Not bad, but there were some pretty standard second book issues. It dragged a bit as the plot was established, regarding Kestrel as a spy and her developing relationships with Verex and the Emperor. Plus, all the drama with her father. Honestly, I think there were some leaps of logic made by both Arin and Kestrel on the topic of "the dastardly deeds of the empire against Herran" that of course needed to be true to move the plot forwards, but were still questionable lines to draw. And I think the whole poison situation was super interesting as an idea and started well, but the "recovery" after it's discovery seemed to happen a bit too quickly. All in all though, not too poorly done as far as where we are left at the end. Kestrel broke under pressure and made questionable decisions (totally realistic, I liked that) that ended with her on the way to work camps (while her father did nothing??) and Arin is off to find new allies b/c he let himself be pushed away by Kestrel (though to be fair, she was pretty harsh, he had very little actual evidence of her feelings for him, and he gave her the benefit of the doubt for a long time - of course he ran off on a foolhardy mission to forget her and let go). We'll see where things so from here, but the third book is set up nicely.

This was a smooth wrap-up for this trilogy. The development of Risha's story and the cooperation b/w the East (Dacran) and Arin/Herran was a nice addition. I enjoyed Roshar's snark and also his role as a friend for Arin (who really needed one). Kestrel's memory loss situation was an interesting twist, give her the chance to relearn a relationship with Arin without all the complications of the lies in the past. though to be honest, that did very little to change Arin's side of things - that dude is a saint (he put up with so much, and I know love conquers all and everything, but HIS past isn't erased...how does he handle all the emotions around her?) and (again as with the last one) able to put together flying leaps of logic where Kestrel is concerned (thank goodness they all turn out to be true, or he'd look pretty crazy). I was very intrigued by some of the emotions and feelings that Kestrel had regarding the memory loss - he actual remembrance was limited, but her physical sensations (the size/shape of Arin's body, the sensation of safety with him) were all still there - what an insane way for your body to betray you, and how confusing for Kestrel to feel that way but not know why. I respect her efforts to wait to tall Arin about her feelings until she was sure, in order to give herself time to come to terms with everything. It must have been an almost impossible tangle/web to unweave (requiring an absurd amount of self-recognition). In the end though, I'm glad Verex and Risha ended up together and able to have their own lives, I liked where Arin and Kestrel's story goes and how they are able to relearn trust and love for each other. I liked the way forgiveness was handled as well, for Kestrel and her father, as well as Risha for Roshar - forgiveness is complicated and doesn't happen all at once. Similarly, I liked Verex's feelings about his father's death (even though the death itself was slightly far-fetched). An overall very enjoyable trilogy with some nice twists, a good love story, and a satisfying fairy-tale happy ending.

A sweeping story of the future that so poignantly shows us what can happen with the divide between science and religion/belief becomes to great cross, with definite commentary on social classes and the similarly impassible divides there. Honestly, with where things are in the world right now, I felt that this story was an incredibly accurate, and frightening, representation on what could happen. But beyond that, I just really enjoyed the story. It was such a well written YA novel - beautiful pacing and a language and story telling manner that respects the intelligence of the readers. I read some reviews that there was too much killing, gratuitous really, and I highly disagree. I think all the deaths, and the way they were carried out, played a necessary role in the development of the story, the characters, and especially Nemesis' own self-discovery and emotional growth. Tyrus as a character, at times, seemed a bit too good to be true (one of my larger complaints), but not quite to the point that it ruins the story with a lack of believably. Sidonia's relationship with Nemesis, from her side, was interestingly complicated - as she struggles to compromise her own feelings (freely felt) with the "forced" feelings on Nemesis' side. A very interesting development that I wish had been explored slightly more. Otherwise, the philosophical-ity of the story - religion vs science, class struggles, absolute ruling power, what is acceptable (as far as sacrifice) to get what you want or in the name of the greater good, and, essentially, can nature be over-ruled fully by nurture/can a genetically modified being overcome that and become her own person - delved into interesting questions and provided some compelling responses, if not full answers. I definitely enjoyed this read and (although it's ending was perhaps too happy/perfect to be real) respect the concerns that were presented by the author and the questions she raised. This is one of my favorite things about the current YA fantasy/dystopia/sci-fi genre and I hope that those who are reading it take what questions are raised and the conclusions that are reached and learn to apply those to our real lives, where those understandings of the "other" are, often, sorely lacking. Really an enjoyable read.

