Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Published November 6, 2012 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

#2 in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series
5 stars

Goodreads Review
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

First, I am so sorry it took me so long to write this review.  I read it the day it came out and I swear I had written the review then.  You all know my undying love for Laini Taylor and Daughter of Smoke and Bone and that is no different for Days of Blood and Starlight.  So I am so sorry this review is so late, but here it is!

Review:  Guys, Days of Blood and Starlight gives me ALL THE FEELS.  Seriously, Laini Taylor just writes these words on the page and gives me all these feeling that I don't know how to process!  Basically I was just one big ball of ugly crying face.

 



Days of Blood and Starlight is much darker than it's predicesor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone. While we certainly still have Taylor's beautiful writing, the beauty of the story is replaced by something a lot more mature. I really enjoyed how Days of Blood and Starlight leaves the love at first site (sort of) theme behind and focuses on much more difficult subjects like war, rape, and genocide. 

 

Poor Karou!  She is just at rock bottom, wracked with guilt.  She goes through a lot of terrible things in this book, and I have to say I really loved it.  I am a bit of a sadist I guess, but I really like it when the main character's world is completely ripped apart in a way where they can never fully go back to who they were before the beginning of the novel (part of the reason why I loved Mockingjay).  I like seeing how events of a novel change a person, for better or worse, and books where the main character never goes through any turmoil feel a little cheap to me.  Well, you don't have to worry about Karou not going through abuse in Days of Blood and Starlight, let me tell you.  I'm really excited for Dreams of Gods and Monsters to see how all of this bad stuff will change her from the first book. 

And Ziri...oh Ziri.  He is so amazing and brave and wonderful and all the bad things that happen to him just is NOT FAIR.  I didn't think I would grow so attached to a character just introduced in this book, but I DID.  His character really expands on the interesting "purity" theme because he is the last of the natural born Kirin and therefore Karou sees him as special.  But where Thiago's desire for only natural born women (not resurrected) is very negative and a parallel to the idea that virginity is the most important quality a woman can have, Ziri's purity feels a lot more important.  He is the last of her kind, not just in physical appearance but in culture as well.  I can understand Karou's protectiveness, much like a big sister not wanting her sibling to lose their innocence. 

I have to admit for a while I thought he was introduced to create a sort of love triangle with Karou and Akiva, but now I am a little ashamed that I thought Laini Taylor would take such a cliche road.  Gurl, I am sorry I doubted you and your amazing writing abilities.  I honestly hope Karou in the end will not be with either of them.  I think that Karou will eventually forgive Akiva, but forgive doesn't mean forget.  I dont' want her to go back to him.  I want Karou to love herself.

We also have to talk about the angels.  I really loved how their society is an allegory for today's government.  They really show what can happen when you don't question the ethics of the decisions made by the government and just follow blindly. 

So overall I think you all can tell that I love this series.  It is one of the strongest YA(ish) series out there and I am so so so excited for the final book, Dreams of Gods and Monsters (due April 2014, OMG WHY). 

No excuse me while I go re-read this and cry.

 

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

#2 in the Across the Universe Series
Published January 10, 2012 by Razorbill
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

 

 Hey guys!  Long time no blog!  I was out of town for work for two weeks and had no time to blog (sad day for sure).  But I'm back and we can return to our regular scheduled reviewing!

Review:  More like a 3.5, but not enough to add up to a 4. I ended up liking this a lot more than Across the Universe and I'm actually excited for Shades of Earth. The follow the clues was a cool idea, but I'm not sure it worked in this context because Amy just told Elder everything from the start. However, I enjoyed the build up to the final book (even though I totally called it, like spot on. I'm so smart).

While I really liked the idea of the follow the clues to find the truth treasure hunt plot device, I don't think it worked in the context of this particular story.  Amy is told from the start not to tell Elder, that deciding what to do with the information discovered should be her choice alone.  But of course she runs to Elder immediately.  I felt like this was a missed opportunity to create suspicious and distrust between the two characters which could have lead to some interesting development in their relationship.  It also could have given Amy a real chance to grow and act independently.  It was also painfully obvious what the secret information was, so there really wasn't much tension while they were trying to figure out the clues.  A good idea, but not executed well. 

