Series review: The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Bloodfever (Fever #2) by Karen Marie Moning
Released: October 2007
Publisher: Delacourt Press
Reason for reading: Continuation of a series

Other books in the series: Darkfever, Faefever, Dreamfever. Shadowfever

Series rating: 4/5

**This is a review of books 2-5 in the series, my review of Darkfever can be found here**

Goodreads description of Bloodfever:

I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . .

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.

My thoughts:

As soon as I finished Darkfever I realised I needed to read the next one which I immediately got for my Kindle. It's weird, because reading the first book, I did have a lot of misgivings but I can safely say that this series is one of my favourite Urban Fantasy series' ever. I love the take on the Fae in this book, it's a little different from most interpretations and is really interesting.

My favourite thing about this series has to be the interactions between Barrons and Mac. They are so...multi-layered and complicated. There's an undercurrent of sexual tension with every conversation and this becomes more pronounced as the books progress. I loved wondering how they felt about each other, trying to find a hidden, or sometimes, not so hidden message in the words they exchanged. I loved their silent conversations; how they knew each other so well they could could interact non-verbally. They have to be one of my favourite character pairings ever. I really liked how their story arc turned out and the revelations that we had-and didn't have-about Barrons. I loved watching the change of attitudes that the two had towards one another and the gradual acceptance that came from so much time spent together. One of my only issues was that I found them so distracting I was often impatient to get to their next encounter and not always enjoying the rest of the plot in between!

Mac's character development across the series is outstanding. She goes from being a naive and quite annoying girl to a strong, capable and independent woman, fully able to fight her own battles and make her own choices. The things she did and the events that occured and what happened to her affected her character in a way that felt truly organic. I liked the explanation of her nature at the end of series that helped explain where some of her character changes came from. I liked how, at the end, she became a happy medium between the girl she was and the girl she became. She was lovable and fun but also hard and firm and wise. It was really interesting to see the parts of herself collide and combine across the series. 

I think the other characters are fantastic as well; the story is all about Barrons and Mac but V'lane certainly makes his mark and even Darroc has an interesting story arc. I loved the inclusion of Dani; a sort of surrogate sister for Mac. I loved how her character developed and the revelations we had about her, although I felt her story wasn't as complete as it could have been (although I have just discovered she features in the book Iced, so that now makes sense). I thought so many secondary characters such as all the fae, the sidhe-seers and the druids etc might confuse the story but they really didn't. I think the Dreamy Eyed Guy was one of my favourite characters. 

The ending of book 3 is when this series got serious for me. I just...was not expecting it to go down that way. I finished Faefever at 1am and I was just in shock. If I'd finished it earlier I would have started the next one immediately but I really needed to sleep! I really didn't know what was going to happen in the aftermath of that ending. I felt similarly about the ending of book 4, only worse! I literally could not believe what had happened. I found myself barely concentrating on book 5, unable to enjoy it until that particular plot element was explained. I also loved the almost post-apocalyptic feel that the latter half of this series had; it really added to the atmosphere and gave the story a grittier, more realistic feel. 

I found this series so riveting I just could not stop reading. I never guessed any of the plot twists and feel that this is one of the most surprising, most unpredictable, most enjoyable series I have read in a while. I was set a little on edge by the treatment of women (namely Mac) in this series. Sex is used as a weapon A LOT which was something I was not entirely comfortable with. It was also used in other ways that made me equally uncomfortable. A lot of the characters are very possessive of and domineering towards Mac which was something else I was not happy with. Mac did stand alone in this series and was clever in refusing to fully trust or ally herself with a particular person or group for the most part, but I felt that that led to her being constantly manipulated, lied to, ordered around and objectified in a way I wasn't too happy with. This is mostly why I deducted a point from my overall rating of the series. 

TL;DR: Despite my initial reaction to Darkfever; this series is far and away one of my favourites of its genre. With plotlines that left me constantly guessing and characters that take stereotypes and mould them into something new and interesting, the Fever series was an emotional and gripping ride. I urge anyone who loves urban fantasy to give it a read. 

Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning
Release: 28th August 2007 (This UK edition)
Publisher: Dell (This UK edition)
Source: Library
Reason for reading: Nearly due back!
Rating: 3/5

Goodreads description:

"My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I'm a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.