This was a really solid WW2 story. Honestly, I was not engaged with the plot to start, since it seemed to be opening up similar to many stories told about this time. I feel terrible saying that, since these novels, though their exact stories may be fictional, tell of the horror and suffering that millions endured. And to judge these re-tellings seems, in part, to be a judgement on their experiences. And that, no matter what I feel about the novel, could not be farther from the truth. As with any similar family saga of the age, I cried, sobbed really, all throughout. There is nothing, not even the type of repetition seen in this genre, that can lighten or detract from what happened to people during this piece of history. What Vianne suffered, both in regards to physical pain and emotional trauma, to her body and soul, what she saw happen to her friends, how fast her child(ren) had to grow up, and her own personal transformation into a person she never should have had to become to survive, is beyond imagination. No words can do it justice. But stories like this must be told. To show us what we can endure and help us remember, so that we do not let it happen again where it is within our ability to prevent. Isabelle's story was new, not the resistance fighting, but the escape route through the mountains that helped so many downed pilots escape. Overlooked perhaps because what are 117 lives saved in the grand scheme of WW2, but not a story that is often told - definitely not one I had come across before. Eye-opening and compelling. And the risks she took...whether in the end she truly believed it was worth it or not...are staggering. And Vianne's own risks, both small and then larger, are not one bit less extraordinary. It's the small things, the ones you don't think about, that truly belie the terror and horror. The inability to admit and show love, for REAL fear of loss or manipulation. The inability to trust anyone, at times even people you have known for years. The small, and large, daily cruelties (even when done with regret by those who see that it's wrong) that strip a subjugated people (forced to do unspeakable things to save and try to provide for their loved ones) of any dignity and, for most, take away the will to fight or defend themselves (or take away any semblance of choice in their lives) are what this story, and any like it, are about. And the indomitable spirit that some people have, to keep going, to fight on, until they can see the end. For Isabelle, that spirit turned out to be all she had. And when she saw the success, she had everything she had wanted, and let go, in that moment. And that hurts the most for a reader - to see someone fight so hard for so long and not have the strength to withstand the happiness when they "win." But for that character, that person, that's what they wanted. And they deserve it, after that kind of fight. And for Vianne, to let Ari/Daniel go, when everything was finally coming back together, another loss to live through even at the end...the heartbreak never ends. So yes, this was not my personal favorite re-telling, (I thought Sarah's Key was more compelling written and don't get me started on how hard The Bronze Horseman hit me), but the fact that I can sit here and write that from the comfort of my home...it's a commentary on the writing only, the author only. Because the stories represent more than that. And that is beyond reproach. The flashbacks to present are a slightly overused device, but were vague enough that I truly didn't know, until the very end, which sister was speaking, which was cool. I also enjoyed the symmetry of the sisters, both, eventually, helping but misleading the other for their safety. Beautiful family reality.

*As a note, I think there was a huge plot hole with the name the book - if Isabelle's true last name means Nightingale in French (and it does, I looked), using that as her code name is the dumbest possible thing to do. Even with her fake papers and her fake name, you cannot tell me that not a single person would think to check anyone with that last name and questions them. The Germans were nothing if not methodical. And her father freaking worked for them! It would be the same as if my name were "Maria Mariposa (the Spanish word for butterfly) and I was a thief who decided to call myself "The Butterfly" - wth? That's the kind of unfortunate oversight, because it sounds cool as a code name, that is overlooked and takes away from the depth and feeling of a story like this.*

