Book Labyrinth: science fiction

Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts

May 29, 2014

The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead

The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead
Release Date: May 29, 2014
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Pages: 432
Series: Age of X #2
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodline series returns with the second installment in her acclaimed Age of X series.

Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect—special humans marked by the divine—are turning against one another in bloody fashion.

Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity.

Meanwhile, Mae—grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine—has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission—and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret.

My Thoughts:
I can easily say that The Immortal Crown is even better than the first book, Gameboard of the Gods, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. Gameboard is a great book, but it had the huge task of introducing readers to a new world. Richelle Mead did a great job with that, but this book was still more enjoyable because of how easy it was to fall back into the world, already knowing how everything worked and how it was all set up.

I feel like the first thing about this book that I have to mention is the major UST (unresolved sexual tension!) continuing between Mae and Justin. I just adore how close they became in this book. There’s sexual chemistry dancing around the edges, sure, but it’s so much more. Them together is just this natural thing, and seeing how much they began to care for one another? So. much. swoon.

The Immortal Crown features even more influence from the gods. There are so many things changing and going on in regards to them. There’s definitely more pressure toward Justin and Mae from deities to commit and work with them. Another huge aspect of this book is the diplomatic mission to Arcadia. Senator Darling has a campaign for peace talks and to work out agreements, but of course many other things happen because of this.

There really is something for everyone in this series and in this book. There’s action, there’s serious romance-y feelings and affection, there’s mysterious things happening with the gods, and there’s a CRAZY TWIST. Seriously, that ending? Oh my word. I wouldn’t call it a cliffhanger, per se, but it’s a definite twist. It’s something I didn’t see coming, even though there were some hints. It was a gasp out loud moment, and it totally changes everything -- or at least a lot of things.

Basically I just think this series is flawless. It is filled with amazinggggg characters who you care about, and it takes place in a very interesting society that Richelle has build up. Absolutely recommended.

The Cover:
Good but not great? Hmm..

Rating:

February 10, 2014

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 560
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3
Review Source: eARC through Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

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.

My Thoughts:
Basically? This book is incredibly epic! If you haven’t read this series before now, I highly recommend you drop everything and pick up Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress right away.

The main plot of Cress centres around stopping a certain wedding, but, of course, there are many snags along the way. I’m honestly not sure how Marissa Meyer packs so much action into her books without having them feel rushed or busy. I was only a quarter of the way through the book when already so much had happened. Cress is the type of book that you want to keep reading and reading to see what will happen next, but you also want to savour it and not get any closer to the end, because it’s just so good, and getting to the end will mean an even longer wait until Book 4.

Marissa has managed, so far, to be three for three in creating incredible leading ladies, who are equally endearing, but so different from one another, too. Cress is such a lovely character. She's absolutely brilliant, but she's also a bit wide eyed and unsure around people, having been kept in a satellite all alone for years. Cress also has a massive crush on Captain Thorne, which makes their interactions super adorable.

I’m honestly not sure how to describe how much I love these books. They feature crazy action as well as romance and heartbreak (my heart was ACHING for one character while I worried about another). Cress, like Cinder and Scarlet, is intricately plotted, presenting multiple POVs effortlessly. I care about all of the characters so much, and reading these books is like journeying with a group of friends. I can’t recommend The Lunar Chronicles enough, and I'm incredibly eager for Winter, the conclusion to the series.

The Cover:
Like.

Rating:

February 7, 2014

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated by Melissa Landers
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 352
Series: Alienated #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

My Thoughts:
This was such an enjoyable read! I liked how there were lighter and funnier moments, but that it also tackled serious issues, like systemic discrimination. The aliens are seriously looked down upon by people, to the extent of hate groups forming and demanding laws to banish them.

I really liked how Cara was so accepting of Aelyx, even when at first he was pretty solemn. It would have been so much easier for Cara to diss him and get acceptance from her whole community, but her actions show how strong a character she is. Aelyx is a very complex individual with a great character arc. He comes to Earth determined to hate all humans, looking down on them, but a certain redhead begins to change his mind with her thoughtfulness. I loved the personal relationship between these two, but I also loved what they represented with looking beyond appearances, not judging, etc.

Alienated has pretty much everything you could ask for. There are heart stopping action scenes, steamy kissing scenes, and it features a lovely friendship that slowly develops into something more. It also gives readers a lot to consider regarding discrimination, politics, and ethics, without going overboard and leaving readers feeling lost. This was such a great YA debut, and I look forward to seeing where the series will go next.

The Cover:
Like!

Rating:

January 24, 2014

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 384
Series: Uninvited #1
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.

My Thoughts:
My first notes for writing this review = “Soooo good!!” That basically sums up how I feel about this book. It was amazing, and you should all definitely check it out. You want to hear more? Alright, I’ll try to describe all the things I loved about Uninvited. I picked up the book because I was completely intrigued by the concept, however I know that a great concept does not always equal great execution. Thankfully Sophie Jordan plays out the concept in such an awesome way, and the book totally lives up to how it sounded.

I love it when books raise all kinds of questions, and that is totally the case here. It’s all about nature versus nurture, and the role that science plays. You have statistics which show that people with a particular gene are more likely to become killers, but you also see our main character, Davy, who is just a normal girl. The way that people treat carriers of the gene is terrible, ostracizing individuals who, before the test results, were their best friends, their family, their neighbours. It’s interesting to see how this gene almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, with carriers put in positions where lashing out is the lesser of evils, or their only choice, really.