My philosophy is pretty simple - any day nobody's trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven't had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there's not a sidhe-seer alive who's had a good day since then."

When MacKayla's sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death - a cryptic message on Mac's cel phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Ma is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae...

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysteriou Jericho...while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands....

My thoughts:

I requested this a month ago in the midst of my urban fantasy kick. It's clearly very popular because by the time I got it I had moved onto historical fiction. Not wanting to return a book I'd specially requested unread, I decided to give it a go. I knew barely anything about it aside from that it was urban fantasy and very popular and therefore wasn't sure what to expect.

The first thing that grated on me was the writing style. I hate that sorta omniscient looking-back-from-the-future style (please tell me there's a better name for that?) where the narrator starts sentences with ominous phrases like 'Little did I know' and 'Later I would come to realise'. I find it pulls me right out the plot and makes me feel like I'm reading an author's work rather than a character's story. That perpetuated throughout the whole novel and I did not like it. 

The other thing I was not a fan of was that at first, the characters seemed very cookie-cutter. There was the naive, sweet girl who knew nothing about the world she'd blundered into and the dark, brooding, give-nothing-away, borderline-abusive man she meets and inevitably exchanges barbs and information with.

Mac...annoyed me. I tried not to dislike her. I'm doing this new thing where I try really hard to like female MC's cause sometimes I feel like we're all so women-hating, especially when we are them...but I couldn't help it. She was so silly and stupid and vapid and childish. Blundering around this world she knew nothing about, talking about things she knew nothing of and I wanted to hit her. A little bit.  I felt the plot mirrored its main character in that, for a while, it didn't really seem to go anywhere. I was starting to get disappointed.

Eventually though, just as I was about to abandon all hope, the plot did get going. I liked the whole mystery aspect of it; the dual story of finding out what happened to Alina and also finding out more about the whereabouts and the story behind the Book. There was more action towards the end which I liked, culminating in the obligatory female main character being completely pulverized and put back together by the male main character. Suddenly, it wasn't easy to hate Mac anymore and I found myself starting to like her and her determination and, whilst she still blundered around, at least she never fully trusted anyone she encountered, which is totally smart. 

I'll admit, I did expect Mac and Barrons to get together. The introduction of V'lane did make me anticipate a love triangle and I rolled my eyes at the hate-hate relationships, waiting for the chapter when one of the stories evolved into the love it was inevitably going to. I was pleasantly surprised by how that element of the plot progressed and I enjoyed the little half-moment between Mac and Barrons near the very end. 

TL;DR: Whilst this book wasn't all I expected it to be and whilst I am a little apprehensive about the treatment of women in the story; namely the abusive behaviour that came  from all angles, the ending was intriguing enough to make me get the second one for my Kindle. Whilst its far from my favourite urban fantasy first book, I have high hopes for the rest of the series. 

Review: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
Released: 7th March 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Puffin (UK)
Source: Bought
Reason for reading: I like New Orleans (and I needed a book for the BOGOHP offer in Waterstones....)
Rating: 5/5 

Goodreads description:

Out of the Easy is set against the vivid backdrop of 1950s New Orleans. Written by New York Times bestselling author Ruth Sepetys, this novel has something for everyone: love, mystery, murder, blackmail and warmth.

Josie Moraine wants out of The Big Easy - she needs more than New Orleans can offer. Known locally as a brothel prostitute's daughter, she dreams of life at an elite college, far away from here.

But then a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie caught between her ambition and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans is luring Josie deeper in as she searches for the truth, and temptation beckons at every turn.

My thoughts:

Out of the Easy was one of those books I heard about, thought looked interesting and promptly dismissed. Because it wasn’t quite interesting enough, because I had too much to read, because of all those other reasons I dismiss books in a split second. But my brain kept coming back and lingering over this one and then when I was looking for a second book for the Buy One Get One Half Price offer in Waterstones I thought “what the heck, I’ll get it” and let me tell you, I am so glad I did.

Josie was such a wonderful character, I loved that we saw her at such a young age because it really lent to her character as an older girl. To see what she lived through and was like when she was practically a baby was really sad, but seeing what she grew into was so inspiring. She could have easily gone the same way as her mother and the women she spent time with but she didn't. She was so determined to get out of New Orleans and make something of herself and live the life that she wanted to lead rather than the one she felt pressing on her from all angles.

