Review | Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent

Shadow Bound
Rachel Vincent
Unbound #2
Published May 22, 2012
Urban fantasy
Review copy from NetGalley
4 stars

Bite-Sized Review
Wow. Shadow Bound was somehow even better than Blood Bound despite having completely different protagonists. If you haven't read these books yet, you really, really should.

King-Sized Review
Blood Bound did not end well for Kori Daniels. After weeks trapped in the Tower syndicate basement, unable to walk the shadows wherever she wants to go, Kori is given a last chance. She must recruit Ian Holt, a Blinder of unparalleled power, to the syndicate. Or else.

Ian has no intention of joining the syndicate. He accepted Jake Tower's invitation for one reason only: to save his brother's life. Unfortunately, as he falls for Kori, that means he'll have to choose between her and his brother.

Shadow Bound was intense. Raw, gritty, and powerful, it showed a side of the syndicates even darker than that in Blood Bound. Criminal organizations with a virtual monopoly on Skilled individuals, the syndicates make old time Chicago look like Disneyland. Putting some pretty spectacular characters aside, one of the best things about this series is its dark underworld and the many different ways its inhabitants react to the choices this world presents them.

With that in mind, Kori might actually be a new favorite character. She has a quick temper, drinks vodka straight from the bottle, punches people when she's angry, and curses like a sailor. She's also unbelievably tough and cares more about her sister than anyone in the world.

The other characters were also stellar (in the sense that they were very well written, because Jake Tower was an evil SOB). Ian complemented Kori well, though his chapters weren't as intense as Kori's. I do wish we had seen a bit more of Liv and Cam, because I loved them in the last book, but I was so absorbed in everything else going on that I almost forgot about them.

Shadow Bound was an amazing book that I highly recommend to any and all urban fantasy fans. So when does the next book come out again?

Quality: Excellent
Enjoyability: Outstanding

PNR or UF?
GARS Score: 1.14 (4/4/4/3) - more UF


In the same aisle
On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Top Ten Tuesday | Recent Classics

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted weekly by the lovely ladies at The Broke and The Bookish.

This week's topic: the top ten books written in the past ten years I hope are still being (widely) read in 30 years. This requires some thought, because it isn't necessarily the books I've enjoyed most (though I do love all of these), but the ones that reach people the most deeply in ways that will still be relevant 30 years from now. So with that in mind, here goes (books link to Goodreads, titles to my reviews):

Feed by Mira Grant
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Harry Potter: not on the list because a) the first book was written more than ten years ago, and b) I don't hope people will still be reading it in 30 years; I know they will.

What future classics have you read in the past ten years?

The Sunday Post #4

The Sunday Post is a new meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer that offers an opportunity to recap the past week, showcase what's coming up on your blog, and share what books you got for the week.

This week I published reviews of Insurgent (Veronica Roth), The Dragon's Path (Daniel Abraham), and Froi of the Exiles (Melina Marchetta). Next week you'll see reviews of Dark Magic (James Swain), Shadow Bound (Rachel Vincent), Where Things Come Back (John Corey Whaley), and The Eternity Code (Eoin Colfer) as well as a discussion post, if everything goes as planned. (It usually doesn't, but that's okay.)

Yesterday I found an amazing used bookstore that was stuffed floor to ceiling with stacks and stacks of books. I managed to limit myself to three by some miracle:

Cold Magic by Kate Elliot
Diplomacy of Wolves by Holly Lisle
Arabian Nights (Signet Classic)

I also got Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent from NetGalley, and I've already read it. It was amazing!

Finally, Anthea Sharp sent me her new book in the Feyland series, The Bright Court. I really liked the first one and can't wait to start the sequel!

In other news, I have finally ordered a new router because mine doesn't work for more that two and a half minutes at a time. I know I've been behind on comments, which makes me sad, but in a week or so I will not have to be really uncomfortable to use my computer and will be able to catch up.

What's new on your shelves this week?

Review | Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent
Veronica Roth
Divergent #2
Published May 1, 2012 by Harper Teen
YA dystopian/adventure
4 stars

Bite-Sized Review
Insurgent is just as thrilling and action-packed as Divergent. Fans of the previous book will be quickly drawn in by this spectacular sequel.

King-Sized Review
Sometimes the second book in a trilogy falls a little flat. The author treats it as a bridge to the conclusion rather than a story in itself, and the entire book consists only of setup for the ending. I have to admit, I was a little worried about this possibility when I started Insurgent.

It's okay, though. Insurgent is awesome.

Insurgent is so awesome that I read it in one sitting. Not one day (although okay, yes, it was one day), but I literally sat down and did not get up until I finished the book. It is utterly action-packed, with barely enough time to grasp one thing before it moves you right along to the next fight. The pace was simply brilliant; maybe if I'd had time to sit down and think for a few minutes I would have gotten more than a vague idea of what the big reveal was, but as it was, my predictions were always distracted by the next scene.

