Seraphina by Rachel Hartman: Review

Dear Reader,

Synopsis:

In the capital city of the country of Gorredd, the exceptionally talented 16-year-old Seraphina lands the coveted job of Assistant to the Court Composer, Viridius. Her role entails preparing for the week-long celebrations, that'll lead up to the 40th anniversary of the Peace-Treaty with the dragons, and giving music lessons to the Queen's grand-daughter and second heir, Princess Glisselda.   

But Seraphina has a secret: she is half-dragon, the evidence of which lies under her left sleeve, where silvery dragon scales grow instead of skin. Her mother was a dragon in human form, and though she had died of child birth, in Serphina's mind she left her a "pearl" of her memories; memories that will help Seraphina greatly when the fragile peace between humans and dragons is threatened after the death of the Queen's only son, the beloved and charming Prince Rufus.       

***

Rachel Hartman has created such a well developed world and characters. I especially like the maturity with which it ends, that sets it apart from the majority of other young adult (YA) books that I've read so far. Other than the dragons, the best thing about this book is Seraphina herself. She is intelligent, thinks on her feet, and is bold and brave, without being unlikable. She has quite a few vulnerabilities but also has her priorities in order, (i.e. save the royals family first, restore peace and order, then worry about falling in love with the wrong person).And in spite of all that happens and the self-loathing Seraphina feels at the beginning (a surprisingly common theme in many YA books), at no point did I get annoyed with her, or any of the characters in fact. I did not feel that Seraphina was ever being overly whiny/self-pitying (which was a major problem I've had with the Shatter Me, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and The Hunger Games trilogies). There is also a wonderfully malicious villain (revealing the name of which would be a major spoiler) and a really nice ensemble of characters to support Seraphina. My favourites include:

• Orma - Seraphina's teacher, who also happens to be a mathematically-orientated dragon, 
• the lively and multifaceted, Princess Glisselda, 
• Prince Lucian Kiggs - Glisselda's fiance, the bastard-grandson of the Queen, captain of the Royal Guard and "possessor of too many titles", 
• and Fruit-Bat - the silent, orange-eating, tree-climbing, dark-skinned, curly-haired little boy that lives in Seraphina's mind.    

However, the plot can feel the tiniest bit slow at times, when there isn't actually a lot happening. But it does all build-up to the big finale, which does not disappoint. Furthermore, I felt that this book discussed prejudices, race, what it means to have humanity, religion and science in a very sophisticated way. And though it is the humans that originally invaded and settled into the dragons feeding/breeding grounds, this book goes far beyond the "Natives vs. Settlers" scenario, in discussing intermingling of cultures, the back-clash from those opposed to that "dilution", as well as what can be gained from peace and the price some will pay in order to protect it. I was also pleasantly surprised to find quite a bit of diversity in Seraphina which isn't often common in this type of book. To add to that, the light humor, the interspersed refrains of music and the dash of romance balance it out enough to make Seraphina a fun and greatly enjoyable read. 

Even several days after finishing the book, I still find myself thinking about Seraphina and the adventures she would have gone on and how young Princess Glisselda would prepare for the on-coming war. So much so that when I found out that there is actually a sequel planned for release next year, I was exceptionally excited. InshaAllah I'll be reviewing that too once it's out.

Nida

7 Deadly Sins (Book Tag)

Dear Reader,

This is quite an old book tag created by BookishlyMalyza. But I saw the video by youtuber, Bookables and found it interesting enough to do a blog post about. So here goes. 

Greed

What is your most expensive book? and what is your most inexpensive book?

Box-sets of books are really quite expensive (especially for hardcovers), but I love them and have several, as you can from this picture.

 But my single most expensive book (not counting university text books) is:

This was a birthday gift from friends who knew my love for both books and desserts. Rather sweet of them don't you think, (pun intended). 

My least expensive is:

I got this little discarded treasure for a mere 2p at a book sale.   

Wrath

Which author do you have a love-hate relationship with? 

I have quite an issues with Robin McKinley. I love her book Sunshine, she setup this amazing world with so much potential, not to mention all the loose ends. 

But she refuses, absolutely, 100% refuses to write a sequel, or even a spin off set in that world! Ugh!! So Frustrating!

Gluttony

What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?

I would have to say it's a close call between Romancing Mr. Bridgerton and Brighter Than the Sun, both by Julia Quinn. 

Sloth

What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

Insurgent and Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I don't even know why. Every time I tell myself that I'm going to read Insurgent now, I always end up reading something else. 

Pride

What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

Idylls of the King by Lord Alfred Tennyson. (But generally I just talk about all the Classics I have read.)

Lust 

What attributes do you find most attractive in male/female characters?

