ARC Review: Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

Title: Shadowfell (Shadowfell, #1) 

Author: Juliet Marillier 

Rating: 3.5 Stars 

Release Date: September 11th, 2012 

Shadowfell is, I am ashamed to admit, my first Juliet Marillier novel. While I doubt it is her best, I can already see why she has such a huge fan following. Not only is her writing simply beautiful, but her world-building also manages to be exceedingly unique as her story grabs you in, even from the start. Furthermore, each and every one of Marillier’s characters is wonderfully developed, containing an immense amount of depth. While Shadowfell’s main fault seems to lie with its protagonist, it is still a thrilling tale that will engage readers and perfectly sets us up for an epic trilogy in the making.

It is a dangerous time in Alban, especially for Neryn. King Keldec has nearly wiped out all the magic in the kingdom, but his deadly Enforcers still search for Neryn, a girl rumored to have unique powers. Thus, when Neryn is given off to an enigmatic traveler, Flint, and loses her remaining family, she decides to travel to Shadowfell, a mysterious safe-haven for those with abilities like her who can see the Good Folk. Neryn will soon learn, however, that her journey to Shadowfell may not be as easy as she once thought. You see, Neryn possesses a unique gift – one that has not been seen in Alban for years and has the potential to overthrow Keldec. Yet, to use her gift, Neryn must pass through a series of tasks, all unknown to her, during her travels. Neryn’s journey will not only test her strength and morals, but they will test her bonds of loyalty, friendship, and perhaps even…love.

Shadowfell, despite being a novel that I simply loved, mostly because of its genre, was one in which the heroine unfortunately fell flat. When this novel begins, we don’t know much about Neryn and are rather confused by her innate goodness, kindness to the Good Folk, and respect for ancient lore. Yet, as the novel progresses, we slowly begin to understand Neryn a bit more and are able to see the events in her past which have made her the way she is. Still, throughout the novel, Neryn is a very naïve character. In a world filled with desperation, evil, and tragedy, I found it hard to believe that Neryn managed to remain so pure and trusting without having the faults of the world she lived in damage her personality. Furthermore, Neryn constantly fails to learn from her mistakes and there is very little character growth in this installment. Neryn does begin to change during the end of this novel, so I am hopeful that we will be seeing a different Neryn in the sequel, but the Neryn in Shadowfell was quite a disappointment. I admired her resilience, her strength, her kindness, and her hopeful nature, so I definitely did like her and I even understood how so much of her past had made her the way she was, but I was still hoping for something more from her overall which I, unfortunately, did not get to see.

Neryn aside, Shadowfell was a remarkable novel. I loved the world-building straight off the bat as it was a unique blend of fey lore and Celtic mythology, combining together to create the Good Folk. Furthermore, the story of Alban was not only extremely interesting, as were the politics of the nation, but it was also something you felt. While originally seeming to be similar to Throne of Glass in the sense that both novels were set in fantasy realms with kings who despite magic, Marillier, unlike Maas, enables us to see and truly witness the misfortune that befalls this nation and Alban itself became a character of its own. Even the Good Folk, who are mysterious creatures, were wonderful to read about and I was thoroughly immersed in the many tales they told, their history, the slow uncovering of their importance to the story, and the many gifts they possessed.

Yet, what really made me love Shadowfell was Flint. From the surface, it seems as if Flint is your typical tortured male protagonist. As the story unfolds, however, it is evident that Flint, while remaining to be a tormented character, is also one with an immense amount of courage, strength, and heart. Furthermore, Flint’s pain stems from the fact that he carries a heavy burden – one no one should have to bear – but that only makes him all the more likable, admirable, and ultimately inspirational for it. In other words, there is simply so much more to Flint than what first meets the eye and I fell hard for the budding romance between him and Neryn. It was written with a beautiful subtlety and was incorporated into the story in such a breath-taking manner that I was completely invested in it. I honestly can’t remember being so taken by a romance in a long time, so it was extremely refreshing. Furthermore, Flint really drove this novel forward as the scenes with him in it were much more fast-paced, contained a lot more action, and simply seemed to have more of everything. In other words, it is Flint and not Neryn who controls much of this story and while I found this to be a strange balance of power, I still loved it.

