12/13/2019

The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

I read this novella in remembrance of Grace, the Rebel Mommy Book Blogger. Grace died earlier this year and to celebrate her life, and everything she stood for in the book blogger community, some of us read either one of the books she still had on her TBR or one she had already read. I chose the latter with The Wicked King still waiting for me to be read and the thought in mind, that I wanted to know if I would feel the same about this book or not. 

The Lost Sisters

by Holly Black
The Folk Of The Air Series #1.5 
Publisher Little, Brown Books For Young Readers on October 2, 2018
Genre Fantasy
Pages 50
Format eBook
Source Purchased
Goodreads
✶✶✶

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke. Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

Story

If there is a story at all, it is hard to see. Taryn tells her sister Jude why things happened the way they happened. That she came to a point where she couldn´t undo what she had done without losing self-esteem or where she saw a way to change things. That one word, one weak moment was the reason why it looked as if she´d betrayed not only her sister but also her family.

Style

Yes, this is a novella. And yes, it was supposed to show me the view Taryn had and how things could go the way they were in book one. But at the end of it, I thought something was missing. I admit, that I never was a fan of Taryn. And in this little story, she shows me exactly the reasons why I never liked her in the first place. But why this novella ended that abrupt and leaving its reader with a huge “?” is a miracle to me. The story isn´t complete. At least not in my eyes.

What I liked, on the other hand, is the wonderful ironic tone it is written in. THAT is the Taryn I know and don´t like. But I said that before, haven´t I?

Characters

There isn´t much to say about Taryn. She wants what Jude seems to achieve very easy but hates everything that is connected to the world she is living in. And yet she wants to be one of them in a desperate way that I almost felt pity for her. She is trapped in a world that isn´t her own, but can´t think of leaving the world she has to live in. Yet she does everything to give her sister a hard time and to make her see how awful everything around them is.

And again, I don´t like Taryn.

Conclusion

It was good that I´ve read this novella. Good in the meaning of understanding the background of book one The Cruel Prince a bit more. To get some answers to some of my questions. But if this novella was intended to change my feelings about Taryn, it failed to achieve that.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release by cbj on June 8, 2019

Holly Black

Holly Black is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of her titles include The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi) and The Modern Faerie Tale series. She has been a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award, a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of both an Andre Norton Award and a Newbery Honor. She lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. 

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1/09/2019

Waiting On Wednesday #84 – Queen Of Ruin by Tracy Banghart

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

Not sure if it is just the cover that makes me want this or just to see how Serina and Nomi will keep fighting for their freedom and happiness and how things will end. I had a wonderful time reading book one and the fact, that women aren´t allowed to read or do other things I take for granted nowadays, is probably another reason to find out how this dilogy will end.

                 

Iron Flowers-Die Kriegerinnen

Author Tracy Banghart
Grace And Fury #2
Publishing Date January 23, 2019
Publisher Fischer Sauerländer
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

When the new, brutal Superior banishes Nomi from Bellaqua, she finds herself powerless and headed towards her all-but-certain death. Her only hope is to find her sister, Serina, on the prison island of Mount Ruin. But when Nomi arrives, it is not the island of conquered, broken women that they expected. It is an island in the grip of revolution, and Serina - polite, submissive Serina – is its leader. Betrayal, grief, and violence have changed both sisters, and the women of Mount Ruin have their sights set on revenge beyond the confines of their island prison. They plan to sweep across the entire kingdom, issuing in a new age of freedom for all. But first they´ll have to get rid of the new Superior, and only Nomi knows how. Separated once again, this time by choice, Nomi and Serina must forge their own paths as they aim to tear down the world they know, and build something better in its place. 

The book will be released Queen of Ruin by Little Brown Books on July 2, 2019, as a hardcover

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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12/30/2018

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I never thought that I would read another Holly Black book. Not after my reading experience with a title I had read and disliked in 2017. But this one? Holy smokes! Forget about fairy being nice. In this book they are cruel, full of hatred, they lust for punishment, the fear of others, and rather kill each other than see the crown on someone else´s head. Why haven´t I read this any sooner? Can you believe it – it was on my TBR since early January 2018, but it took me almost a year, A YEAR, to read it! And that with all the thrilling things I had heard about it over the past few months.

The Cruel Prince

by Holly Black
The Folk Of The Air #1
Publisher Little Brown Books For Young Readers on January 2, 2018
Genre Fantasy
Pages 370
Format Hardcover
Source Purchased

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶½

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered, and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of the Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him – and face the consequences. As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Story

Jude has watched the cruel assassination of her parents with shocked eyes. But she´d never thought, that she would spend the next ten years living under the same roof as her elder sister´s father and murderer of her parents. It is him, Madoc, who teaches her how to fight with a sword, that strategy is the most important thing at war and how to think things through. But all his lessons seem to have been for nothing, when Jude realizes almost too late, how things really are at the High Court and that loyalty and faerie don´t go well together.

Style

Holly Black doesn´t bother with huge explanations. Yes, you get some hints about her figures through their actions and she lets you know what the look like, but only with a few sentences. I like that very much. Her fantasy is incredible, at least in this novel. I could literally see Hollow Hall or Madoc´s place where Jude lives with him and the others. And it was kind of fun to imagine Cardan with his one earring – reminded me more of a pirate than a prince. But we are in faerie land, so nothing is as we know it from the mortal world. The more I read into the story, the more intense it became. I could literally see the scenes right before my eye, could smell the wood, the soil, or the food they were eating. All that managed the author by using very few words but with the utmost feeling. 