I think that this goes for both male and female characters, that they be genuinely good people who care and always want to do what's good/right. Also, a good sense of humour doesn't hurt either. 

And just for a bit of fun, here's a list of my literary crushes:

Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Brigan from Fire by Kristin Cashore

Mr. Knightley from Emma by Jane Austen

Charles Darnay from A Tale of Two Cities by Charle Dickens

Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling 

(And to a lesser extent, I really like the character development that Mr. Thornton from North and South and Warner from the Shatter Me Trilogy, under went.)

Envy
What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

Hmm.... that would have to be the Collector's Library 6 book box-set of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series, (I'm very particular about edition/publishers and stuff). 

It's such a beautiful little collection but soooo expensive. I'd feel completely guilty if I bought it for myself.    

Until my next post, take care and keep reading.

Nida

Top 5 Wednesday: Friendships

Dear Reader,

Welcome to this week's Top 5 Wednesday, where I list my Top 5 whatever-the-topic-is-for-this-week. 

This brilliant idea was the brain child Lainey from gingerreadslainey on youtube, though I first came across it on The Readables. The series is fun and easy to write/watch, and is open to all who want to participate. If you, dear reader, want to know more or want to join in the fun, this is the link for the goodreads group. 

This week's theme is fictional Friendships. So without further ado:

5) At number 5 we have Albert and Joey (the horse) from War Horse by Michael Morpusgo. Over the years, I have read plenty of books that contain a strong bond between stead and rider, e.g. Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater and The Horse and His Boy by C.S.Lewis; even in the novel I'm currently working on, the only friend of my main character, Sharon, is her mare Honey. But their is something about the length that Albert and Joey go to, the tragedies and horrors they encounter, on finding their way back to each other; which I find so moving and which puts their friendship (as opposed to all the others) in my Top 5.    

4) Next come Sherlock Holmes and John Watson from the amazing books by Sir Arthus Conan Doyle. Granted I was never really interested in this phenomenon until I watched BBC's Sherlock when it first came on TV. But since then I've read 3 of the 6 A.C. Doyle books and I now completely understand why Sherlock and Watson have become such an iconic friendship; one name cannot be mentioned without the other. 

3) In third place, I have my favourite trio: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, children of the brilliant J.K.Rowling. They have the most exciting adventures and the most heartwarming character development. Sure they've had their ups and downs, but it's their love for each other, their friendship, that sets Harry apart from Voldemort. From the moment when they first met on the Hogwarts Express to the Battle of Hogwarts, their's is a friendship to concur all evil and be passed on from generation to generation. (There is another beloved trio: Percy, Annabeth and Grover, from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & The Olympians, but they just haven't had as much impact in my life as Harry, Ron and Harmione.)

  

2) Second on my list is the friendship of Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. They don't go on lift-altering or world-saving adventures. They don't battle evil forces or catch deadly killers. They're friendship is subtle but still strong. They have most realistic friendship in this list. Their personalities and opinions differ greatly and they fight; but in the end they both come out stronger and closer to each other. In a way, I love Lizzie and Charlotte so much because their friendship greatly resembles my own friendship with my best friend Codename: Pixie. I am the quiet, unremarkable pragmatist while she come from a large family full of sisters, is overt, passionate and won't settle for anything less than true love.

1) And finally, my favourite friendship of all time is Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs from Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices Trilogy. They are two halves of a whole, one soul in two bodies. But, no matter what I say about these two, I cannot possibly explain Will & Jem. Dear Reader, to truly understand why these two have the most amazing friendship of all time, you will just have to read the books.   

In the comments section, tell me about you top 5 favourite friendships.

Until the next tag, the next blog, take care and keep reading.
Nida  

Top 5 Wednesday: Genres

Dear Reader,

So I've joined the #T5WFamily. What is the T5WFamily? you may ask. Well, T5W stands for Top 5 Wednesday (as you can see by the title) and it is a "family" of booktubers and bloggers, who list their Top 5 whatever-the-topic-is-for-that-week every Wednesday. This brilliant idea was the brain-child Lainey from gingerreadslainey on youtube, though I first came across it on The Readables. The series is fun and easy to write/watch, and is open to all who want to participate. If you, dear reader, want to know more or want to join in the fun, this is the link for the goodreads group.  

This week's topic is favourite Genres. Here are my Top 5:

5) Autobiographies - as opposed to regular biographies, because I prefer to read the story as told by the person who lived through it. I mostly enjoy reading autobiographies of writers or other historical figures. My favourites include: 

• The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson, 
• Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah, 
• Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed,  
• The Dairy of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and
• From my Sisters' Lips by Na'ima B. Robert.  