Overall, Shadowfell is a great start to a new series. It has all the right ingredients to become a remarkable trilogy and I love the fact that everything is set up so perfectly for us. It is evident that Marillier has a set plan for this series and her lore, ideas, and plans are all very well thought-out and executed. It rarely happens, but I do believe that the sequel to Shadowfell will be a much stronger novel overall. While Neryn did bring the quality of this story down a bit, I still enjoyed it a lot, so if you’re looking out for a new fantasy novel, you should seriously consider picking this one up this month. It may not be Marillier’s best work, but it is a remarkable piece of fiction regardless.

I read Shadowfell with a good friend and fellow blogger of mine, Heidi from Bunbury in the Stacks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book with her and her review is absolutely breath-taking, so do check it out for another opinion of this novel! :D

Review: Split by Swati Avasthi

Title: Split 

Author: Swati Avasthi 

Rating: 4.5 Stars 

I've never been one of those last-minute people. I do my homework the day I receive it, I finish projects a week in advance, and I am a responsible American Citizen. Yet, when it came to writing a review for Split, I avoided it like the plague. I would see Split on my list of "Books To Be Reviewed" and I'd write reviews for novels I'd read far after I finished Split. In fact, I kept pushing it further and further behind in my reviewing schedule that I was simply forced to admit to myself that I needed to write this review, not for my readers, but for myself. I know I can't do justice to this beautiful novel with words alone, but I at least owe it to Swati Avasthi for writing such a compelling story to try.

Split is, to put it bluntly, a novel about domestic violence. When sixteen-year-old Jace shows up on the doorstep of his older brother's apartment with nothing but a bruise on his face, a car, a camera, and a few dollars, he hopes his life is about to change. It's been years since he last saw Christian, his older brother who managed to run away from their abusive father and start a new life for himself, and now with Jace having escaped the clutches of their father too, the two brothers can only hope that Jace's mother will join them in an abusive-free life as well. Yet, Christian is reluctant to even think about his past and the dynamics between the two brothers are awkward at best. Furthermore, Jace must battle with his own inner-demons as he fears he may follow in the deadly footsteps of his father himself, all while dealing with a new school, new home, new life, and new relationships. Split is a shockingly realistic look, not only at the effect domestic violence can have on ones life, but the struggle to move on from a horrible past and look forward in life.

In all honesty, I avoid novels like Split at all costs. Or at least, I used to. I'm not one of those people who enjoys reading about stories based on true events and I simply hate being forced to accept some of the more brutal realities of this world, but something about Split drew me in. I think what makes it such an astounding novel is not only the evocative writing and prose, but the manner in which Avasthi manages to convey the true horror of this situation. We all know about domestic violence and its impact on people's lives, but do we feel it? Well, no, we don't. We all live in our warm homes, sitting on plush chairs and tapping away on brand-new computers while we have the occasional family tiff or disagreement, but Split truly takes you into the mindset of an abuse victim and makes us experience, for the first time, just how lucky we truly are.

Jace, the narrator and protagonist of this tale, is written with so much depth and character that you really just want to do nothing but envelop him in a giant teddy bear hug. I can't imagine what it's like to suffer what he has, but Avasthi paints a striking picture of his life and his struggles to move on from his past. We, as the reader, truly feel Jace's pain and we are able to understand how that hurt is so much more than physical torture - it is mental torture as well. Furthermore, Jace is pained by the thought that he is like his father, or at least has the potential to become someone like him. Jace's journey and his struggles to become a better person are heart-warming and simply touching beyond anything else.

