And I cannot wait to see what some of the results are in book 2. All in all, I absolutely loved and devoured this book. I loved the main character. I loved the whole cast of underdogs. I loved the politics and the fighting. I loved the dragons (though I want to know more about them). I loved the creative, unique world. And I can’t really come up with much I didn’t love. It so gets a 10/10 from me.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

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.

Review:

Like apparently the rest of the planet, this book has been on my radar since its initial cover release. I mean just look at it. I also happen to be a real sucker for alternate universe stories. After watching a Gwnyth Paltrow movie as a kid, called Sliding Doors, I could never really get enough of these kind of stories. Also, back in the day, I remember enjoying Gray’s vampire series too. Though, I don’t believe I ever finished it.

Any way, I had high hopes for this one. And for the most part, it delivered. Between the murder of the main character’s father, the traveling between universes, the love triangle to end all love triangles, the art, the science, the technology, and the action, there was never really a good point to put the book down.

The notion that there are worlds so similar to this one, but not quite the same because of something as simple as one differently made decision, was just mind-blowingly cool.  Also, was I the only one imagining the time piece from the third Harry Potter novel? The firebird was an almost steam punk/mechanical necklace the travelers would wear. And the functions of the necklace were a little scary. For instance, they were set to give the wearers “reminders” so they wouldn’t revert to the person they were taking the place of. And these reminders were painful electric shocks.

Also, I’m a girl, and I can’t not comment on the crazy romantic notion that some people are just meant to be together in all versions of the world, in all universes. This is such a crazy notion. And it makes the idea of the main character falling in love with one version of her soul mate, but not another version a little bit confusing. But, also so so cool. Also cool was getting to see different countries in different worlds. Some worlds were decades past ours in technology and advances, and one world seemed centuries behind. My favorite worlds were of course the romantic/backwards Russia and the crazy dystopia-esque water world. I kind of wish we got to see more worlds. But, a huge chunk of time was spent in futuristic London and backwards Russia.

The one thing that nagged at me about the romance was that I wish I got to see more of the build up. There were only a few brief flashbacks to the more normal life Marguerite used to lead before her father was killed. But, I wanted more. I wanted to see her relationship with the boys develop more. And then I might have believed where it went a little bit better. I get that one of her relationships built at a slow pace, but I don’t see when it really started…I wanted more.

And then came the loopholes. It can be really tricky writing these kinds of stories with so many rules about other worlds. But, there were a few things I really wished the editor had caught on to. Like, there’s this one time in Russia when Marguerite’s tsar of a father gets news of his other children way too quickly for sleigh ride mail…Or how likely is one character, who’s never done anything with firebirds and other world travel really, really going to be able to fix a traveling device?

Despite these loop holes, and lack of a history (shown) for the romance, I did love this book. I read it very quickly. I gushed over the soul mate concept taken to a new level. I got sucked into the action and drama. And I got lost in the world building of each of the alternate universes. I give this one a 9/10.

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Summary (from Goodreads):

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived.

Review:

This is one of those books whose publication date kept getting pushed further away. I was worried I’d forgotten too much since book 2, which came out over two years ago. I was also a little worried about not getting all the facts I was so desperate to know from earlier in the series.

Let me tell you right now: I remembered everything as soon as I got sucked back into the story. And I got to learn all there was to know about Mara. I forgot how much the author sucks you in. There is no good place to put the book down. I read it under 24 hours. I could not take my eyes off the pages. And it was nice to have another final book in a series, where I was so excited to learn answers and see what the results would be instead of calling everything from page 1. Hodkin shocked me, made me cry, and had me biting my nails in suspense.

There was not a single dull second in this story. Between the torture, teen experiments, crazy supernatural powers, abductions, hitchhiking, clue-solving, snip-bits from the past (aka: Mara’s grandmother’s story), break outs, murder, and revenge, this book was so action-packed, it’s made other action-packed YA novels look boring. The last 100 pages or so went by in a whirlwind for me.

Mara’s not the easiest character to love either. You feel bad for her because well, torture. But, you never know how sane or reliable she is; she does talk to illusions that no one else sees, and sometimes her reflection, which doesn’t always mirror her…And also, she’s gotten to be a little less good. She has no qualms about killing bad guys. While the rest of her friends (also with abilities) might hesitate about what to do, Mara is all about acting on her powers first, and not thinking too much about it later. And she got a little scary.