Well that was just fantastic! A wonderful mix of the X-men, Buffy, Dr. Who and Jason Bourne, this pretty much had it all (unless you are looking for romance and some steamy sex scenes, then I'd recommend looking elsewhere). Lots of special powers (some more useful than others...), memory loss, secret government agencies, conspiracies, the modern day equivalent of human alchemists (those Grafters), and a really enjoyable story about trying to make it through days of really high level administrative and cover-up work with no idea who you are working with, for or against. I think the term usually reserved for humorous adventures of this type is swashbuckling...and though there are no pirates, I think the connotation of the word is still pretty appropriate. This book is hugely entertaining and incredibly well paced - information is slowly doled out (but not so slowly that you give up!) in a way that makes it hard not to keep turning pages. I loved the idea of an "administrative superpower" - even a mousy, overlooked Rook can, with enough time, prepare for her own complete memory wipe so thoroughly that the person that comes out on the other side can, albeit barely, muddle through without arousing too much suspicion (and in a world where the unnatural is a daily occurrence too!). There's an incredibly creative and mind behind this novel and I highly recommend it. And really I'd like to know where this book has been hiding and why I haven't really heard much about it... Plus, I love the name Myfanwy. What fun!

Gorgeous book. Breath-taking illustrations. And beautifully re-told mixing of Snow White (the all grown up version) and Sleeping Beauty (with a little twist). I loved the re-arrangement of the sleeping witch vs the birthday princess turned old lady. An old lady that saves the day. The power of names - no names are every revealed here, actually - a nod to old magic, and very cool. And really the ending. Just the perfect way to end a fairy tale...by not ending it at all. A young girl choosing to head to the east, away from home, towards another adventure. And one more time: those illustrations were on point.

Not bad. I was really unimpressed with the start. It was jumpy and seemed kind of thrown together. Then, the whole "I accept that I can do magic, am super special, and pledge to do only good" thing was just, a little forced and preemptive. And, likely my least favorite part of the beginning, was the "rift" between Brack and Tamarice, her only partially explained background that made her the way she was, and her split to be the big evil in the book. Just...it was too easy and fast for me to fully accept as a reader. I enjoyed Bristol being the fairy godmother that hides the princess and also her secret identities and "spy" work. Pretty create spin on Sleeping Beauty. The interweaving of that with a little Cinderella story (and Bristol being that fairy godmother as well) was also quite fun. The whole time traveling mother/father situation was a little strange to me. I kind of skipped past it and almost pretended it didn't happen, cause I didn't really like it. I did enjoy the relationship between Bristol and Anthony, his childhood obsession and what that turned into (a little creepy, but not overly so). Anthony's finding his own stone was a little too perfect of an ending for me, but their getting rid of the elicrin stones at the end, choosing love and mortality, not a bad fairy tale ending. Relatedly, I cannot believe Charles died and that's how the Cinderella storyline ended. So unexpected (and sad) a twist, so credit to the author for that. Gorgeous cover. Overall, nice standalone read in a genre that too heavily tends towards a trilogy, this was light and entertaining, but definitely not my favorite.

In all fairness to this book, I read it during a particularly difficult week. And so while probably I should have been trying to read something a little more upbeat or cheesy to offset that, I read this instead. And the themes are beautiful, but heavy, and perhaps hit a little too close to home for me. And maybe a balked at it a bit. So thus, the 3 stars instead of the 4 I might have given it on any other week. The American Dream. That's what this book really comes down to - how that is interpreted, what people imagine it to be, and what it really is. And that's different for everyone. For some, it's habing an abundance of money/possessions. For some, it's education. For some, enlightenment that the "American Dream" is a bunch of hooey. For some, it's the chance to even try for those things. And in general, it turns out that a great job, a family, lots of money, and real understanding of the world, all those things should equal happiness, they are the pinnacle of that dream. But maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be. Everyone who looks like that have it, or have it all, they are still always missing something. And when do we realize that what we are reaching for is not the answer? For Clark, it took his wife's, essentially, suicide, for him to realize that family needed to be higher on his priorities, that money didn't solve everything. For Jende, he sacrificed some family stability and trust on the decision that his attempt to be in America was more trouble than it was worth, that cutting his losses (and, truly, counting his gains) and moving back to his home country was the right move. For Neni, she really struggled with how much sacrifice being in America was worth to her - and she almost sacrificed her entire family for that dream - but in the end decided not to. And for Cindy, things just got too out of hand; her previous trauma and the face she put on to hide that and her own insecurity from the world became too much to handle and she let it all go. Vince straight up left the country altogether, because his disillusionment with the American Dream was so strong. For each of these characters, their struggles to find and achieve that dream were so individual, so different, from such diverse backgrounds, and yet, in the end, a product of pursuing the same end goal. Masterfully connected and written. Truly an amazing story and telling. And hella timely. I recognize and respect all of that wholeheartedly - I just wish that same disillusionment wasn't hitting me right now. Sometimes books really just tell us the stories we already know...too well.