This book worked so well for me because of all the emotions it brought about. I felt so much for Davy, her being someone who starts off very privileged and is suddenly a second class citizen. As a reader you’re outraged on her behalf, completely appalled at the way she and other carriers are treated. Meeting the other carriers was an interesting thing. You see those individuals who have a sense of “bad” about them, and you can see why society would want them locked away, but then you also have those like Davy who have been thrown into this craziness without doing anything wrong.

I loved Davy’s character because she doesn’t always react how you would expect her to, as our heroine. She’s a bit of an "everygirl", someone who tries to be brave, but doesn’t always want to step out. Davy worries about consequences and doesn’t like to stir the pot. She was refreshing to read about, actually, because I think that her responses (wanting to stay under the radar up until that isn’t possible) are like how regular people would behave in that situation.

Overall this was such an enjoyable book, one that really takes you on a journey. I’m so excited for the sequel, to see where Sophie Jordan will take readers next.

The Cover:
Seems cool but kind of regular until you see her hair. LOVE!!

Rating:

January 22, 2014

Avalon by Mindee Arnett

Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Pages: 432
Series: Avalon #1
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

My Thoughts:
Avalon has been hailed as “Firefly in YA book form”, and there's definitely something to be said about the correlation between the two. The characters have similar vibes, and it’s set in space where the governing system is similar to the Alliance on Firefly. However, while Firefly hooks you in right from the beginning with complex characters, witty banter, and an intelligent plot, I didn’t feel the same about Avalon. There was just something lacking.

I definitely didn’t wholly dislike the book, but I didn't feel the passion and emotion toward the characters like I should have. I was interested in the story, but even when the stakes were extremely high I just wasn’t wholly invested. By all signs this is a book that should have been a “me book”, but I ended up feeling fairly neutral toward it: nothing really bad to say, but nothing really good either. I guess this is one you’ll have to check out for yourself and see if you can find the “it factor” that I thought was missing. If you can relate to the characters or connect with them in a way that I didn’t, then I definitely think this is a book that you could fall for.

The Cover:
Love!

Rating:

December 18, 2013

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Release Date: December 10, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 374
Series: Starbound #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

My Thoughts:
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that These Broken Stars is one of the most hyped books of this season. Based on the cover (holy gorgeous!) and the concept (the beginning is like Titanic in space!!), I can see why. However, in actuality this book failed to wholly captivate me.

The beginning of These Broken Stars had me totally on board (err, no pun intended, seriously). The Titanic in space feel was amazing, with the different classes in different quarters, the lifeboat-esque escape pods, watching the ship go down… all of that was very real and exciting feeling. I also enjoyed how the book turned into a survival journey, with Tarver and Lilac in this abandoned setting, scared and trying to get help. Even the trope of the misunderstood rich girl falling for the tough hero with a sensitive side worked for me. Probably my favourite element of the book is the parts in between chapters where Tarver is being interviewed (interrogated, really) about the events of the book -- you can see where he's lying or omitting things compared to their narrative, and I loved the way this was presented.

So with all these good things, where did this book go wrong for me? I’m not entirely sure. I can’t say I disliked it, but it just didn’t wow me like I expected it to. Something about the romance, even though I liked the idea, didn’t work for me. The characters seemed to have depth, based on all their hidden layers, but I just didn’t connect with them. There’s also a twist about three quarters of the way through the book and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. I didn’t like what happened, and how it was handled was interesting, but not my cup of tea. There’s an almost psychological element that comes up, and I didn’t like how suddenly I wasn’t sure of what was happening.

These Broken Stars is definitely a book that I feel most people will enjoy. Personally, I wanted more explanation for the sci-fi element, and I felt like the book dragged on, especially closer to the end. However, I’ve heard basically nothing but good things about it from fellow bloggers, and there were many great things within the book, so I think it’s one you’ll have to check out for yourself.

The Cover:
Gorgeoussssss.

Rating:

October 19, 2013

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 512
Series: The Darkest Minds #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved The Darkest Minds, and I loved Never Fade just as much, if not more than the first book. In this second volume, Alexandra Bracken gives readers deeper world building: an even more in depth look at what things are like now and how they came to be this way. There’s a broader perspective shown as we’re introduced to a new group of people. While I very quickly grew to love this group, I was relieved and happy to keep track of the characters from the first book as well.

There are so many different reasons why this book worked for me. I love the way “super powers” are portrayed, the good and the bad. I love the journey of Ruby learning to hone and increase her abilities, and how she feels about them. I love the road trip element to these books, the journey and the action that takes place at every step. These books are long, but they don’t feel like it at all. They never drag, in fact they fly by. Mostly I love the relationships between characters, especially the friendship of two characters in particular. I love how the characters relate to one another, and the central story of Ruby’s personal journey.

Never Fade feels larger in scope than The Darkest Minds, as it takes on big issues. The characters want to fight back against the camps, and they’re trying to accomplish this while dealing with the outside world, but equally trying to avoid it. There’s just so much going on, and so much is set up for the third book, but it never feels too busy. The book is full of action and excitement, while still reeling you in with the characters and their individual emotions. I’m not often outwardly emotional with books, but Never Fade made me laugh and cry, almost equally. I can’t get enough of this series or its characters, and I’m so excited to see where Alexandra Bracken will take things next.

The Cover:
So gorgeous!

Rating:

[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Book Depository | Chapters-Indigo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble