Sweet Unrest and The Orphan Queen

Earlier this week, I tried to post about the book Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell, but I sadly failed.  You see, I wasn't ready to let it go just yet.  Now, though, I feel it's only fair to share how I thought about it.  I've finished The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, and both have such...emotional... endings that I think they belong together.




Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell.

Synopsis:

For as long as she can remember, Lucy Aimes has been plagued by a dark, recurring dream of drowning. But when her family moves to an old plantation outside New Orleans, she starts having intense new dreams, vivid scenes of a bygone era filled with people she shouldn't know but does. Searching for answers to her haunting visions, Lucy reluctantly descends into the city's mystical culture.

What she finds is Alex, a charming but mysterious boy who behaves as if they've known each other forever. Lucy shouldn't be so drawn to him . . . but she is. As she tries to solve the mystery surrounding Alex, a centuries-old vendetta unspools around her, resulting in a vicious murder. Now trapped in a dangerous crossfire, Lucy must act fast to save her future—and everyone she loves.

Okay. So obviously it's a little dramatic (I mean, that line "to save her future--and everyone she loves" is pushing it to the edge there), but DUUUUUDE.  I loved this STINKING BOOK.  By calling it stinking, you may think it had a negative effect on me, but it's just because it was so good that I'm seriously frustrated with it for existing...


This book is Southern Gothic at its core, which, incidentally, is my favorite genre when done well.  That may make me biased toward this book, but Maxwell just did such a good job incorporating the details of curses vs spells and Voodoo vs black magic and ghosts vs spirits that I can't get over it.  There were some parts that kinda played out too quickly and got resolved fast, and there were even parts where I was like, "Why is this necessary?"  Overall, though, the book was really well-done, and it was very well-written.


Of course, then there's the ending.  Since it's Southern Gothic, I think we can all see where this is going.  Gothic doesn't hand out happy endings on silver platters like so many other genres (which makes reading rough for me when you back to the fact that this is my favorite).  In fact, the endings are never resolved the way your fairy-tale heart wants them to be.  But that's okay.  Maxwell's ending was actually so well done that I kind of cried.  And then I read it to my friend.  AND THEN I read it to my roommate.  I expected it, but it still got to me, how lovely it could be in its simplicity.


Thus, after chewing on it for a week, I really do like this book a lot.  I'd recommend it to people who aren't afraid of a little heartbreak (but obviously not romance level heartbreak; if you're looking for that, look farther).




AND THEN WE HAAAAAVE:


The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Synopsis:

When Princess Wilhelmina was a child, the Indigo Kingdom invaded her homeland. Ten years later, Wil and the other noble children who escaped are ready to fight back and reclaim Wil's throne. To do so, Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate the Indigo Kingdom palace with hopes of gathering information that will help them succeed.

But Wil has a secret—one that could change everything. Although magic has been illegal for a century, she knows her ability could help her save her kingdom. But magic creates wraith, and the deadly stuff is moving closer and destroying the land. And if the vigilante Black Knife catches her using magic, she may disappear like all the others...

So. Fantasy, oh how I love thee.  Fantasy seems to be becoming the next big genre in teen fiction right now, slowly coming over and replacing dystopian.  Everyone seems to be stepping into the fray, but The Orphan Queen was way above the wannabes.


I love the idea of this novel.  Even though it's not entirely new, it's really well-done and unique, making feel like Meadows had a clear vision for what she was doing.  Wil is a strong female character, and I like how she knows the limits she will go to in order to reclaim her kingdom and deserve to rule it.  She fights with the idea of using magic, but she's not afraid to use it if it will save those she loves, and the conflicting feelings she has toward her own actions really bring her to life as a character.


My favorite character, though, is Black Knife.  He's kinda amazing, and even though I figured out his identity waaay before Wil did, I didn't begrudge her lack of knowledge very much.  Seeing their relationship grow from hate to "I maybe sort of like you" brought in a nice parallel to all the fighting.


The ending of this book...


I don't really know what to say about it.  I'm sort of confused, and I need to know why and how and what and JUST TELL ME NOW.


I'd recommend waiting for the duology's second book next March if you have a patience issue like me.  Otherwise, it was a well-created world with realistic feelings and betrayals that weren't exaggerated.


So yeah, read it.  But maybe wait it out.  Patience is a virtue, young grasshopper, and all that...