I think Willy was my second favourite character. It was clear she really cared for Josie, even if she didn't always say it directly. I loved her disdain for Josie's mother and that it was clear that Josie was her first priority. In fact, I loved the support system Josie had around her. Despite her unconventional upbringing and lifestyle, she was surrounded by people that only wanted the best for her, and unfortunately, the one person who didn't care about her, who didn't want what's best for Josie, her mother, the one person who SHOULD have cared, was the one who managed to screw everything up.

The New Orleans setting really lent itself to the story; not only was it very atmospheric but you had the difference between the urine-soaked and bottle-strewn streets of the French Quarter and the opulent neighbourhoods lived in by the rich residents. It was a juxtaposition between where Josie was and where she wanted to be. The rich/poor divide was so clear and so disheartening but Josie never gave up, even when she knew her shoes were scuffed and her blouse was faded and her skirt wasn't the latest fashion. What I also loved about Josie was that she never forsook her principles; she never went back on what she believed in to get where she wanted, even when it seemed like she was heading down that slippery slope. 

At one point I felt like it was just not going to get any better. The story was getting worse and worse and it looked as though Josie was going to be stuck in New Orleans, the daughter of a whore, forever. It sounds weird to say this but I liked how it was such a tragedy that led to her second chance. It was such a bittersweet outcome to the story. 

TL;DR: Out of the Easy was a heartbreaking yet inspiring read. It's the story of a girl overcoming almost insurmountable odds to get the life she dreams of having. Beautifully written and set against the backdrop of evocative New Orleans this is a story that will stay with you for a long time after you finish. 

You can win your very own copy of Out of the Easy or Code Name Verity, giveaway is open internationally, simply fill in the Rafflecopter widget

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Memory Lane Monday [10]

Welcome to another edition of Memory Lane Monday. The idea behind this feature is to take a nostalgic stroll along the bookshelves of my past, looking at those books I've loved since I was a small(er) girl. 

Today is 2 books instead of one! Ooooh ;) But these are books I've been having nostalgic feelings about for a while and tried to resist re-reading until I thought "Actually, I'm gonna read them" so I borrowed them off a friend and am so glad I did:

Cuckoo in the Nest and A Spoonful of Jam by Michelle Magorian

Both are set in post-war England and follow the same family, the Hollis'. In the first book we see Ralph, who desperately wants to be an actor but has to fight against the wishes of his father, his social class and numerous other obstacles to do so. The sequel follows his sister, a smart girl who is tormented by bullies every day for a seemingly unknown reason.

Both books focus on the struggles faced not just by the individual, but by their family and by their class and by Britain as a whole following the second world war. They are heart-wrenching but also so feel-good and delightful. Sometimes when you re-read books from your younger years they don't measure up to your memory; but these absolutely do and I am so glad I re-read them. 

Have you read these books? If so, what did you think? And, can you recommend me anything similar?

With GFC leaving us soon, please: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Five Friday Favourites [2]

Five Friday Favourites is a new, regular feature on The Cait Files where myself or another blogger will share their Five Favourites of a particular bookish category. Be it favourite books ever, favourite characters, favourite contemporary novels, whatever you fancy!

Today I have the lovely Lucy from Queen of Contemporary....3 guesses as to what category she chose ;)

As my blog is called Queen of Contemporary, it's a little bit obvious that I'm a lover of contemporary fiction. I've chosen to talk about my five favourite contemporary YA novels today and I'm hoping that some of you will pick up some recommendations.

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt is one of my favourite contemporaries. It's incredibly cute and sweet, something I think that all contemporaries should include. Skin Deep is about a girl called Jenna who is in a car crash and the novel explores Jenna coming to terms with the acccident, through her point of view and Ryan's, the other protagonist. Laura Jarratt is one of my favourite UKYA authors and I'll read whatever she writes.

From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas is a really fun and fascinating novel. Because of this novel, I've really grown to love road trip novels and the changing perspectives was a really great addition.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is one of the most popular contemporaries, in my opinion, and I have fallen completely in love with it. Set in Paris, it's no surprise that this is a love story. Sent away to school in Paris by her father, Anna Oliphant then meets the charming Etienne St. Clair. It's safe to say that I fell head over heels for Etienne. Maybe that's why I love this book so much...

Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning was a really quick read for me. I spent all night reading it and then kept trying to give it to anyone that would listen to me. It's another travel book and was also partly set in Paris. Can you see a trend here..?

