Mortal Heart: A Rambling Review

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

This has been the first book that I've become absorbed in since the pandemic hit, really. I've been in a reading slump of some variety, where nothing grabbed my attention enough to distract me from the news. While I did think Mortal Heart was a bit drawn out towards the end, and the introspective musings of Annith a tad repetitive, otherwise I was heartily glad to be whisked along on Annith's journey, as she discovers how to stand up for herself and those she loves. 

Of all three protagonists in the series, I think I found Annith to be the most relatable. She is not as assertive as Ismae or as wild as Sybella; rather, she is someone used to following the rules and not making waves. She has honed it as a defense mechanism, but as the walls of her cage tighten around her, she realizes she must break free of them before it's too late. That is what sets her off on an adventure that involves a very swoon-worthy (if a tad on the "emo" side) love interest, a reconnection with her old friends Ismae and Sybella, and a whole lot of secrets being revealed. (Which, I pretty much guessed at -- or they at least crossed my mind as possibilities -- way before they were revealed.) 

I did find the political plot line here rather boring, and the focus is far more on Annith's personal journey in terms of self-discovery and character development than the war going on between France and Brittany. Nevertheless, it does all come to a head eventually, and the resolution is not one I would have guessed. I do wonder if the Duchess will live to regret the decision she made...

Also, I remain confused about some questions of world-building. Spoilers, highlight to read: Are the hellequin already dead? I spent most of the book thinking they were -- and were stuck in the hunt as some sort of 'purgatory' before they earned their way to the afterlife -- but then a bunch of them actually died at the end, so... *blinks* 

Overall, I think my favourite in the trilogy remains the first, Grave Mercy, both for the introduction to the world and for the dynamic between Ismae and Duval. But this one is a close second, and probably had the protagonist I was most able to connect with.

4 shooting stars.

Short & Sweet: The Bridge Kingdom

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

An utterly absorbing, unputdownable read. It's been quite a while since I've been so completely sucked into a world and storyline, but these characters and the premise -- a princess marries a king, but is secretly a spy trying to bring down his kingdom -- just won me over. The kingdom politics and relationship dynamic between Lara and Aren really reminded me of The Winner's Curse series(in a good way). It looks like The Bridge Kingdom was released by an indie publisher, and you can tell that some more editing would have helped tighten some sections up and get rid of typos. I also found the modern slang jarring given the "traditional fantasy" sort of setting. But the characters, storyline, and world-building made up for these detractions in spades. I wish I could pick up the next book in the series right now!

4.5 shooting stars.
                               

              

Short & Sweet: Mistborn

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

A very solid high fantasy read, with a thoroughly realized world. Sanderson pays attention to the characters he crafts and the world he creates, making both feel real and detailed and distinct. If I were to pick on something, it would be the pacing -- a lot of this book felt slow to me, with a good deal of scenes involving strategizing and dialogue when I wanted some action! Right at the end there are some exciting reveals, but I do think it didn't need to be quite so drawn out. 

I want to talk about a certain element of the plot, but I can't because of massive spoilers! Highlight to read: Kelsier actually died???? WHY???? He was one of my favourite characters! I loved his bravado and leadership and overconfidence and loyalty. NOT HAPPY with that development.

I liked the character development we see in Vin (although sometimes I thought it was too obviously broadcast to the reader) and hoping to see her continue to grow in the next book.

 

The Tethered Mage: A Panoramic Review (Adult)

"In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army.  

Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations.

But fate has bound the heir and the mage. And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

The Tethered Mage is the first novel in a spellbinding new fantasy series." (from Goodreads)

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso

My reaction: I struggled to get into the first half of this book, I have to say, which felt rather sluggish and dense. There was a lot going on in terms of characters being introduced, and I had trouble keeping straight who was who. I really wish a character list had been provided! The first half also consisted of a lot of complex conversation — involving political intrigue and "war room"-style talk — and I kept getting confused and having to reread. 

Nevertheless, I plowed through and was rewarded by the second half of the book! The pace really picked up in the last third and it was definitely more riveting. There weren't very many new characters being introduced at that point, so I was becoming more familiar with the characters involved. There were some suspenseful "what's going to happen?" sorts of scenes in the climactic part of the story, and a twist I didn't see coming (spoiler, highlight to read: somehow I did not guess that her uncle was the Raverran contact).

Best aspect: the world-building. It was a cool premise to have magic workers as the Empire's army, with their power being controlled by magic-less individuals. Also, the author really fleshes out the different players/groups and the interests they are representing (unfortunately, this means that the plot in the first half suffers due to all of this world-building). Plus, there is a map!

