Book Review: The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3)
by Marie Rutkoski
Hardcover, 484 pages
Release Date: March 29th, 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genre: YA Fantasy
Buy a Copy: 
      Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

Cindy's Review: 
The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski is the final novel in the Winner’s Trilogy. Often, final books are often difficult to satisfy readers’ high expectations, but Rutkoski concludes this series perfectly filled with exhilarating battles.

At the start, readers immediately dive into a conflict filled with high tension. Protagonist Kestrel is the daughter of General Trajan, who serves the ruler of the Valorian Empire. She chooses to marry the Crown Prince in the previous novel so she can help Arin, a Herrani slave, save his territory. However, when Kestrel is discovered spying for the Herrani, her own father sends her to frozen prison camps in the North, where slave laborers are forced to work under the influence of drugs.

Meanwhile, Arin takes Kestrel’s cold attitude towards him as Kestrel’s selfish desire for power. Little did he know, Kestrel is The Moth, a spy within the Valorian Empire who secretly delivers information to Arin’s spymaster.
The Valorian Empire captured the Herran peninsula years earlier and enslaved the Herranis. After the Herranis’ successful rebellion against the Valorian Empire, Arin is now the leader of the people. The emperor of Valoria agrees to allow Arin to govern Herran under the condition that he reports back to Valoria. Unknown to Arin, the emperor’s generosity is fabricated by Kestrel.

Despite the agreement between Valoria and Herran, suspicion continues to grow and war continues to brew. Arin creates an alliance with the eastern empires while the crafty Valorian emperor poisons the Herranis’ water supply. As the tension between the eastern and western empires increase, Kestrel tries to stay sane despite her drugged food while Arin slowly discovers the true identity of his enemy.

Though the Winner’s trilogy starts off rather romantic and tame, it builds the setting for its sequels. If you are looking for a cleverly crafted high fantasy novel, take a plunge into Rutkoski’s action-packed series filled with revenge, deceits, and betrayal.  
The Rating: (1-10): 10~

Happy Reading~ 

Book Review: Banished (Forbidden #2) by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Banished (Forbidden #2) 
by  Kimberley Griffiths Little 
eBook, 416 pages
Release Date: February 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Harpercollins
Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance
Buy a Copy: 
       Amazon | B&N 

Goodreads Summary: She thought she’d lost everything…

After spending months traveling the harsh, unforgiving Mesopotamian desert, Jayden reunites with a broken, injured Kadesh. Although everyone was convinced the violent and unpredictable Horeb, Jayden’s betrothed, killed the handsome prince, Jayden knew in her heart that her love was alive and safe. But their reunion is short-lived, as they learn Horeb is on their trail and determined to take back the girl he has claimed. Soon, the two star-crossed lovers are on the run toward Sariba, Kadesh’s homeland, where, as heir to the kingdom, he plans to make Jayden his princess.

But the trek to Sariba comes with heartache and danger. After narrowly escaping being stoned to death for a crime she didn’t commit, and learning that her sister has disappeared, Jayden’s only solace is her love for Kadesh. But even he is keeping secrets from her…secrets that will change everything.

This gorgeous and enchanting sequel to Forbidden is fraught with love, danger, and heated passion that will leave readers breathless.  

Cindy's Review:
Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little is the second book of the Forbidden series. Picking up right after the first novel, Jayden of the Nephish tribe crosses the harsh Mesopotamian desert alone to find her lover Kadesh.

The violent and unpredictable King of Nephish, Horeb, attempted to kill Kadesh and is now hunting Jayden across the desert. Horeb is originally Jayden’s betrothed, but she did not want to rule alongside a psycho who killed his own father and brother for the throne.Now an outcast for attempting to elope with Kadesh to the kingdom of Sariba, Jayden must quickly find Kadesh and reach the safety of Sariba without being mauled by Horeb’s growing army.

Receiving help from the Edomites tribe, Jayden and Kadesh race against time to reach Sariba before getting caught by Horeb’s army. Unfortunately, Horeb seems to be crossing the desert with a lot more ease than anticipated. For someone who is not familiar with the harsh environment of the current day Saudi Arabian desert, Horeb must have been receiving help from a spy within Jayden’s group.