46/100

So like many of you out there, I created what can only be seen as a reasonable reading goal for the year.  I decided I would aim for 100.


You guys can probably guess what the title means.


That's right.  I've already read 46 out of the 100 books I was aiming for.  And it's only March 19.  That means that in 77 days, I've read 46 books.


Goodreads finds it helpful to let me know that I am 25 books ahead of schedule.


Today, I have decided instead of going over all the books I haven't reviewed, I would give you a list of what I've read so far.  Let's begin:

• Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano: A girl named Nearly must figure out who's killing all of her classmates and framing her before she's next.  4 out of 5 stars. Anxiously anticipating the sequel.
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: One sister with sense, Elinor, and one sister with sensibility, Marianne, show how different personalities handle the same situation.  5 out of 5, obviously.  I mean, it's Jane Austen.
• Amplified by Tara Kelly: Jasmine must risk everything by ditching out on her privileged life for the chance of joining a band and following her dreams.  3.5 out of 5.  There will be a sequel, so I'm looking forward to seeing more resolution.
• Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen: Nic, a slave in the Roman Empire, finds the lost magic of Caesar and must stand on his own in the face of those who would use him to make or break the Empire, while also making deals for the safety of his sister. 5 out of 5.  Super excited about the rest of this series.
• Ensnared by A.G. Howard: The final novel in the Splintered series, a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, Alyssa must embrace her madness to save everyone she loves.  This one had the ending I was hoping for (and dreading would not come, since I've owned this book for months and have just read it). 5 out of 5, for the sake of it being the end I wanted.
• The Sound of Us by Ashley Poston: Junie must face the entrance of the former pop band Roman Holiday into her life, despite the fact that she hated them while they existed.  This book deals with loss and love.  3 out of 5 stars.  Pretty good, but kind of too loose-ended, only solving the most immediate issues.
• Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman: the finale to Seraphina, I waited for this book to exist for so long, and the book itself was soooo good.  But, I can't help but feel, though realistic and technically happy, the ending didn't satisfy me the way I thought it would.  Everything was slightly bittersweet at the end, and I think I built it up too much in my head in anticipation.  4 out 5.  I blame myself.
• What If? by Randall Munroe: The rest of this title reads "Serious Scientific Answers to Weird Hypothetical Questions."  This perfectly represents what the books does.  Everything from "Are there enough Lego's in the world to build a weight-bearing bridge from New York to London?" to "How fast would a human have to be going to cut themselves in half with a chicken wire?"  5 out of 5 stars, because physics.  Check out his online comic at xkcd.com
• Terminal by Kathy Reichs: The final book in the Virals series, this series follows Tory Brennan and her friends, who were infected with an altered strain of parvovirus that affects humans and began to have canine-like abilities.  This book follows them as they deal with a new pack of virals and government snoops who are getting too close for comfort. 5 out of 5
• When by Victoria Laurie: Maddie Fynn can read death dates, the day someone is going to die, on the heads of everyone around her.  When people in her life start disappearing and dying, and she is blamed for the murders, she must find a way to prove her innocence and find the killer, who seems to be targeting people Maddie has met with. 4 out of 5 stars
• Invaded by Melissa Sanders: The second book in the Alienated series finds Cara stuck up on L'eihr while Aelyx is trying to make good relations on Earth.  Love them all. 5 out of 5 stars because aliens.
• The Last Changeling by Chelsea Pitcher: While on the outside this book is about faeries and an overthrow of the kingdoms, this is an allegorical story for lots and lots of social issues (possibly not even allegorical, since it's open about this other issues). 4 out of 5
• The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead: The perfect ending to the spin-off Bloodlines series by vampire-writer Mead, I kinda just love Adrian, Sydney, and especially little Declan.  5 out of 5
• The Bridge From Me to You by Lisa Schroeder: Told in alternating perspectives by Lauren (who writes in poetry) and Caleb (who writes in prose), this shows a light-hearted story about deep issues such as brain damage, social services, and family separation, under a small town football setting.  3 out of 5 just because it's not very deep.

Okay, so I know that's not all 46, but even I was starting to get a little overwhelmed.  Those are a lot of my most recent reads, so there you have it.  Although I have read a few stinkers, I really try to find the good in every book I read.  Therefore, I do not guarantee you will feel the same way about a book.  I'm much nicer than most of you, probably, and to that I say keep going.  Critics are very important.


More will come later.  Sorry about ignoring y'all for so long. {^_^}