The story starts off right where Divergent left off, with basically no time spent on recapping. Luckily, Veronica Roth has written a background post for everyone who read Divergent months ago and forgot a lot of the details, and I used this resource a lot in the first few pages. After that I got sucked into the story and forgot about the post, not to mention all of the internet.

Insurgent doesn't really seem like a YA book. Every time someone mentioned that Tris was only sixteen, I thought, "Wait. Really?" The characters in this book have a maturity born of hardship and pain, and don't at all act like teenagers most of the time. In some cases, that might be difficult to believe, but here it never seems fake because of all they've been through. While there is a little bit of drama, it's terribly minor in comparison with everything else that happens, which is something I definitely appreciated.

This is a pretty dark book, though of course it has some great comic relief. Bad things happen. Parts are shocking, though some of it wasn't much of a surprise. I really can't wait to see what Ms. Roth has in store for us next. I'm sure it will be spectacular.

Quality: Excellent
Enjoyability: Excellent

In the same aisle
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi
Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Bucket List Giveaway Winner

And the winner of the bookish bucket list giveaway is

...

Krista!

She chose Magic Bites (Ilona Andrews) for her prize, which I heartily approve of. Congratulations, Krista!

Review | The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham

The Dragon's Path
Daniel Abraham
The Dagger and the Coin #1
Published 2011 by Orbit (Hachette)
Epic fantasy
4 stars

Bite-Sized Review
In this enthralling start to a new series, Daniel Abraham creates a spectacular range of characters set in a classic fantasy world. Though The Dragon's Path mainly lays groundwork for the rest of the series, it's an excellent beginning and will likely only get better.

King-Sized Review
When I started reading this book, I thought it was just okay. Decent epic fantasy, nothing particularly special. Then somehow I was 300 pages in without really remembering how I got there. The story crept up on me and kidnapped me before I had the chance to protest or even notice.

The Dragon's Path switches viewpoints almost entirely between five main characters. Captain Marcus, once a soldier and now a mercenary, plays the wise and weary warrior. (Bonus points for alliteration.) Cithrin is the determined orphan, ward of a bank, tasked with a mission that should be straightforward but becomes complicated quickly. Geder, son of a provincial nobleman, is more interested in scholarship than swordplay, but must go to war anyway. Dawson, an influential lord, is determined to maintain the prestige of his king and kingdom, whatever the cost. And the Apostate is a mystery.

Some of these characters, most of whom have their own seperate storylines, never actually interact in this book. It's definitely laying the groundwork for the next books, but it's very well done. Even without info dumps, information about the world and its denizens is as clear as it needs to be, though it would be nice to have more detail – I only saw descriptions for a couple of the dozen or so races. There's not a ton that actually happens here, but what does is quite captivating.

Characterization in this book was brilliant. I loved Cithrin, sympathized with Marcus, gradually grew to despise Dawson, and held Geder in utter contempt. Not many authors can write such a broad yet entirely believable range of characters. I'm very much looking forward to more in this series.

Quality: Excellent
Enjoyability: Excellent

In the same aisle
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite Non-Bookish Websites

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted weekly by the lovely ladies at The Broke and The Bookish.

This week is a different sort of topic: the top ten websites you visit that AREN'T about books. I'm going to skip over things like Gmail and Facebook and news sites because they're not that interesting, but here are some of my favorite non-bookish sites:

1. Cracked.com: the most hilarious lists you will ever find anywhere. They even have real facts! Sometimes.

2. xkcd: a funny, non-serial web comic. Sometimes the programming jokes go over my head. But there is lots of hilarious awesomeness.

3. Hyperbole and a Half: the most hilarious blog ever. Funny stories with (intentionally) bad pictures! Read the one about the party. You'll like it. (But don't read it in a public place because everyone will wonder why you're choking to death as you try not to laugh out loud. Trust me.)

4. 9gag: memes. Lots of memes. And pictures. Usually funny.

5. Foodgawker: you want me to explain why I like pictures of food? Please go away and come back when you're no longer a zombie.

6. Pinterest: pictures! I like Pinterest, only it would be better if the weird advertisement pins would go away.

7. Dr. McNinja: a serial web comic with an Irish doctor ninja. Who sometimes rides a dinosaur. Or a rainbow motorcycle. Seriously, doesn't that make you want to read it?

8. Looking for Group: another serial web comic, this time parodying classic fantasy. Apparently also makes fun of World of Warcraft, but I've never played so that's not as funny.

9. Pandora: for when you're too lazy for Spotify. I have about 12 different stations.

10. How Stuff Works: because I'm a nerd and like knowing things. It has a really good explanation of special relativity. If anyone was curious.

So apparently I really like funny things and pictures. Plus music and occasionally learning things. What are your favorite sites?