To make matters worse, Kadesh is holding back information from Jayden about his homeland, Sariba. It seems that Sariba is dealing with interior complications as well. As Jayden and Kadesh rush southwards along the Red Sea, readers experience the dry desert under the relentless sun and whooshing winds alongside the protagonists.

Compared with Forbidden, Banished is the action and the battles while Forbidden is like the introduction and the background information. Ms. Kimberley continues to take readers along with the protagonists' adventure through the desert. Sariba felt like a faraway safe haven. I am imagining a secret island full of cherry blossoms (the frankincense trees) and a pond, hidden behind the mountains, protected by nature. 

Though the ending marked the actual beginning of battles, I was still oddly satisfied of being able to see Kadesh's homeland and learning its secret. I absolutely cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy to see what is in store for Jayden's future.

I recommend this novel to readers who like historical fiction full of suspense and mystery. 

**Huge thanks to Dena from Batch of Books for giving me the opportunity to review Banished**

The Rating: (1-10): 8.5~

Happy Reading ~ 

Book Review: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

The Forbidden Wish
by Jessica Khoury
Paperback, 352 pages
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: YA Fantasy, Retelling
Buy a Copy:
       Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

Cindy's Review: ** I won The Forbidden Wish from a Goodreads giveaway, which did not influence my opinion of this novel. **

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, focusing on a prohibited relationship between Aladdin and his jinni (genie), Zahra. Taking the place of Aladdin’s well-known, blue and mischievous Genie, Zahra has a backstory of her own. Zahra narrates the tale as if she is talking to her beloved Queen Roshana. The Wise Queen once ruled the omnipotent city of Neruby — a vast land that was destroyed 500 years ago by a devastating war. The war is rumoured to be single-handedly started by Zahra who had used Roshana’s trust to bring down Neruby. After the conflict, the descendants of Roshana banned the jinnis and created wards to prevent their entrance. 

 The novel begins when Zahra meets Aladdin. A magic ring that Aladdin stole leads him into the ruins of Neruby, where he finds and rescues Zahra from her 500 year imprisonment in the lamp. Zahra is glad that she is finally free from her dungeon of darkness, but decides not to become attached to Aladdin due to her past experiences with Queen Roshana. Zahra was forced by the King of Jinnis — a Shaitan, one of the most powerful of the Jinn — to kill Roshana because of their forbidden human-jinni relationship. She does not want the same fate for Aladdin. Zahra’s hope for Aladdin to quickly choose his wishes soon changes when the Shaitan appears once more and assigns Zahra to save his son, Zhian, who was captured and trapped in a bottle inside the castle. In return for saving the Shaitan’s son, she is promised freedom.

Zahra’s only hope to release Zhian before the month ends is to manipulate Aladdin and use his wishes for her benefit. In an attempt to enter the castle, she urges Aladdin to wish to become a Prince so he can get revenge on Darian, whose father murdered his parents. Aladdin has the chance to make Princess Caspida fall in love with him so he may inherit the throne with her in place of Darian, the betrothed of Caspida.

As this plan is put into action, Zahra learns how to understand Aladdin and helps him fall into the character of his disguise. Facing many threats from inside and out of the castle, Zahra is racing against time to achieve her freedom, without betraying Aladdin. Aladdin and Zahra’s adventure leads readers through a magical and enchanting adventure filled with finger-curling danger and unexpected surprises. 

I highly recommend The Forbidden Wish to readers who would enjoy a desert fantasy with an extraordinary twist.

Rating (1-10): 9~

Happy Reading~ 

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

by Sarah J. Maas

Hardcover, 416 pages

Release Date: May 5th, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Genre: YA Fantasy

Get the book:

      Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Cindy's Review: 

"Faeries are not my thing," I once said. And I mean it; they aren't. They are not my type and therefore I wouldn't fall for them ever again. But there's always that one exception. And I'm going to make A Court of Thorns and Roses mine. 

First off, I can't resist a fairy tale retelling. It's ironic how I'm tired of faeries, but I'm in love with fairy tales. They both seem to lead to the same genre, but they don't. Fairy tales doesn't have to be supernatural. Anyways, back to this 'Beauty and the Beast' retelling. Am I the only one who doesn't feel like this is Beauty and the Beast at all? I think it's more like the Cupid retelling. Very much more like 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon.' 