I also thought the characters were well drawn, in particular Amalia and Zaira. Zaira has a spitfire personality, and is a bit of a wild card, and Amalia is a relatable and sympathetic narrator who demonstrates some growth throughout the story. The dynamic between the two of them was really interesting, as they started out with some animosity (particularly on Zaira's side, since she does not take kindly to having her magic controlled), and then progressed into more of a frenemy-ship. Although they are very different characters, I liked them both, so I was rooting for them to become friends!

If I could change something... I'd cut out some of the description and detail, particularly in the first half. I felt like the story sometimes gave up momentum in order to provide more detail in a scene. The writing felt generally overwritten, as though the author felt the need to select more exotic words one might find in the thesaurus rather than more commonplace ones. (I'm not opposed to using less common descriptive words in order to bring a scene to life, but in moderation!)  

I'd also bring a little more spark to the romance, as I was pretty lukewarm about it. I thought it was sweet (and it wasn't a huge part of the plot, so it wasn't a big issue), but I just wasn't super invested in that relationship. It was kinda take-it-or-leave-it for me.

If you haven't read it: and you like traditional-style fantasies with loads of political intrigue and maneuvering, as well as detailed world-building, this will be right up your alley. 

If you have read it: how do you think the Prince Ruven storyline is going to develop in book 2?

Just one more thing I wanted to mention: there was a sticky spot I thought Amalia got out of way too easily (spoiler: when Prince Ruven is threatening to kill her, and she just tells him she represents the Empire, and he backs off). 

Final verdict: 4 shooting stars. If you're getting discouraged by the slow pace of the first half, but are enjoying the characters and world-building, I recommend persevering!

Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC for review from the publisher. 

Short & Sweet: The Bone Season (Adult)

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

It took a few tries to get into this one, and I wasn't really hooked until about halfway through, but once I became immersed in the world and more familiar with the characters, I was riveted to the page! The world-building is confusing (seriously, there are so many different types of clairvoyants) and it was hard to keep track of who was on what side (especially because there are tons of characters and I kept forgetting who was who — a character list would have been helpful), but I really enjoyed the main characters of Warden and Paige, and the progression of their relationship dynamic. The pacing was slow to start with, but then picked up and really didn't drop off for the 2nd half of the book. Looking forward to continuing with the second in the series.

Oh, and I just discovered a glossary at the back of the book for all of the slang terms. Huh, well, that would have been good to know while I was reading it, lol.

Rants & Raves: Authors, Ground Your Stories, PLEASE.

This is a new feature that will appear sporadically on the blog, whenever I have a bookish issue I need to rant or rave about. Feel free to comment with your thoughts!
 
Creativity is valued by those in the writing world — and rightfully so. The "muse" is all-important in guiding a story through to its best form. And no one wants to read a book that sounds like every other fill-in-the-blank book out there.

So agents, editors, and publishers are constantly looking for that fresh, original, next Big Thing. And authors are constantly trying to write what the publishers are looking for.

And I've noticed that in this quest, something seems to get lost along the way sometimes: authenticity. Authors are so eager to get that winning premise, that undeniable hook, that crazy new idea no one's yet written a book about...that they forget the reader's needs in all their excitement.

Because yes, readers want creative too, but: they also want rational. And they want different, but: they also want familiar. Your story has to MAKE SENSE — even if it's just an internal, within-the-confines-of-that-world sense that, for instance, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has. And it has to speak to something that the reader can identify with. Readers need to relate on some level.

Even the Cheshire Cat displayed logic...of a sort.

So whether your book involves genetic mutations or a new virus or brainwashing or what-have-you, base it on actual scientific research as much as possible. (Sorry, sci-fi/dystopian writers: I'm picking on you in particular because that seems to be a continual problem in your genre these days in YA.) Yes, you're a writer, but you can't make everything up or nothing you write will be believable. It's called "make-believe" for a reason: your job is to MAKE the reader BELIEVE. That's not going to happen if you don't base your story on reality in some way.

Otherwise, you'll get dissatisfied readers looking like this:

And if your story takes place in a unique world with a whole new set of rules, give us characters we can connect with. Individuals who, despite the vast differences between the world you've created and ours, find themselves in situations and predicaments that, in one way or another, we too find ourselves in. People who share our values, principles, beliefs, and goals. Characters we'll care about.

Because, let's face it: if you're writing a fantasy/sci-fi novel and your world-building's shaky, the reader needs to be engaged with the characters. And even if you have stellar world-building, if the reader's not feeling invested in the story, the odds that they will finish your book start to drop dramatically.

So, to sum up: authors, please ground your stories in worlds and ideas we can believe and characters we can become. And then, whether or not you have tapped into the next Big Thing, your story will feel real.

Which, to the reader, is what's truly important.