And finally....Undone by Cat Clarke. This book made me cry so much and it's an incredibly emotional and poignant read. It kept me captivated throughout and I couldn't put it down. This is another one of my favourite UKYA books.

Thank you, Cait!

Thanks so much Lucy! Wonderful recommendations. I absolutely adore Anna and I swear I WILL read a Cat Clarke book this year!

If you'd like to be featured on my Five Friday Favourites posts, please email me: caitlinhlomasATgmailDOTcom - I'd love to hear from you :)

Review: Graceling by Kristen Cashore

Graceling by Kristin Cashore 
Released: 22nd January 2009 (UK)
Publisher: Gollancz (UK)
Source: Library book
Reason for reading: Recommended by everyone
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads synopsis:

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king...

My thoughts:

I was really pleasantly surprised by Graceling. I wasn't expecting much which is why I took it out of the library instead of buying it for myself. I quite like it when you go into a book sceptical and end up devouring it, completely absorbed by the story and the characters. I loved Katsa, she was the epitome of an independent female; physically strong and skilled, intelligent and resourceful and of course, a little prickly. Po, at first I was obsessed with how stupid his name was, but I quickly got over that. He was so patient with Katsa which I liked. Most people seemed to view her as either an amusement, a pest or someone to avoid in terror, but Po really liked her for who she is and I liked that.

 I was really intrigued by the plot, I thought it was going one way and then it changed and evolved several times in a really interesting way. I loved the whole journey aspect of it. It was really interesting to see so much of the country they lived in in such an organic way. I enjoyed watching the developing relationship between Katsa and Po; the roller coaster of emotions that were faced by them...well, mostly by Katsa. It was interesting to watch her process her own emotional journey, she learnt so much about herself and her interactions with others and I like those sorts of journeys. 

What I liked the most about the story, I think, was watching Katsa's relationship with Bitterblue. They went on a literal and a metaphorical journey; travelling such a long and treacherous distance and learning so much about themselves and each other. It was a great way to see how much Katsa had developed as a person; old Katsa would probably have left Bitterblue and saved herself; new Katsa put Bitterblue before herself in every situation. 

I really liked the big build up of the story, I all of a sudden thought "I know what will happen here" and it did and I was just so...dismayed. Like I could feel my heart sinking into my stomach, which then dropped down to my knees. How could this have happened after such a journey? It just wasn't fair! And then, for the whole thing to be over so quickly....I was shocked. But in a good way like, I couldn't believe it was over so quickly and simply. I liked that though; normally I would have been disappointed but I just loved the characters so much and wanted it to go well for them. 

It helped that the real challenge came later. What happened towards the end was so tragic, but the way it was handled was so wonderful. There needs to be sacrifice in stories sometimes in order to be realistic. It was a little bit of a bittersweet ending, but I'm happy with it. 

TL;DR: Graceling was a surprising novel for me and it really kickstarted my enjoyment of fantasy. A richly detailed world surrounding a wonderful story and realistic and likeable characters. I enjoyed it so much I bought my own copy. 

With GFC leaving us soon, please: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Released: 6 Febraruy 2012 (UK)
Publisher: Egmonst (UK)
Source: Bought
Reason for reading: Recommended by every author I adore
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads description:

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

My thoughts:

When all your favourite authors recommend a book, you read it. Even if you’re not sure it’s your thing. Even if you lent it to your mum and she couldn’t get passed the first chapter. Even if you’ve forgotten how much you actually love books set during WWII.

Code Name Verity was one of those books where, having read the first few pages, I could tell it was something special. It grabbed my attention easily and I felt like it was one of those books I was going to have a strong reaction to. I loved the way the story evolved; it starts off at what you think must be the end because where can you go from there? But the plot developed and changed and became so much more, which is amazing when it was so much to begin with.

The narration was so rich, considering it was a retelling of a sequence of events for the most part it was so rich in detail and so enjoyable which was mildly unnerving when you remember the situation. I loved how it was ever so slightly meta; how Queenie comments about the story she’s telling and comments about the story during the story and manipulates the events because she can’t remember them or because they work better this other way.