In A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre and Tamlin comes to life. Their relationship and chemistry is gorgeous; my drool is creating a small pond beneath me. Well, that's disgusting, but you know what I mean. They are the definition of love. They are the definition of OTP. People will make fanfictions out of this, I am sure about this. Both Tamlin and his world are so mysterious, you'd feel like you're peering through mist. But the mist is the charm. The suspense keeps me at the edge of the seat. Then the twists and turns come into view and that's when I know for sure I'm doomed to fall in love of Maas' new series. 

In this Beauty and the Beast retelling, a girl named Feyre is taken to the land of the Faeries as a punishment for killing a faerie while she was hunting. At the Spring Court, she learns that her captor is called Tamlin, a high Fae. Soon, Feyre learns that not everything is as peaceful as it seems at the land behind the wall. There is a villain, whose name shall not be said, whom is trying to rule all the lands, including Feyre's precious human world. 

Although Feyre isn't a kickass heroine, like Celaena from Throne of Glass, but she proved to be dauntless and was able to stand up for her beliefs. The plot was thrilling and fast paced. Maas was able to take the skeleton of Beauty and the Beast and shape it into an extraordinary novel off of her own imagination.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is highly recommended to anyone who has any interest in fairy tales, faeries, YA fantasy, or romance. 

The Rating: (1-10): 10~

Happy Reading~

Book Review: Of Beast and Beauty

Of Beast and Beauty
by Stacey Jay
Release Date: July 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Arc, 385 pages
Genre: YA Fantasy
Get a Copy:
      Amazon | B&N

Goodreads Summary: In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Cindy's Review:

At a Glance/The Cover:

When I first saw the ARC in the pile, I didn't exactly want it. That trail of blood on the cover.....and a scaly man with claws certainly doesn't sound very appealing. Plus, I didn't really like the plot of Jay's Juliet Immortal and Romeo Redeemed. BUT, I got it in the end. I mean, duhh. Because I love retellings. So much. :) And Beauty and the Beast was a very cute story. 

And Beast turning out to be a handsome prince in the end of the Disney story was definitely more encouraging. But who knows what twists Of Beast and Beauty has.

The Characters/My Opinions:

Princess Isra - A princess about to become a  queen. Since she was young, she became blind in a fire accident. And now, at age seventeen (I believe?) her father, the King of Yuan, has passed of away. She is of age to become queen. But before she rules, Princess Isra must marry. 

Being blind is certainly a big disadvantage. Those sly and whiskery nobles are definitely trying to gain access to the throne. Not steal her throne. Because being a queen is not as good as you think. 

The roses in this book are enchanted. It seems they have their own mind, their own soul. They seem a bit evil. Or maybe just a bit blood-thirsty. Either way, kind of scary. 

Gem - Let's move on to the "love interest" or shall I say, the other main character. Gem also has a point of view so you'll be able to hear his thoughts. Gem has an okay personality. He's not arrogantly handsome with cocky attitudes. But that's alright cuz Princess Isra is blind. She can still hear though. He's likable. 

Needle - I'm pretty sure that's her name. Needle is the princess' lady-in-waiting. True to the lady. Reliable. Smart. Has the wits. Love her. What would Isra do without her? She's a dear. 

Lover of Isra - Okay. There's this other guy. But I forgot his name. Cuz he's very annoying and controlling. Throughout the book, I just wished him gone. He's the one betrothed to Isra. The one who gains the throne. But in the end, he turned out to be a better person than I thought. 

I think the plot of Of Beast and Beauty is wicked. I loved it! The twist of the characters. Although obviously, beast is still the Beast. And beauty is still the Beauty, roles are switched. Beauty is the princess. While Beast is the commoner. The outcast. Though Beast was saved in the beginning, Beauty was the one who truly need saving. 

Overall Thoughts:

The characters were mediocre to me, but the plot, the storyline, the setting, was perfect! The romance. It's like watching a show on TV. BUT EVEN BETTER. Because you know what they're thinking. And just swoon over their romance. 

The ending was like a fairy tale. Haha. Get it? That was lame. It ended perfectly. Like a fairy tale in heaven. 