Yet, even beyond just Jace, his growing relationship with his brother is what made me love this book so much. It is a slow and awkward relationship with each sibling balancing on a fine line, but somehow, despite all odds, it begins to grow and blossom into something breath-taking. With Christian, Jace can finally find the family he wants and with Jace, Christian can finally begin to accept his brutal past. Christian's journey is just as big a part of this story as Jace's and I was equally invested in it, if not even more touched by it, simply because Christian has been hurting for so many more years than Jace has. Yet, although both brothers have undergone some of the same experiences, their pain stems from different roots and Avasthi makes us recognize this change in a wonderfully subtle manner as well.

Split, while being a novel about domestic violence on the surface, really goes so much deeper to explore the psychological effects of this abuse and detail a wonderful journey towards change. While her characters truly drive this story, with their changing relationships and inner growth, I found that the manner in which Avasthi simply tackled on this situation as a whole, examining what made people resort to domestic violence and the horror it could cause, was so realistic. If I had to find fault with this story, it would be in Avasthi's portrayal of Jace and Christian's mother. In many ways, I understand that domestic violence is a situation you cannot get out of sometimes, no matter how much you want to, and more than physical abuse, it is a psychological type of mind-rape, forcing the victim to believe that they cannot live without their abuser or must stay with them at all costs. Yet, I still wished for a slightly happier ending than what I got, but overall, I can't complain too much. Split went above and beyond anything I ever expected for this novel and for that, I am more than a little awed.

Overall, this novel is simply brilliant. It is a powerful, thought-provoking, and beautifully-written novel about two brothers coming to terms with their past and learning how to move on - together. While it does contain a romance, it is subtle and only adds to the plot, making it a wonderful additional factor. I doubt I'll ever read a novel like Split again and while I know the subject-matter may scare off potential readers, more than anything else, this is a character-driven novel about hope. I cannot say it enough, but Split is one of those books that will just sit with you for hours afterwards and despite the horror of its concept, it is one of the most gut-wrenching, yet heart-warming, tales I've ever read. It is a must-read for absolutely everyone and I cannot recommend it enough. I know my review barely touches up so many aspects of this novel and it pales in comparison to the actual novel itself, but it's the best I can do. I am still speechless over the utter beauty of this tale, so all I can really say is that you should read this. It will change your life and if that isn't enough motivation to pick up a novel, I don't quite know what is.

Top Ten Tuesday (#8)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where they post a new top ten list every week and ask bloggers to share their picks as well. 

As you may (or may not) have noticed, I didn't participate in Top Ten Tuesday last month. Since the school year is starting, I won't be having as much time for memes, so while I still will be posting some Top Ten Tuesday Posts, they may not be every week. 

Today's Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on Your Fall TBR List 

1. Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2) by Laini Taylor
Do I even need to explain why I want this so badly? I mean...Laini Taylor! Karou! Akiva! *fangirls* 

2. Iced (Fever World, #1) by Karen Marie Moning
I think I would do anything to read this before its publication date. Seriously, I loved the Fever Series and I am thrilled about this spin-off series as well. Plus, if it has Dani and Ryodan, we should get a glimpse of Barrons...riiight? ;)
3. Sanctum by Sarah Fine
I've heard nothing but amazing things about this one and I really want to read it! It sounds phenomenal, so I am so excited for its release! :D

4. Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson 
I love Norse Mythology and have been hearing some excellent things about this book so far, so I can't wait for it to release! It sounds absolutely amazing! :)
5. The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater 

I've only read one Stiefvater novel, but I loved it so much that I simply cannot wait for this book to release! I've heard many amazing things about it, so I really am looking forward to immersing myself into Maggie's writing once again! :) 

6. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr 

My experience with Melissa Marr has been unfortunate in the past. I loved Wicked Lovely, but before I could continue with the series, the ending was spoiled for me and I didn't feel the urge to continue. Perhaps I will sometime later, but for now I am simply thrilled about Marr's new series which sounds so innovative and unique! I can't wait to see what it's about! :) 

7. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill 

I'm not a huge contemporary fan, but how can you resist that cover? I love the sound of this one, so I'm really excited for its release and hope that I can snag a copy of it in the US, despite the fact that it's an Aussie Novel!