4) Historical Fiction - in my opinion this is fiction that's been written in modern times but is set in the past, for example: 

• The Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli,
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak,
• The Sally Lockhart Series by Philip Pullman,
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and
• even those accursed-guilty-pleasure-books by Julia Quinn. 

3) Sci-Fi/Dystopian - I've grouped these two together because there is usually (though not always) a lot of overlap and also because I became a fan of this two genres around the same time and only very recently. Some books I've read from these genres are:

• The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins,
• Uglies Quartet by Scott Westerfeld,
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, 
• The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells and
• Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne.  

2) Classics - but more particularly Fiction from the 19th Century (and Shakespeare). My love of Classics began when I first picked up Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen at the tender and impressionable age of 14. Since then I've made it my goal to read 3 to 4 new classics each year. Here are five of my favourites:

• North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell,
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens,
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte,
• Persuasion by Jane Austen and     
• A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthus Conan Doyle.

And finally, number one on my list is (yes you've guessed it),

1) Fantasy - I'm an escapist reader and I love fantasy. From the fairytales I enjoyed listening to and reading as a child, to the first book I remember actually falling in love with, to the section I head to first whenever I enter book shop; all relate to by desire for that fantastical. There are many different sub-genres within fantasy but for now I'll now talk about the Top 5 I like reading most.

• High-Fantasy: this is when the story is set in a completely new/made-up world with their own rules and physical laws, for example The Lord of The Ring by J R.R. Tolkien, The Inheritence Cycle by Christopher Paolini or The Graceling Realm by Kristen Cashore. 
• Low-Fantasy: where the story can be set in the real-world or a fictional one but follow real-world laws but with many fantastical elements. The distinction between the two can be blurry at time but here are a few favourites that are definitely "low" fantasy: Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling, The Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke and The Once & Future King by T.H. White. 
• Fairy-tales: are self-explanatory and which I've already written about several times on my blog. My favourite of all time is The Beauty & The Beast, which is discus in much detail in another post. Fairy tale re-tellings are also rather enjoyable; there are the Jackson Pearce books (Sisters Red, Sweetly and Fathomless) and mostly recently I fell head-over-heals for The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer which I've also reviewed on this blog.        
• Urban-Fantasy: are stories set in the real (usually modern) world, only with some fantastical elements to them, e.g. Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan, Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson and Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.  
• Paranormal: stories about vampires, werewolves, witches, angels, demons, ghosts etc.. hanging out among the human population (though without any of the 'horror' elements). The majority of the YA that I've read falls into this sub-category, for example Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments, The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater or Dracula by Bram Stoker.   

Until the next book, the next review, the next Wednesday, take care and keep reading.

Nida 

The Lunar Chronicles Review

Dear Reader

Review Time!!

Series Synopsis:

So the The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a series of fairy tale retellings. But they're not just ordinary retellings... oh, no, no ... these retellings have a twist. The Lunar Chronicles are set thousands of years from now, in a dystopic world complete with hover-cars, walking-talking androids, a genetically modified werewolf army, a new plague pandemic and super-humans with mind-control abilities that live on a colony on the moon (Luna) and called themselves Lunar. And just as the world has been given a futuristic make-over, so have our leading ladies been modernized:       

1) Linh Cinder (aka Cinderella) is a cyborg, with a mechanical hand and foot. When she's not being bullied by her step-mother and step-sister, she spends her time working as a mechanic in New Beijing, earning her keep by fixing androids and other electrical devices.  

Cinder by Lostie815

2) Scarlet Benoit (aka Little Red Riding Hood) delivers fresh produce from her farm to the local town of Rieux. But she can also drive any space ship, a talent and skill she got from her grandmother who's an ex-military pilot of the European Federation. 

Scarlet by Lostie815

3) Cress Mira (aka Repunzel) is a skilled hacker, sorry I mean programmer. But she also happens to be a Lunar (not an Earthen) who's lived alone in satellite orbiting the Earth, for seven years, keeping a watchful eye on all the important people. 

Cress by Lostie815

4) Princess Winter (aka Snow White). We don't know much about her at the moment except that she is the step-daughter of the Queen of Luna. But come 2015, I have no doubt that I will be just as thrilled and delighted to see how she fits into this new world, as I have been with all the other characters.          

Winter by Lostie815

Though each book, Cinder, Scarlet and Cress, plays out the plot of their own fairy tale, the story arc that spans and connects all the books is that of Cinder and her fight against the Evil Luna Queen, Levana.  

Levana by Lostie815

Warning: what follows is my review and personal opinion of each book in the series. This may contain spoilers for anyone who has not read any of the books. SOME SPOILERS AHEAD. BE WARNED.