The Rating: (1-10): 8.5~

Happy Reading~

Book Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

The Jewel
by Amy Ewing
Release Date: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
ARC, 358 pages 
Genre: YA Fantasy
Get a Copy:
      Amazon | B&N 

Goodreads Summary: The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for. 

Cindy's Review: 
At a Glance/ The Cover: 
I first saw this book on someone's Waiting on Wednesdays meme. It had an interesting cover. I read the synopsis. Beautiful. Something I would read. Something I might like. So when I was at Book Club at school, and The Jewel was available in ARC, I grabbed it. #sojuiced. :) And I'm glad I got it. Because it didn't disappoint.

The Characters/My Summary: 
Violet - The main character was born poor. She lived in the outer layer of the city, the Marsh. The Jewels lives in the heart of the city, with circles and layers surrounding it, like it's being protected. The layers determine your caste, your wealth, and your jobs. Violet's family was suffering. Her father had died. Her mom had sold her to The Jewel, so she could be trained and help a richer folk or the royalty create offsprings. The royalties could not breed, they always need a surrogate to it for them. 

Violet lived in dresses and has anything she wants. Almost anything. The Jewel starts when Violet is about to be in the auction. The is when the royalties pick the surrogates they want. Each year, the auction has to 200 girls to choose from. The higher number you are, the more money you're worth. In Violet's case, she's 197. She will be important. 

Many girls may want to be in Violet's shoes. Who doesn't? Lived like royalty. Treated like royalty. Anything they want. Clothes. Jewelries. Everything. Everything except freedom. Violet cannot foresee freedom in her future. She doesn't want to be a surrogate, like many of the other girls. 

I find Violet to be a stubborn girl. Smart, but stubbornness sometimes overtakes the smart feature. Yet, it might save her in the end. 

Duchess of the Lake - I have no idea how old this woman is. But she seems old. At the same time, Violet just vouches how young she looks. Duchess sounds evil, but also have a hint of understanding. But not enough. She has a 19-year-old son. #hotfactor. Now she wants a daughter that Violet will bore her. A daughter that will marry the Empress and Exetor's boy. 

My Opinions: 
When the synopsis mentioned "Violet and a handsome gentlemen", I couldn't wait. The boys always make it interesting. Make it dramatic. Make the girl want something more. At first, I thought that gentlemen was Duchess of the Lake's first son, Garrett. I was wrong. But I really wanted it to be him. 

Violet's love for this second boy did not waver. It continued to become stronger. And that's what led her to her doom. But there's a way out. There's got to be. Because before the auction, Violet met her ticket out of the job of a surrogate. And apparently, there's more than one person whose trying to help Violet out. Someone that I would have never imagined. Someone that got me by surprise. 

Okay. I made sound all mysterious. But it's for the good. Read this book when it comes out in September and it will definitely leave your mouth hanging. I can't wait till the sequel comes out. 

There isn't even a sequel mentioned yet. Ugh.

Overall Thoughts: 
I'm really glad I decided to get this ARC. But that bad thing is that I'll have to wait extra long for that sequel. The first book isn't even out yet, much less the second. 

I would recommend The Jewel to those who likes fantasy fiction. I guess this could be our future, but it wasn't mentioned at all, so I'll assume this is just a made up world. But it's fine. I love fantasies. :) 

The Rating: (1-10): 8.5

Happy Reading~

Book Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutk:

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy#1)
by Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
eBook, 355 pages
Content: YA Fantasy
Get a Copy:
      B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Cindy's Review:
At A Glance/The Cover:  
I first saw this book on the Goodreads new release list. I didn't really give the book a thought, but I decided to check it out. Then I saw all those fabulous fab fab reviews and I thought I gotta read this. I was reluctant at first considering that she falls in love with a slave. I mean, I have nothing against them but I was really wondering how they would have a future together.  
  
Oh they will. Trust me on that. That slave is no ordinary slave. Although he could be more perfect, I'll accept him the way he is.

Btw, magnificent cover. I really like this eye-catching dressy cover with huge words. :)

The Characters/My Opinions:
Arin - That's the slave. He's actually turns out to be pretty cool. Except I was annoyed of him at first. He became hotter....but I really don't know how to describe him. Because I ship him with Kestrel, not with me. So yeah. Krestel definitely finds him hot. 