8. Unspoken (Lynburn Legacy, #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan 

I love Sarah Rees Brennan! Not only does she write the most phenomenal novels, but her blog/author website is amazingly hilarious and she seems like such a down-to-earth person, so with a new Gothic Novel coming up, how could I not read it? ;)
9. Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, #2) by Rae Carson 
I loved Girl of Fire and Thorns and I can't wait to see what Carson has planned next! She's already proved to be a great fantasy writer, so I'm very excited to see what happens in this one! :) 

10. The Diviners (Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray 

Just like Sarah Rees Brennan, I love Libba Bray! She's a phenomenal author and after her Gemma Doyle Trilogy, I have been dying for another wonderful series from her and it looks like this is it! :D

What are some of your most anticipated novels this fall? Let me know in the comments or link me up! :) 

ARC Review: Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Title: Ironskin (Ironskin, #1) 

Author: Tina Connolly 

Rating: 2.5 Stars 

Release Date: October 2nd, 2012

I’ll be the first to admit that I had expectations for this book - high expectations. Yet, the reason they weren’t met doesn’t lie with the fault of this book entirely. I feel as if many other readers will truly love Ironskin, and they should. It has a lot to love, but somehow, it wasn’t the right book for me. For one, Ironskin is a based quite loosely off of the story of Jane Eyre, a classic by Charlotte Bronte that happens to be one of my favorite novels ever. Thus, there was quite a bit of comparisons I couldn’t help but make with it and consequently, I found that Ironskin simply didn’t live up to the literary masterpiece that Jane Eyre was and frankly speaking, I don’t blame it. It is a near impossible task to challenge the work of an author such as Charlotte Bronte and while I admire Connolly for her creativity and attempts at distinguishing her gothic romance from that of Bronte’s, I think avid Jane Eyre fans will be disappointed.

First and foremost, I must give credit where credit is due. I loved the world-building ideas that Connolly created surrounding Ironskin, - a world where war with the fey had cursed many war victims, leaving them with no option but to wear an iron mask, covering their curses and preventing them from spreading to other victims. Furthermore, I admired the fact that Jane, our protagonist, was a survivor and remained strong despite her constant estrangement from society due to the iron mask that adorned her face. In addition, I even enjoyed how thoroughly Connolly immersed us into her world, bringing forth cultural sayings and superstitions surrounding the fey. Yet, for all these wonderful concepts, I was still quite unable to completely grasp many aspects of this universe and was left with many questions by the end of the novel. In fact, I am still unsure of exactly how the Great War between man and fey began, why the fey withdrew from it so mysteriously, and exactly what purpose it served to the story either than the obvious conclusion of needing a reason for Jane to become an Ironskin.

That being said, I did appreciate Connolly’s efforts to distinguish her story from Jane Eyre. Jane, the protagonist of Ironskin, is very similar to Jane Eyre herself, yet while Jane’s governess duties are not an extremely important part of the plot, they are here. Dorie, Jane’s charge, is a young girl whose mother was cursed by the fey and as a result, she possesses a few fey abilities herself. Thus, Jane must help the girl while simultaneously figuring out the enigma that is her employer, Mr. Rochart. Yet, while Jane is an acceptable character and the secondary characters in the house she resides are quite amusing, as well as Dorie herself, Mr. Rochart fails quite miserably to live up to the Mr. Rochester of Bronte’s novel. Not only is the romance between Jane and Edward Rochart vastly under-developed in my opinion, Rochart himself is portrayed as more of a confusing madman than Rochester ever was. Furthermore, I didn’t think that Rochart’s “big secret” was as much of a surprise as Rochester’s was and it most definitely did not have the desired effect on neither his character nor the plot itself. Thus, I found myself to be rather disappointed as the novel progressed and wondered both why Jane loved Rochart and how Rochart could love Jane when he spent so little time with her.