What did work very well was the dissolution of the Eldest/Elder system and the rebellions that start springing up all over the ship.  I felt like this was a great allegory for what is happening in the world today.  People who live in poor conditions who are controlled by their government will eventually rise up against the institution, often in violent riots.

Overall I thought that while A Million Suns missed the mark on a few plotting choices, it is a great improvement on the first book, Across the Universe.  The writing style was great and the deeper message about mob mentality and the inherent flaws in a dictatorial type of government work really well in the futuristic setting.

September 2013 New Reads

I know this is a few days late sorry guys!  I had friends visiting last weekend so I didn't have the opportunity to get this post out.  There are also a lot of really great releases for September, here are a few that I'm really excited about. 

September 3

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Why I'm Excited:  First I have to say I love the title, it's wonderful.  This book sounds crazy and suspenseful and I hope it's as dark of a thriller as I want it to be.






September 10

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
#1 in the Goddess War series

Why I'm Excited:  I love the premise for this book.  What if supposedly immortal gods start developing strange and horrific diseases?  I love the take on Greek mythology and I can't wait to see where this will go.





September 17

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
#2 in The Raven Cycle

Why I'm Excited:  I really enjoyed The Raven Boys and I have to know what will happen next!  There was a lot of mythology introduced in the first book and I'm really interested in seeing it further explored.

Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston
#1 in the Heart of  Dread series

Why I'm Excited:  I love the setting for this series, a dystopian Las Vegas covered in ice?  Ok!  Sign me up.

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Why I'm Excited:  Gretchen McNeil isn't afraid to really get out there with her writing.  I love that she takes risks and writes horror for the YA genre, which is really under represented.  I love horror so of course I want to read this one!






September 24

 Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Why I'm Excited: I have to admit I am really drawn to this cover.  I love that it's not a person on the cover and the colors are beautiful.  I also really like the plot, it sounds like a unique idea and I'm excited to see how it is executed.

Vicious by Victoria Schwab

Why I'm Excited:  Everyone I know just raves about Victoria Schwab's writing, and I have yet to read one of her books (I am ashamed!).  If I'm correct this is her first jump into adult fiction and I'm excited to have a book that's a little more intense.





Other Notable Releases

September 3 - All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
                        Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney
                        Sweet Legacy by Tera Lynn Childs
                        The 100 by Kass Morgan

September 8 - Gold by Talia Vance

September 10 - Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
                           Monster by Ilsa J. Bick
                           The Final Descent by Rick Yancey
                           The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
                            The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman
                           Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

September 17 - The Wicked Within by Kelly Keaton
                           Once We Were by Kat Zhang
                           This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales


September 24 - Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter
                           A Radiant Sky by Jocelyn Davies
                           Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
                          Where the Stars Shine by Trish Doller
                           Find Me by Romily Bernard
                           Fallout by S.A. Bodeen
                           Inhuman by Kat Falls

Legend by Marie Lu

Published November 29, 2011 by Putnam
#1 in the Legend series
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Review:  Legend is a great start to a series with will definitely fill your Hunger Games void.  It has fight scenes, snappy dialogue, kissing, and a government conspiracy!  I listened to the audio book and really loved the two readers. They were excellent and I recommend the audio book to everyone, especially if the gold text puts you off (as it did for me).

I really enjoyed Legend, especially the two main characters.  Day and June were both really great characters and I really enjoyed their banter as they got to know one another.  With that said, I do wish they lived up to the described intelligence.  We're told again and again how exceptionally smart they are, but they seem to get tricked and trapped a lot.  I really would have liked to learn more of Day's back story and his motivations behind his crimes.  We know he's done all of these crazy stunts (like attacking an airbase) but we never really learned why because he's kind of rogue and doesn't belong to a rebel group. 

I did have some issues with the world building. In dystopian books set in America I really like to understand how we got from present day to the current government in the novel. There were some hints at this so I'm hoping this will be discussed more in future novels. I also would have liked to know some more answers to the Republic plague conspiracy as well as why they are at war with the colonies, but again I think that will be covered more in later novels. I also wanted to know more about the trials, especially what exactly when down with Day's trial.  There are a lot of interesting concepts that I hope will be fleshed out in further novels.