Characters

What a badass Jude is. One with some charm, the heart in the right place, and a desire that makes her human in the best way. Yes, she wants power above all else. And she finds a way, though she isn´t looking for it, to get it. But why not. A powerful figure can do many good things. It may take her a bit to see everything through, to understand what she sees and hears, but when she gets it, she shows her smartness and that she is more of a faerie than her elder sister Vivienne. Her power is one, others underestimate and that´s her big advantage. I was fascinated by the way how Holly Black has created her faerie figures. They are colorful, exotic, show extreme emotions, hate everything that´s mortal but need it to keep existing, and are merciless if they have the chance to gain power one way or the other. But when it comes to family, they show very familiar values as we mortals do. The family comes first, loyalty to your family is everything and you safe and protect them at all costs. Well, most of us at least.

Conclusion

That book was great to read. I am not happy with everything that had happened. But the surprise the author presents her reader and one of her figures, in the end, holy cow! This novel is a pure reading pleasure and has made me a Holly Black fan. At least, when it comes to her Folk of the Air books. 

Happy reading

Holly Black

Holly Black is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of her titles include The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi) and The Modern Faerie Tale series. She has been a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award, a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of both an Andre Norton Award and a Newbery Honor. She lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. 

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5/30/2018

Waiting On Wednesday #72 – The Wicked King by Holly Black

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy.

There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

Though I haven´t had the time yet, to read The Cruel Prince yet, the moment I saw this cover I was WOW-that is bomb! And the summary sounds thrilling and so damn intriguing. How would I not want to read this? I do hope that it is a great read because the first book I read by the author wasn´t impressing me at all. So fingers crossed that I haven´t made a mistake here with my already placed pre-order.

The Wicked King

Author Holly Black
The Folk Of The Air #2
Publishing Date January 8, 2019
Publisher Little Brown Books For Young Readers
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

You must be strong enough to strike and strike again without tiring. The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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5/29/2018

Iron Flowers-Die Rebellinnen by Tracy Banghart

At first, I wasn´t sure if I really wanted to read this novel. Sure, I was kind of intrigued by its cover and back text, but also not jumping to get it. And yet something kept me coming back to it again and again. Oh, and by the way, the original title is "Grace and Fury". Maybe this novel will remind you of another trilogy were some girls try to catch the prince´s attention and heart to become the one and only for him. This one is different, though. And shows you two sides that couldn´t be more different.

Iron Flowers-Die Rebellinnen*

by Tracy Banghart
Iron Flowers Series #1
Translation Anna Julia Strüh
Original Title Grace And Fury
Publisher Fischer Sauerländer on April 26, 2018
Genre Children 14+
Pages 377
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶½

They are sisters, could not be more different and yet are inseparable. Nomi is wild and fearless, Serina is beautiful and graceful. And she is determined to be chosen by the heir to the throne as Grace, freeing her family from poverty and oppression. But on the day of the selection, everything is different: the sisters are torn apart - and forced into a life on which nobody has prepared them. (personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

Serina was raised and educated to do whatever the prince is asking of her. Her only purpose in life is to look radiant, beautiful, and to become the Great Grace who will bear him the so much wanted next heir to the throne. Her sister Nomi was taught all her life that she had to serve her sister and help her to stay alive in the royal palace. But as life is, nothing goes as planned. And soon Nomi finds herself in a position she never wanted nor was trained for and Serina has to fight for her life.

Style

The setting reminded me very much of Venice. Lots of wonderful bridges, the canals, and bold dresses. And dangerous. Very dangerous. Imagine a world in which women have no rights, except to bear children. They aren´t allowed to learn how to read or write and for sure not to have their own opinion. The highest achievement is to become a Grace. One of the many women who live in the palace with the heir to the throne. To do what he wants them to do when he wants it. A free mind or will isn´t appreciated. This novel is written in a simple to read, but very impressive language and style. Lots of twists and turns show you two worlds on the same planet. Both are as deadly and life-threatening as the other. The one is the palace with its decadent lifestyle and many dangerous places and luxury, ruled by a bored, sick, and very reckless king. The other a Vulcanic island, where people fight for everything in order to survive. 

Tracy Banghart has a great way to bring both sides, the bright and the dark one, together and to make clear that both are as dangerous and life-threatening as the other.

Characters

Being a rebellious young woman with a mind that wants to be free and self-determined, isn´t easy or healthy when you live in a world where women have no rights at all. Where you can get killed for the mere thought of wanting to hold a book, not to mention reading it. A woman does what her man tells her. No questions asked. And you better become the mother of a son very quick. Because daughters are only a burden.

Serina is a beauty. Knows exactly what to say and when to get a man´s attention. But when she meets the prince, she obviously isn´t the only one who knows how to catch his attention. Soon she finds herself in a position she´d never thought she´d be in one day and for sure not as planned. But she is used to doing what others expect of her and to change sides with her sister isn´t as bad as thought. After all, she has to keep her sister alive in a place they both were hoping to get in.

Conclusion

What an unexpected reading pleasure. You never know what you might find on the next page. And the way how the author unfolds her story wasn´t at all what I´ve expected. This novel caught me by surprise and I am absolutely happy that I had the change to read and enjoy it. 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer Sauerländer in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

*This book will be published in the English language Grace and Fury by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on July 31, 2018.

Tracy Banghart

Tracy Banghart is an Army wife and mom has an MA in Publishing and an unhealthy affection for cupcakes. Her quiet childhood led to a reading addiction, writing obsession, and several serious book boyfriends. She currently lives in Hawaii with her husband and young son, where there are a lot of volcanoes, none of which she’s made her home.

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