It was the shift that got me because, until then, I thought I knew how it was going to play out and then, suddenly, it was so different and unpredictable and everything made more sense which was amazing because it made sense anyway, but now it made MORE sense and everything suddenly had more meaning. This book has one of the most intricate plots ever and it was so brazen. It totally mirrors the attitude of one of the MC’s; so obvious that you miss what was there and what was going on.

There was this one moment that just hit me so hard and I just had to put the book down for a moment and just absorb what had happened because it was so impactful. That basically never happens to me and I just really desperately wanted it to have not happened and yet so amazed that it had happened.

I love how the story was mostly about friendship and overcoming adversity and while there was *some* romance (I think there’s debate over how much) it by no means drove or watered down the story.

TL;DR: Code Name Verity is one of the most masterful, absorbing and emotional books I have ever read. Set against the backdrop of a time of upheaval and horror, the WWII setting really adds to the ambiance of the story and develops the already admirable and lovable characters in ways that make you root for them even more. It's safe to say this Allied Invasion of Two will be in my head and my heart for a long time. 

I am giving away a copy of either Code Name Verity or Out of the Easy. Giveaway open internationally, simply enter via the Rafflecopter widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

With GFC leaving us soon, please: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

April Wrap up

I cannot believe it's May already. One minute it was February and I was thinking about taking a little blogging break and the next minute I turn around and 2 months have gone!

Books I read in April:

A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison (3*)

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill (3*)

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs (4*)

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs (4*)

River Marked by Patricia Briggs (3*)

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan (4*)

Ketchup Clouds by Annabelle Pitcher (3*)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (4*)

Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt (3*)

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (5*)

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (5*)

Cuckoo in the Nest by Michelle Magorian (re-read)

Books acquired in April:

Bought:

What Really Happened in Peru (The Bane Chronicles #1) by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

I bought it, I read it, it was marvellously funny. 

Aaaand that's it! I did pretty well for buying books in April, partly to make up for the fair few I bought in Feb and March and partly to get some of my TBR down. I've also been utilising my library a lot more recently which is good

Borrowed:

A Cuckoo in the Nest, A Spoonful of Jam and Back Home by Michelle Magorian

Three of my favourite books as a young teen! I've re-read the first two and am currently on the 3rd...I love them! Thanks to my good friend Laura for lending me these

Favourite book(s) of April:

I think it's pretty clear from the ratings...Code Name Verity and Out of the Easy! These were both books I never thought I'd enjoy but really, really did. CNV I bought because literally ALL my favourite authors recommended it on Twitter and OotE because I LOVE books set in New Orleans (and I needed another book for my buy one get one half price in Waterstones ;) ) 

And, because I loved these books so much, I am going to do a giveaway for them!

One winner will get their choice of either Code Name Verity or Out of the Easy! Giveaway is open internationally (anywhere TBD ships to), simply complete the Rafflecopter widget below 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why I Love Urban Fantasy

Hallo loves,

I bet you've all been wondering where I got to? Truth was, I just wasn't feeling blogging anymore. I thought maybe I'd quit for good, but I wasn't sure, so I just...left, for a while.

 Instead, I was hiding out and reading whatever the hell I wanted. And what I wanted to read, apparently, was urban fantasy.  I've said it before on the blog, but I used to love UF when I was younger, but I haven't read as much of it in recent years. Mostly because a lot of it is adult and I have been on a massive YA kick. I wish there were more YA urban fantasy series'. If anyone can recommend anything, seriously, do. (I've read Strange Angels, Sarah Rees Brennan's books, The Demon Trapper's Daughter books...prolly some others I can't think of off the top of my head...)

So anyway, I've been reading UF. I devoured the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews which OMFG I adored. It's gonna be a long wait for book 6 (and they appaz are no longer published in the UK, sob) and I read the first 4 of the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, the first 6 Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs and the first 2 Chicagoland Vampires books by Chloe Neil.

I figured that instead of reviewing allllll these books, I'd do a post about why I love UF so much instead:

1. Girls

Now this (probably) isn't true for all UF, but most of what I read is written by female authors with female protags. I like this. I'm female, I like reading about females. I like reading about males too, but female protags always have a special place in my heart.

2. Awesome girls

So not only does UF have girls in, it has awesome girls. Girls who can stand up for themselves, who do stand up for themselves and who are strong, independent and capable. They fight for themselves and what they believe in and who they love. They arent self-sacrificing; they want to live, but if they're going down, it ain't without a fight.