The Valorians had conquered the Herrani natives and created a whole new system making the Herrani the slaves. Seems like something out of a history book, right? Definitely. And this is what I like about this book. Because it can happen. It might have happened. It could be Historical Fiction. It could be labeled as Fantasy or Medieval. In other words, this book seemed very possible in our history. And it's a super cute story. But at the same time, it's made up. Lovely.

Kestrel - A strong, smart girl. A pretty good protagonist. Able to fight. Able to win. Except she kind of concaved in the end when she started to fall for Arin. I wanted her to stand up for herself and do something but at the same time, their romance is super duper addicting. Kestrel is somewhat the middle person. And she's getting pulled in both ways. 

Instead of a love triangle, this story has two sides. The sides are enemies of each other. And you can see both side of the story. Our main characters lie right in the middle. Of course, they are supposed to be loyal to their own side, but when you fall in love with an enemy, it just isn't possible. 

This book was addicting. I couldn't stop reading it but I had to stop at some points. When school's over, I would literally go straight home and read it. And when I wake up in the mornings, while eating breakfast. And at night, after homework. But since I don't forever reading, I finished the book over the course of two days. It was great romance book. Not too mushy. And some adventure. 

I would love to see even more adventure in the next book. There isn't even a trace of the sequel online. BUT DEFINITELY WAITING FOR IT. Cuz that ending was kind of cliffhangingey. 

Overall Thoughts: 
What are you guys waiting for? If you have a love for: YA, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Dystopian, Medieval....or whatever else, you've gotta try this. It's just so cute. I simply can't rave enough about it.

I even had a dream about the main character. ISH. WHICH IS KINDA CREEEPY. The guy in my dream was named Aaron. Except I actually do know him. Not like that though. 

The Rating: (1-10): 9.5~

Happy Reading~

Book Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
by Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: February 4th, 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins
Hardcover, 416 pages
Content: YA Fantasy
Get a Copy: 
      B&N
      Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew - about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam - was wrong.

Cindy's Review:
At a Glance/The Cover: 
It's the last book of the series! Tahereh Mafi is such an amazing author! I loved the first book so much, Shatter Me. The covers aren't the best looking but they're aren't bad at all. Does it have a meaning though? I'm not really sure. I haven't found it's hidden meaning yet. 

"Aaron Warner Anderson"
Hot name, right? Umm. Just him is hot in general. 

I started this whole series as Team Adam. I hated Warner in Shatter Me. I read the second book, Unravel Me. I wasn't loving Adam as much. But I still hated Warner. AND THEN I READ DESTROY ME. Yeah, I read it after I read Unravel Me. Actually I didn't. Well. Somewhere along the way, something like this happened. It kind of changed my thoughts towards Warner. I realized he actually had a heart. I still liked Adam, but I was my hatred towards Warner was wavering. 

"I want to lock myself in the toilet."
In the TOILET? I'm sure you'll drown. Don't worry, Warner is harmless.

The Characters / My Opinion:
Aaron Warner Anderson - YEP. THEN I READ UNITE ME. NOW, I'm totally in love with Warner. Like he's so hot. Omg. That scene in the beginning. Omg. Omg. Omg. Omg. That was on fire. That chemistry between Warner and Juliette though. Whew. Totally hot. And truly, Warner's a lovely person. He hides a lot behind his cruel cover. 

"He has a soft spot for fashion."
Ooh. That walk-in closet though. AND he's knows how to dress nice. Double yes.  

Adam Kent - Adam kind of got annoying in the third book. I was annoyed. He was a bit annoying. He's mad at Juliette but he's also clingy. Ugh. Guys like that. I truly don't like clingy guys. It's cute if they're a little jealous, but he's like CLINGY JEALOUS. Sorry Adam. I loved you but like, what Kenji said in the book was so right. 

"Stay."
Oh. Warner. I'm totally dying for you. 

Kenji - I still love Kenji. He's HILARIOUS. The best guy friend you can ever have. #BGFF. I'm sooo glad Kenji became Juliette's best friend. And he's still as sassy as ever. Or cocky. Or just funny. However you like to explain it. 

"'Hey, um, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for a friend of mine,' he says. 'Have you seen her? She's a tiny little thing, cries a lot, spends too much time with her feelings."
LOLOL. Cries a lot. You gotta love Kenji. A lot. 