Overall I really enjoyed Legend.  The writing was really great and the pacing was spot on.  I know dystopian is a real trend right now is YA literature, but Legend is at the top of the pack.  If you liked The Hunger Games and Divergent, make Legend your next pick.

Bout of Books Day 7 FINALE!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

This is the final day of the read-a-thon, we made it!  I have to admit I went out with a bit of a whimper.  I woke up today and just did not feel like reading, so I didn't.  I watched 3 movies instead (Fight Club, We need to Talk about Kevin, and The Ruins.  They're all adaptations of novels though, does that count?).

I did go to Starbucks for a little while and read 31 pages of City of Lost Souls, but that's it.  I'm ok with it though, because I made a lot of progress and finished quite a few books I'd been working on for a long time.  So what was your final count?  Did you meet your goals?  Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading with me this week!

Number of pages today:  31
Total number of pages:  1551

Books started:  2

Books completed:  5

Bout of Books Day 6

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

It's the weekend and the end of the read-a-thon is in sight!   We're having friends coming over to have a board game night so I'm not sure if I'll be reading more today so I decided to do my update a little early.  I've still had a good day for the read-a-thon.  I finished The Walking Dead graphic novel for 234 pages.  I also have been listening to my Shades of Earth playaway at every available opportunity and I think I'm around 67%, so an additional 102 pages. 

Today there were two challenges and the first one was hosted by Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf.  This challenge was easy, we just had to answer the following questions.

Question 1: If you could be like any character from a fictional book, who would it be? What do you like about them?Tell me why!

This is a really easy question because I've had the same answer since i was 11 years old.  I would be Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series.  I absolutely love and admire Hermione.  She's smart and brave and loyal and an excellent friend.

Question 2: There’s lots of books out there, but is there one that you've been dying to read that doesn't seem to be written yet? Describe it briefly.

This is a harder question to answer.  I think I would like to read a book that has a character with realistic new age/Wiccan/witchcraft beliefs and practices.  No flying broomsticks or shooting fire out of their hands, but a real spiritual belief.  That would be interesting because I have yet to read a book where that group of people is accurately portrayed.  

The second challenge was hosted by I Read, Ergo I Write and we were to create an acrostic poem using a title of one of your favorite books.  I decided to write a poem about Mira Grant's Feed because I love the book and the title is only 4 letters haha (is that cheating?  oh well)

Friends, rise up while you can.
Everyone has someone on the wall, and
Everyone must know the truth.
Do not be afraid.

So that's my update for today, it's a quick one, but I hope you are all doing well on your challenges!  Maybe I'll update this later tonight if my friends don't stay too long.  Happy reading!

Number of pages today:  336
Total number of pages:  1520

Books started:  2

Books completed:  5

Bout of Books Day 5

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

Day 5 of the read-a-thon was really busy day so my reading progress has been minimal.  I listened to more of my playaway of Shades of Earth and I think I'm about 40% finished, so I'm guessing I read about 72 pages today.  I was really bored with all of my books that I'd been reading so I decided to start The Walking Dead graphic novel but of course the pages aren't numbered, go figure.  I made it through the first chapter which was 70 pages after counting.

Today's challenge was hosted by The Space Between and it was a bookish madlib, which is a great idea.  Here are my randomly selected words

A. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
B. The Joker, Batman comics
C. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
D. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
E. Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle mead
F. Hermione Granger, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
G. Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

And here is my completed madlib!

Help! I'm being held captive at The Red Pyramid by The Joker!
It is very Sweet here!
He is demanding 13 Gameboards to set me free!
I have just discovered that Hermione Granger was captured too!
On second thought, please send Cherries, and don't worry if you don't hear from us for awhile!

Much Love,Pearl the Book Girl

That was a fun little challenge!  Fill out your own in the comments below if you want!  I'm hoping to finish Shades of Earth and the Walking Dead graphic novel tomorrow, we'll see.

Number of pages today:  142
Total number of pages:  1184

Books started:  2

Books completed:  4