3. Plotlines

 UF have MUCH better plotlines IMO than their PNR counterparts. There's more mysteries to solve, evil to battle, obstacles to overcome. While I do like a bit of romance in my books, I am much more about the plot. 

4. The Obstacles

The best books are those where there's something for the characters to overcome...and you don't know how, or even IF, they will overcome it. This can be ANYTHING of course, but in UF it is *usually* a life or death kinda sitch. Then you have the whole planning, gearing up for battle and the tension of "OMG who is gonna die, someone is definitely dying, there is no way they're all making it out of here alive" which is both terrifying and exhilarating 

5. Personal Growth

Again, this happens in a lot of books, but I especially like the theme of it in UF. It usually starts off with a tough-as-nails heroine, who slowly comes to recognise that life is much better with people that you love and care about and can depend upon and builds herself a network of unusual but loyal friends. I like that. 

So there we have it...my five favourite things about UF. If you like UF, what do you like about it? What books and series' are your favourites? If you DON'T like it, has my post inspired you to maybe give it a go?

As I'm sure you're all aware, GFC will be vanishing in July. So I would appreciate it if you would:
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood
Released: 8 January 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Penguin
Source: Received for review
Reason for reading: Everyone raved about it when it released in the US last year
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

Everybody thinks Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave. Then Cate finds her mother's diary, and uncovers a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. But if what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe--not even from each other.

My thoughts:

Born Wicked was a book everyone read and loved when it was released in America last year. I decided to wait for the paperback release but then Penguin fortunately decided to publish it over here. It was a book I always had a feeling I'd enjoy and, fortunately, I did. At first, I wasn't too sure about our version of the cover, but I've warmed to it. 

Born Wicked is set during the Victorian era in America, but the alternative history setting makes it more interesting than any historical fiction book I've read. I loved the subtle changes, some positive, most alarming, that made me feel like I was learning about a whole new world instead of my own several hundred years ago. I liked how Jessica Spotswood sort of twisted the idea of Puritans settling in the States to build to her world, it was a clever move. 

Cate Cahill is the narrator of our story, but interestingly enough, didn't always feel like the star of it. I have such conflicted feelings about Cate. On one hand, I loved her dedication to her sisters; her level of self-sacrifice and her willingness to do whatever it took to keep them safe. On the other hand, I found her so infuriating at times! It's interesting, because she actually isn't the smartest or the brightest of her sisters. She says and does things that made me groan with frustration because they just weren't smart. She's clearly not one for strategy or forward-thinking. Normally, when you have a story about prophecy, it tends to be sorta obvious who it's about and at first I thought "well, obviously it's Cate" but the more I read, the more I wondered. Because of her tight leash on her sisters, you're never really sure what they can do, who is the strongest, who knows the most magic...and the prophecy is quite open-ended which leaves a lot of room for speculation. 

I liked how the 3 sisters were all really different. Maura and Cate stole the show a little bit from young Tess, but I think she may be my favourite. Maura was so volatile, so passionate but unpredictable that I felt a bit uncomfortable about her.  Weirdly enough, my favourite character was actually Sachi. There's a girl who knows how to be shrewd. She was cunning and clever and entirely not what I, or Cate, expected.

The love story element of this book is really interesting and for me, unusual. When Paul is first introduced into the story it seems quite a cut-and-dry plot line; but the introduction of Finn definitely shakes things up. A great portrayal of a long, simmering relationship verses an intense attraction and at first I was surprised the result, but not unpleasantly so. Both boys were fairly normal in the sense they weren't devastatingly attractive, strong, fearless and supernatural and this was very appealing. They fitted in well with the ideas of the story and the world it was set in.

About three quarters of the way through the tension, the stakes and the pacing really picked up for me. I could see how everything was going to unfold, how it should have unfolded, and the difference between that and what actually happened was so painful to experience. The false hope delivered, the way it seemed like everything was going to go just fine, only for it to be torn to shreds so easily and stupidly was almost unbearable to read. My heart was breaking for nearly every character by the time I turned the final page.

TL;DR: Born Wicked is a gem of a novel. A careful and accomplished story set in an alternative history that is both subtly chilling and highly realistic. 


Unrelated side note: where have I been? The screen on my laptop broke and the shop took a ridiculous 2 weeks to fix it. But I'm back, I hope ;)