Juliette - Although Juliette is the main character, I'm all about the guys. Personally, Juliette wasn't the best protagonist I ever read. She's only okay. During the second book, I was a bit annoyed with her. I'm glad she chose the right decision in the end.

"'So-so-so wait, so he tells you he loves you...and you said? What?' Kenji demands, dumbfounded. 'Thank you?'"
Another Kenji moment. He just makes me crack up every time he opens his mouth.  

Overall Thoughts:
Yeep. Definitely glad I continued on this series. IT WAS SO WORTH IT. I NEVER IN MY LIFE TRULY CHANGED TEAM PREFERENCE. I'm pretty sure I haven't. For example, in Delirium, I stayed Team Alex all the way. In the Hunger Games, I stayed Team Peeta all the way. In Matched, I stayed Team Xander all the way. In the Selection, I'm still on Team Maxon. It hasn't ended yet, so I don't know about all the way, but I'm pretty sure I'm staying on Team Maxon cuz I still hate Aspen as much as ever. You get the idea. 

"'Water that never moves.' I say to him. 'It's fine for a little while. You can drink from it and it'll sustain you. But if it sits too long it goes bad. It grows stale. It becomes toxic.' I shake my head. 'I need waves. I need waterfalls. I want rushing currents.'"
Warner.  

This was the only series I ever changed the guy I liked. And it for a good cause. CUZ WARNER. WARNER turns out to be sooooo soooo much better than I ever thought. Perfect. Rich. Perfect. Tall I hope. Hot. Abs. Dundundun. #Perfect. 

"All this managed to prove is that you are extremely good at turning me off."
Ooh. Ooh. He's such a dick, isn't he? Except that doesn't physically make sense. 

The Rating: (1-10): 10!!!
All thanks to the wonderful characters in this book. :)

"'I know I am an extremely attractive man, J, but I am not Bruce Lee.'
'Who's Bruce Lee?'
'Who's Bruce Lee?' Kenji asks, horrified. 'Oh my God. We can't even be friends anymore.' 
'Why? Was he a friend of yours?'
'You know what,' he says, 'just stop. Just - I can't even talk to you right now.'"
Typical me here. LOL. Except for the Bruce Lee part. Hahah. I just had to add extra quote of Kenji. Because I can't get enough of him. Not that way guys. 

Happy Reading~

Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)
by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 4th, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Hardcover, 550 pages
Content: PG-13/YA
Get a Copy:
      B&N 
      Amazon 

Goodreads Summary: Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

http://us.macmillan.com/cress/Marissa...

Cindy's Review:
At a Glance/The Cover:
Oh my feels! I've been waiting forever, like literally forever, for this book. OMG. Almost there. 3/4 done with the series! One more to go! I love Marissa Meyer's awesome writing. Her characters are so alive. And RAPUNZEL time! All her book have such beautiful covers. And I really love Marissa's generous sneak peeks. If only all authors were like her. 

The Characters/My Opinions:
Cinder Linh - Of course, Cinder gets a point of view. Even though this book is all about Cress, I still, for some reason, consider Cinder as the real main character. Because she started it all. Because she's the princess. Because she gets the prince. Maybe. 

Scarlet - Scarlet somewhat gets a point of view. It faded off in the end, or maybe I wasn't paying attention. Scarlet gets abducted by the evil queen's worker person, Sybil in this book. So she doesn't really have much of a big part. There isn't any deep scenes about Wolf and her. 
  
Wolf - Wolf is there throughout the whole book. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a point of view. I don't exactly remember. Ugh. I'm such a bad reader. But I remember the events of the book and everything, so don't worry, I'm not making stuff up. Haha. Wolf gets kind of crazy in this book, considering he just lost the love of his life.

Captain Thorne - I'm pretty sure Thorne had a point of view. Whoever is a Cinder and Thorne shipper .....cough cough, LIANA.....will be disappointed in this book. It's kind of obvious that Throne ends up with Cress. Like duhhh obvious. Cress is already 'love at first sight' with Thorne. And Thorne. Oh Thorne starts to fall slowly in love with her. Btw, this is not a spoiler. If it comes up in the like first five chapters of a book, I don't think this is spoiler. Right?

