The Lotus Effect

Title: The Lotus Effect
Author: Bridget Ladd
Publisher: Obese Rhino Publishing
Release Date: July 19, 2013

"An improbable partnership. An unforgettable love.
Lily Emerson, daughter of the Head of Council and Mistress of Science, has lived a privileged life. It's Lily's 18th nameday, the day she is to follow in her mother's footsteps, becoming the next Mistress of Science--the most powerful woman in all of City Prosper. The Architect and designer of Prosper's future.

During the night of her Coronation, the corruption of the Council spreads before her . . . opening her eyes to the cruelty that resides in the Council, even within her own parents. Lily realizes now the title of Mistress only comes with superficial power, that to truly save the citizens--she has to fight. Fight in the Barrage--the mechanical gladiatorial tournament in which one chosen pair of volunteers from each Sector fights, armor-clad and as a team, utilizing unique weapon specialties: the Gatling gun, the Cestus, Klaives, Crescent Knives, mechanically engineered beasts--in the hope to win the right to change the Law. A law that has remained unchanged since its creation almost eighty years ago.

The tournament that Xander, Engineering Blacksmith and Lily's partner, believes she has no business being in.

But Lily's different. And she sets out to prove just that."

What I liked:  It has a little bit of everything in it for everyone. That is the major point behind this book.  Steampunk, a little mystery, a dash of romance, a hint of fantasy, a sprinkle of sci-fi, and some dystopian magic weaved a story unlike any that I have read before. While it initially starts off slow once it starts to roll, the story moves along with lots of turns and some suspense thrown in. Having all of these different aspects, even the ones I'm not interested in led me to finish this book in near record time for me.

The characters all add their own flair to the novel and those that I didn't think we're going to have a role in the novel, ended up playing their parts. There was two characters; Scottie and Mistress Emerson; who I didn't enjoy at the beginning but I grew to respect towards the end of the novel. The fact that characters managed to change my opinion of them helped with my view of the book.

To break this down with the 2 characters who story this was: Lily and Xander. Both Sector 8 contenders who have their own reasons for entering the Barrage. Let me rephrase that to the only Sector 8 contenders. Lily being next in line for being the Mistress of Science and Xander who is an Engineering Blacksmith, have to learn to trust each other to win the Barrage and stay alive. What really drew me to this pair was their history together that once I knew the truth surprised me and Lily being willing to forgive and move on just to change the Law was not what I would have thought for as quick as she did things.

What I didn't: It starts off really slow and it does let you think its the Hunger Games (nothing to wrong with that)

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 - I docked it the half star for the slow start of the novel

Book Haul 3

Book haul from the beginning of December til now, since I fell behind on that. 

Physical copies:
Cress
Mortal Heart
Iron Trial ARC 
Lives of Kings
Girl in Clockwork Collar
*2 box fulls unpictured and unamed* 

Ebooks:
The Lotus Effect  

The Winner's Curse

Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: BYR
Release Date: March 4, 2014

What I liked: Everything! I tip my hat to you Marie Rutkoski! This book was an amazing book in my opinion. In a world where slavery is common and the General's daughter Kestrel (I love that name), has bought herself a slave and things change whether for better or worse had yet to be seen. From the backstory of the Herrani being captured and enslaved in their own home country was quite interesting to see, along with how much of an oddity Kestrel is for having her old nurse set free, and the fact that she plays music which is considered to be something only the slaves do.

What else was about halfway through the novel when the tide of things change and Kestrel finds herself being a slave and one of the few survivors of something I didn't think would actually happen. I know for a fact I didn't see the ending happening and Kestrel swallowing her pride to save the one she loves along with an entire population. I think my overall love of this book has to do with Kestrel and what she does and how she does it. She is a suitable candidate for marriage and she has brilliant military knowledge which she puts to use.

What I didn't: There was pretty much nothing I didn't like about this book

Overall Rating: 5/5

Waiting on Wednesday 2

It's that time of the week again for Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Breaking the Spine, head over there to see the other blogs who participate and see what they're waiting on! 

My Waiting On Wednesday: 

That's right folks, I'm waiting on this beauty right here! Thanks to Sarah J. Mass and her wonderful tale of Celaena in Throne of Glass, I'm excited to see what she has in store with her new series, starting with ACOTAR.