But, I loved her. I did. I loved having a main character who wasn’t Super Man or Harry Potter or someone so keen on being morally conscious all the time. It stood out for me. And maybe a small part of me was even on her side for her toughest moments. Who wouldn’t want to kill the person responsible for torturing you and your friends for an extended period of time? Main characters aren’t very realistic if they are so good always. And Mara definitely wasn’t so good always.

It was also kind of great to see her coming into her powers. She was finally embracing who she was. She didn’t want a cure. She never once didn’t trust her sanity (though I might have a little), and she stopped at nothing to find what she needed.

I loved this chapters in her grandmother’s point of view. It was so interesting to see the history of this strange gene pool. I’m not 100% sure I understood all the explanation I received about why Mara is the way she is. And there might have been a couple of explanations that made me go, “huh?” However, I love love loved the ending. Right when you think the story is going one way, the author changes it. And then you get comfortable (kind of with the new ending), and BAM, it’s changed to something else completely. I was continuously surprised. I love being surprised in YA!

All in all, this book rocked. It moves at the speed of light. There is so much action. Mara has become a fantastic main character with some extraordinary abilities. All the questions are answered. The surprises and twists kept coming. And while I’m not sure I believed in all the explanations, nothing could take away from my enjoyment of this one. It gets a 10/10 from me.

Waiting on Wednesday (122)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Marvels by Brian Selznick (2015):

Description:

Caldecott Award winner and bookmaking trailblazer Brian Selznick once again plays with the form he invented and delivers a moving and mesmerizing adventure about the power of story. Two seemingly unrelated stories -- one in words, the other in pictures -- come together with spellbinding synergy! The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries. How the picture and word stories intersect will leave readers marveling over Selznick's storytelling prowess. Filled with mystery, vibrant characters, surprise twists, and heartrending beauty, and featuring Selznick's most arresting art to date, The Marvels is a moving tribute to the power of story.

Why I’m Waiting:

2 reasons: 1) It’s another Brian Selznick book. 2) The cover.  Is that not the most gorgeous cover you have seen in a long time? I adored The Invention of Hugo Cabret. And then I fell in love (love not even being a strong enough word choice) with Wonderstruck. And yes, there might be a couple more works by this author that I have not read yet, but still. There’s something about how he mixes the mediums of words and art, and manages to tell separate stories in just the artwork that is so unique. It’s kind of like those picture books I love that have no words –which are great for early literacy; these middle grade books are kind of like a whole new kind of literacy for the more mature brain. They are art and they are beautiful. And I cannot wait to read this one.

What are you waiting on this week?

Eternal by C.C. Hunter

Summary (from Goodreads):

All her life, Della's secret powers have made her feel separated from her human family. Now, she's where she belongs, at Shadow Falls. With the help of her best friends Kylie and Miranda, she’ll try to prove herself in the paranormal world as an investigator—all the while trying to figure out her own heart. Should she chose Chase, a powerful vampire with whom she shares a special bond? Or Steve, the hot shapeshifter whose kisses make her weak in the knees? When a person with dark connection to her past shows up, it’ll help her decide which guy to choose–and make her question everything she knows about herself.

From bestselling author C.C. Hunter comes Eternal—a must-read for fans of the Shadow Falls series—and the sequel to Reborn.

Review:

I love these books. This one in particular was the supernatural/romance/comedy medicine I needed to get me back into my reading craze. I finished this book in a couple of days, and literally within seconds of putting it down, picked up another book, which is also already finished. I’m in a book obsession craze again. Thank you, C.C. Hunter. I’m already half way through another book.

There were so many things I loved about this book. For starters, Della is pretty awesome. She’s even more awesome as she learns to use her super reborn vampire powers. She may have some issues letting other people in, and or showing her emotions sometimes; however, she’s the strongest and probably most feminist character in this series, and for that I give her major points. I love that she stands up to the camp director when he gets overprotective. I love that she never gets side-lined for being a girl. And I super love that she’s not afraid to hit a guy where it hurts, when it comes to protecting herself and those she loves.