***  

 Cinder

This book was absolutely captivating from start to finish, even though it was more of a "set up" novel, introducing us to the key characters (Cinder, Iko, Prince Kaito and Dr. Erland) and the world of The Lunar Chronicles. The plot was well-paced and incredibly enjoyable, and I had a great time finding the symbols and making connections with the fairytale we all know and love. It especially delighted me to read how Marissa Meyer was able to incorporated the "fairy godmother" and the "pumpkin carriage". Not to mention that this has the most well developed fairy tale "prince" I have ever come across, in all the fairytale retellings that I have read (trust me, that is a large number). It is also the second most well developed fairytale/dystopian world I have had the pleasure to read. 

To be honest, Cinderella has always been my least favourite fairytale; but I have to admit that I love this version, so much so that it is now among my all time favourites. And I will say this, I believe Cinder is a great role model young girls, though I never thought that about Cinderella, even as a young girl myself. Which goes to show the mastery with which Marissa Meyer has crafted this book. However, though I feel genuine affection for the overly-burdened and charming Prince Kai, Iko the Android is my favourite character and every scene involving her made me smile. 

Scarlet

A phenomenal sequel to what started out as a wonderfully imaginative series. I loved it, especially Marissa Meyers continued incorporation of symbolism and little references of the original fairy tale. I read the entire thing in one sitting, without skimming through a single word. Not only were the new characters that were introduced (Scarlet, the Grandmother, Wolf and Captain Thorne) entirely loveable, I was also really glad to see the character development that Cinder underwent and rejoiced at meeting Iko once again, though in a different form. 

The only downfall of this book is that I felt that the romance between Scarlet and Wolf felt a little forced and rushed; I think it needed time to grow but because of the multiple story arcs and the super-fast pacing of the novel, it just didn't get the room to seem natural. And on the topic of romance, I'm sure I'm not the only one to miss the Kai-Cinder relationship. The entire time I was reading the book, somewhere at the back of my mind, the teenage girl inside me kept wishing that they would at least just "comm" each other. 

Also, it bothered me that the characters were just not asking the right questions. They eventually came to the right conclusions and revelations ... eventually. But, I suppose if they had been asking the right questions to begin with, it would make for a much shorter story. But overall, I really did love this book.

Cress 

Though it might sound tediously repetitive and cliche, I LOVED Cress!!! I just couldn't put it down. Marissa Meyer has definitely out did herself with Cress. Though, to be honest,  I might not have loved it to this extent if Meyer hadn't already set such a strong foundation in the first two books and made me care so much about the characters. 

The plot is, again, incredibly fast paced and action packed, balanced wonderfully by a huge dose of character development for Cress, Throne, Cinder and Kai, as well as Dr.Erland and, surprsingly, for sort-of-newcomer Jacin. I really liked the way all the characters, especially the heroines, are very distinct from each other, with their own traits and peculiarities, which isn't always the case when reading fairy tale retellings or sprawling epics. Levana remains the evil queen you love to hate and I was glad to see how one particular character got their just desserts. 

The only minor grievance I had was that the Scarlet and Wolf plot line could have done with some work. Again, I felt the issue here was that they needed more time to grow, which is clearly not available in such a hectic, almost crowded, plot. I can only imagine how difficult it is to juggle so many central characters. Be warned though, this book does venture into some really dark territory, just like the original Grimm and Anderson fairy tales. That happens to be one of my favourite aspects of Meyer's writing: her faithfulness to the original stories, while still being unique and new. 

Nevertheless, there are still some very humorous scenes, that are reminiscent of Shakespeare's style of a comedy of errors and miscommunication, along with many touching scenes that warm the heart. Overall impression: I'll say it again, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! It is definitely up there among my favourite YA, along with Cinder. 

Waiting a whole year for Winter (2015) is going to be painful and will require a great strength of will on my part.

Characters of The Lunar Chronicles by Lostie815

Novellas

Glitches - This tells the story of how Cinder came to live with her step-mother, Linh Adri. It's sweet and funny, though equally sad and though it adds nothing new to the overall story, it's essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about Cinder, her mysterious adoptive father and how Iko came to be. 

   

Queen's Army - This short piece takes place several years before Scarlet and tells us the story of how Wolf had no choice but to become part of Queen's Army and how came to be Alpha. But most importantly, we get to see the Luna colonies for the first time and the extent of beautiful-terror that is Levana.  

The Little Android - Set about a year or two before Cinder begins, this is a short story retelling Anderson's famous The Little Mermaid. It is brilliant but bittersweet, though an improvement, in my opinion, on the original story, which had just been painfully tragic. Marissa Meyer is a truly marvelous writer; the amount of character development, plot and heart she has managed to fit into such a short space ... amazing.

Until the next blog, next book and next review, take care and keep reading.

Nida