Top Ten Tuesday

  Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. Be sure to check them out!
This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Books I Read In 2014: 

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski 

 Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (older title I know)

Winterspell by Claire Legrand 

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Something Strange by Susan Dennard

Cover Judgement

So I have decided to start a feature in which I call Cover Judgement. We've all heard never judge a book by its cover and I have no problems admitting that I do judge a book by its cover at times. So I thought I would start this so I could literally judge the books by their covers, and whether or not they are better than the contents of the book or vice versa or if they measure up to the actual story. Not an overly long post I know but its a thought of something that I think I could put to use.

Scarlet

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles book 2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: February 5, 2013

What I liked: I have to say that I enjoyed Scarlet more than I did Cinder. Scarlet is a loose retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and follows the adventures of the new characters Scarlet and Wolf, while still keeping us up to date with everyone from Cinder. Scarlet kept me turning the pages and I didn't see any of the major plots twists coming like I when I had read Cinder. There is a lot more action with this novel which I enjoyed and Scarlet is the type of girl who can handle her own when it came down to it. I also enjoyed Wolf just as much even with him being a silent kind of guy who despite his past does want to help Scarlet find her grandmother. 

What I didn't: There wasn't much I didn't enjoy about the book but one thing that I couldn't get into was Scarlet and Wolf and their relationship with acting how they wanted to be together and they would have but Wolf and his past kept getting in the way and I feel caused a bit of unnecessary drama between the two.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Top Ten Tuesday: New To Me Authors I Read in 2014

This week's TTT is New To Me Authors I Read in 2014: 

Hosted By the Broke and the Bookish and is a weekly meme

Now I read a lot of new to me authors this year but my Top 10 are:

Sarah J. Maas 

Throne of Glass Series

  

Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly Trilogy

 

 Deborah Harkness

All Souls Trilogy

Alexandra Bracken

The Darkest Minds Trilogy

 Anna Banks 

Syrena Legacy

Kady Cross

Steampunk Chronicles

Claire LeGrand

Winterspell

 

Marissa Meyer 

Lunar Chronicles

 Robin LaFevers 

His Fair Assassin Series

Elizabeth Richards 

Black City Series

The Gift of Charms

So I was sent a preview of the first few chapters of the Gift of Charms by Julia Suzuki and here is my honest review. It's a short review but that's because again only had a few chapters.

I received a preview of the first few chapters of the book, thanks for those few chapters Julia! I must say the book is one in which I feel will captivate the reader. The epigraph drew in my attention from the first page and kept me reading til I ran out of pages.

The main character Yoshiko has a tough road ahead of him but I feel that he will overcome the obstacles surrounding his unusual birth and his unusual coloring next to the rest of the dragons of his color. The fact also remains that the other dragons will both hinder and help him along the way.

Why I'm giving it a 4, is that the dragons seemed to humanized and not overly that much like dragons. I would have preferred them to be less human like because I feel that it would have made the story flow a bit better. The other thing that I wasn't too fond of was right away Yoshiko would be the odd one out, I just felt it jumped in a little fast into the plot. 

Overall I enjoyed what I read even if it seems a bit young for my tastes it was still a book I would recommend to younger readers and I will finish the book myself upon its release. 

Now the book isn't due to be released in the US until May 1, 2015 so its a waiting game to see how it ends.

November Book Haul

I didn't do a single book haul post last month! So to make up for it I'm doing an entire month's worth of book hauls right now.

To review:
of Triton - Anna Banks

of Neptune - Anna Banks

The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken
Black City - Elizabeth Richards 

Gilt - Katherine Longshire

Tarnish - Katherine Longshire 

Giveaways:
The Fairyland Series - Catherynne Valente

Lives of Magic - Lucy Leiderman

Just Because: 

Wicked Lovely Series - Melissa Marr
Abhorsen Trilogy - Garth Nix 

E-preview:

The Gift of Charms - Julie Suzki

Well that's all the books I got last month, starting Saturday I will be participating in Stacking the Shelves every week.

 

Waiting on Wednsday 1

Waiting on Wednesday

My first ever Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Breaking the Spine, go check it out and see what you're missing! 

Anyway what book do I have for my WoW? 

Ensnared of course!  

Yeah not much of a shocker to those of you who know me in person, of how big of a fan I am of A.G. Howard's works. Even my very first review was of Splintered. Thankfully this bad boy is due out January 6th and one way or another I will have it the day it is released.