Her friend, Kylie, may be known as the protector, but Della certainly will stop at nothing to protect her friends. I also found her family back-story to be very interesting. You get to learn a lot more about her dad, cousin, aunt, sister, and mother in this one. There’s still just enough info left out, to make you want to pull out your hair in curiosity, but hey, there’s one more book coming. I’m sure the answers will come then.

The other thing I loved in this one was Della’s handling of the boy situation. At the beginning of the book (it’s not’s really a spoiler if it happens right away), Steve sort of plays the whole, “this needs to be over between us so you can do what you need to do and figure things out,” card. Instead of pining dramatically or being depressed for a year (like some YA heroines are want to do), Della is just angry at Steve for being an idiot. And while she misses the guy, her life goes on. While I’m not the largest fan of the other boy in her life, as I gather most aren’t, I really felt like this was a much better/healthier teen reaction to heart ache, than what I have seen in books past.

There’s also more creepy ghost stuff in this one. Add that to an FRU case about missing vampire teens, a possible family murder, an interesting scene with the Vampire Council, tons of action and violence, and well this book was C.C. Hunter at her best.

And best of all, these books, at their core, are about friendship. They’re about 3 very different, supernatural girls who have each other’s backs. I love their Diet Coke dynamic. Though, speaking as a former Diet Coke addict, these books gave me serious cravings. So, even though Della is the least emotional of the group, she still has a group that accepts her for who she is.

I’m just sad there’s only one book left to the series. Will that be all for Shadow Falls? Will Miranda get books too? I give this one a 9/10. And if you like YA paranormal romance at all, I highly recommend these books.

Waiting on Wednesday (121)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill (2015).

Description on Goodreads:

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. . . .

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

Why I’m Waiting:

I’ve been a fan of this author since Meant to Be. She writes the kind of fun, adorable YA contemporaries that I find myself sometimes craving like chocolate. I know the main character will learn a thing or two by the end of the book. Her books all have a great coming of age vibe going for them. I know the romance will be great. And I know I won’t be able to put it down. I also love the cover. And I’m sensing that the ship might break down…I love a good survival story too.

What are you waiting on this week?

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Summary from Goodreads:

A heart-stopping story of love, death, technology, and art set amid the tropics of a futuristic Brazil.

The lush city of Palmares Três shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of this vibrant metropolis, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than amber eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist.

Together, June and Enki will stage explosive, dramatic projects that Palmares Três will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die.

Pulsing with the beat of futuristic Brazil, burning with the passions of its characters, and overflowing with ideas, this fiery novel will leave you eager for more from Alaya Dawn Johnson.

Review:

I’d like to just take a moment to thank Alaya Dawn Johnson for actually creating a future world/fantasy world/dystopia world/cyberpunk world where women are not oppressed or anywhere near the bottom of the food chain. Finally, there is a future where women are in charge! And yes, this future world is also heavily flawed. There can be so much commentary on the connections between the economic divide in Palmares Tres and the economic divide in the US right now. But, I am so happy that there is finally a fantasy world ruled by women. More please.

Also incredible was the setting. I have never read a YA book that takes place in Brazil. And the mixture of this future Brazil’s customs, art, and politics truly made this book unlike anything else I have ever read before. The city literally came to life. (No really, it sometimes talked to the main characters).

The emphasis on both art and technology was beyond cool. June kept creating these urban street art/political statements. And it took me a little while to fully understand what she was risking, but I was completely blown away by her bravery. June is creative, brave, strong, rebellious, and angry. And she was one killer main character.

A lot of this book was confusing and not everything makes sense right away. It took me a while to fully understand the world. But once I did, it was amazing. The book also had a unique take on sexuality. It seemed relatively normal for the characters to be attracted to both men and women. It was one of the most interesting love triangles I’ve read about. June and her best friend (who is a boy –who she lost her virginity to) are both in love with the Summer King. And the Summer King loves them both back…I also don’t think I’ve ever read a YA book where there’s a full scene of the girl main character pleasuring herself. But, this isn’t so much a book about sex or love, so much as it is about art and politics.

This book is definitely not for everyone. It’s a little out there. And it’s not the easiest to read/piece together. It took me a little longer than normal to finish, and it’s not exactly a fast read. It’s a read that needs to take its own time. But reading it makes me feel like a more artistically creative person. It’s a beautiful book. It’s like nothing else I have ever read. And I know it’s the kind of book that will have me thinking for a long time to come. I give it a 10/10.