Cress - Here comes our main character, Crescent Moon. Such hippie name but it's cute and all. :) She's okay. I'm not super in love with her. She's a genius hacker. Fairly useful. But I still like Cinder more. Cuz her name is so close to mine. And she has such high authority. 

Besides everything I told you, there are yet some more twists in this story. Only like one more I can think of. They finally got to there destination. LIKE FINALLY. I waiting from all the way to the first book for this 'moment'. And I'm not saying anymore. The whole series is like chasing things and being chased. I hope, there's even some more action in the last book, because it's the last book and all. 

Winter comes up in this book. As Princess Winter. Step-daughter of Queen Levina is that her name? She's apparently crazy. But she's helping Cress. So we know she's good. And there is a guard called Torin who works for her. So maybe she can help Cinder. I wonder what Winter is....Sleeping Beauty?

Overall Thoughts:
I'll continue to enjoy this series. I'm not exceptionally in love with it, but I'm still in love with it. If that even makes any sense at all. Winter is expected to come out in February, 2015. Omg. Winter is Snow White. DUHH. DUHH. The evil queen step-mother. I forgot all about her! And Snow White is born a princess. So I guess it makes sense. Does that mean Winter is actually related to Cinder? Or is she just a princess because her step-mother happens to be the queen? Hmmm.

All these books are fairly similar to the fairy tales. I like that. It's adds a smart sci-fi twist. Yee. All those romance in the air! Does Snow White end up with someone? I forgot. I'm pretty sure she does. Prince Charming? I think. But Prince Charming appeared in like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and everything else that involves a prince. I'm so misguided. I need to search all these things up. LOL. 

The Rating (1-10): 9.5~

Happy Reading~

Book Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) 
by Veronica Rossi
Release Date: January 8th, 2013
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA Fantasy
Paperback, 352 pages
Get a Copy:
      Barnes and Nobles
      Amazon

Goodreads Summary: It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Cindy's Review: 
At a Glance:
Well, I already know what this book is about. I never got around to reading it, because the first book wasn't that appealing to me, for some random reason. Maybe I had really bad book tastes back then.

Okay. Just a thing, this one's gonna be really awkward since I probably can't remember anything.

And let me just say something about the cover first. It isn't exactly my ideal cover. I don't really find the cover as fascinating as it should be. It is pretty, but it doesn't really connect to the book. And Perry. Err...let's just say I didn't think he'd look like that. Even his clothing doesn't look right....especially his clothing. Where is his blood lord necklace and all? 

Characters/Plots:
Aria - I find myself thinking on the behalf of Aria for....well, mostly everything. Sometimes, I think about Perry. But either way, to me. Aria is more of the main character, even though both her and Perry have a POV. I guess I find Aria tolerating. There isn't something about her that makes me go, "ewww...this girl. Ugh. So annoying." Or anything, but then at the same time, I don't go "wow! She's so cool!" and then dream and fangurl and make up fanfictions about them. LOL. Yes. I do those things.

Perry - Okay. So Perry. No lie. But he sounds cute in  the book. And a good personality too. He has authority. Not weeny or weak. I like my protagonists strong. :D Yes. And then I'll be so proud of them. LOL. He's also brave. Yep. I also like courageous, daring protagonists too. That makes the adventure. 

Maybe it's me, but I find Perry not as goofy as in the first book. Maybe I got things mixed up though. And things wrong. Cuz like I said, I read these a gazillion years ago. Perry is more uptight with the whole blood lord thing. 

There were many more problems and plots in the sequel. In the first book, it was more of a romantic story and introduction of background, setting, and a general problem. But the second book provides a hot, romance packed with dark problems and rush hours. Much more heart-accelerating. :D

Final Thoughts:
Cuz I suck at doing reviews. Does anyone offer reviewing classes? Omg. LOL. 

Okay. Overall, I think this book was an okay adventure read. Although I didn't read it in one night sitting, I did manage to finish the book pretty fast. Like two days. Not dragging long like To Kill a Mockingbird. Omg. 

I really need to keep my acronyms down. I say them way too much. And reviews are supposed to professional too. But without some personality, a review is boring. Okay. Why am I saying all this? Well. Bye~

AND READ THE BOOK ONLY IF YOU READ THE FIRST ONE. OF COURSE.

The Rate: (1-10): 8

Happy Reading~