Leaving those qualms aside, I found some areas of this narration to be rather slow and didn’t particularly like the direction the novel took towards the end. In addition, I felt as if Jane had too many light-bulb moments that both seemed unrealistic and ruined the pacing of the story as it suddenly made events happen too fast. Furthermore, but the end of this story, I was unable to find a purpose to it. It is clear from the synopsis itself that beauty and appearance in a large factor to this tale and while I was enjoying the developing message of true beauty that I believed to be emerging, some of the events during the end of this story quickly tossed aside that theme and left the novel hanging, not only on a cliffhanger ending, but also in a state of confusion and I could not figure out the point the story had been trying to make in the least. It felt, ultimately, as if the parts emphasizing Jane’s strength in relying on her character opposed to her beauty to get ahead in life were simply crushed and the already unconvincing romance between Jane and Rochart lost me that much more, so I found that all to be extremely disappointing.

Nevertheless, there were still distinguishing aspects of Ironskin. I’ve already mentioned the originality of this tale, but I also enjoyed the comparisons between Jane’s life and that of society during that time, so while this novel didn’t have the political scheme I was hoping for from The Great War, it did have social politics mixed in, which nicely added to the culture of the setting. In addition, I thought the relationship between Jane and Dorie was extremely well written and developed and I particularly loved reading about Jane and her wealthy sister and how they compared their lives and hardships. It enabled the reader to see both sides of the multiple situations during their time period and was another convincing relationship.

Yet, for all its originality, Ironskin simply failed to live up to my expectations. I believe that other readers will immensely enjoy this gothic tale and most probably will not experience the difficulties I did, unless, of course, they are avid Jane Eyre fans, which is why I would still recommend this one. However, if you love Jane Eyre, you will be prone to comparing this story with the classic it has been built upon and, like me, will most likely have your hopes crushed. Thus, while Ironskin remains to be an intriguing novel on its own, it is, by no means, a novel for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.  

Showcase Sunday (#11)

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits and Tea. Its aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week.

Kindle: 

Cold Kiss (Cold Kiss, #1) by Amy Garvey 
I actually picked this one up earlier this week when it was still free on the Kindle, so I was lucky enough to remember to buy it before the deal expired. I've heard a lot about this one and the cover is beautiful, so I'm looking forward to reading it soon!

For Review: 

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands, #2) by Moira Young

I still cannot believe I'm about to read this! Rebel Heart released in the UK awhile back, but poor US Residents like me have to wait till October to read this one, but I'm reading it now! *squeals* I think I brought my neighbors running out of their houses when I received this in the mail, so I am very excited to finally read it! *happy dances* 

Bought: 

Enshadowed (Nevermore, #2) by Kelly Creagh 

I've been stalking Kelly Creagh's blog ever since I finished Nevermore, which was one of my favorite novels to release last year, so I am so excited to finally read this one! I know I'm going to love it, so I'm saving it for a rainy day when Edgar Allen Poe is exactly what I need! ;) 

Defiance (Defiance, #1) by C. J. Redwine 

I've been quite excited about this novel, mainly because it's a fantasy book with a beautiful cover, but I wasn't too impressed. I should have an official review of this up later this week though, so look out for that!

Spark (Elementals, #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

My copy of Spark came two days late, which naturally made me a very grumpy person. BUT, it finally arrived and I finished it within a few hours. I didn't enjoy it as much as Storm unfortunately, but it was still an amazing sequel!

Borrowed: 

Every Day by David Levithan 

I've heard a lot about David Levithan in the past, even though I haven't read any of his books yet, so I'm very curious to see what the hype about his novels are about! 

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna 

Goodness, I am so excited to read this! I've seen nothing but gushing reviews of this one and was so upset I didn't pre-order it, but my friend it letting me borrow it from her when she's finished with it and I can't wait to start it myself! :D

The Dark Light by Sara Walsh 

*fans self* Wow, just look at that cover! I actually hadn't heard of this one until two days back, but when I saw it in my library, I knew I had to pick it up. It sounds fantastic so I can't wait to read it! 

Well, that's all I got this week! I have some ARC Reviews coming in this month, namely Ironskin which will go up tomorrow, Shadowfell later this week, and Ashen Winter late next week, so keep your eyes peeled for those! :) What new lovelies did you snag this week?