This was a gorgeously paced re-telling of Achilles story, from a viewpoint I haven't experienced before. The author really delves into the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus - where is all began, how it evolved, the opposition from many (in particular Thetis, Achilles' immortal mother), and it's ending. It was a beautiful exploration of opposites attracting, of their individual strengths holding up the other in their times of need or when in danger of falling short. All the same drama, adventure, and glory that one expects from Achilles' tale are parts of this telling. There is nothing missing from the traditional. But there is so much more. There is such a deep look at the man Achilles' was, an insight into him as a person, his pride, his faults, his quest for happiness AND renown; his perfection of movement and skill in battle are there, and honored, but he becomes so much more. The facets of who he was beneath that warrior front and how, in the end, his greatest tales and the songs sung of him are born from his own moment of greatest pain and sorrow, the loss of the only and greatest love in his life. It made reading this story, the ending of which everyone knows already, so much harder to bear than expected. As someone else said - going in knowing the ending already, you will be surprised how much you'll hope for something to be different and how much you care when it turns out just the way it always does. Your heart breaks for the reality of these characters. Just a really intriguing and personal take (not least because it's told in the words of that greatest love, with words of pure adoration, even through disappointments) on a tale that never fails to entertain. There is so much heart in this novel.

So Throne of Glass one wasn't all that impressive - generally overdone, in my opinion. But I decided to give it a chance because ACOTR was ok but ACOMF literally blew me out of the water. And I figured, maybe this series will do that too, maybe that's where all the accolades are from, cause after the first book I just didn't get it. Well, this didn't even come close to ACOMF, but it was so so much better that the first. I enjoyed the continued character development of the triangle between Celaena, Chaol and Dorian - I respect the inclusion of a love triangle whose edges are super defined (as in, the girl has clearly picked). It is a relatively newer take on an old story - with one party working to "get over it" after the lines are drawn, but the tension stays and can still affect the story line. The whole betrayed by a loved one plot line is frustratingly overdone, but I realize I read a lot of books in the genre and maybe that's why I feel that way. It's an overused device for a reason. (Again, ACOMF is just so much better in this regard - the triangle is over with before the reader even knew it was there - SO refreshing). And I'm glad the whole "Celaena is the heir of Terrasen and lynchpin to everything" plot line is uncovered so that we can get over the excessive foreshadowing. However, if she always does something crazy on the same date every year, related to her parents deaths, and it's not a secret, how the hell did no one figure anything out earlier?? I mean, Nehemia did (cause, of course she did, she somehow knows everything...), which explains why she was willing to sacrifice herself to get Celaena involved (and also why she kept it secret), but really, no one else?? The Wyrdkey vs magic mutually exclusive existence thing is an interesting development, as is how Celaena's past had remained hidden and Dorian's sudden abilities. Nehemia's death was sad, but I'm a little glad she's gone. She is too easy a character to have - the answer to everything character - and I think that takes away from the author's ability to reveal information in more creative ways. Plus, I'm glad the "big loss" referred to was her and not Chaol, phew. Archer was an interesting and totally reasonable "bad guy" (I say that because, honestly, I feel like compared to the current king he would be better - maybe a chaotic good, but better than all bad). Interesting matter of perspective. But his handling on Nehemia's death, knowing how Grave worked, was, truly, unforgivable. Definitely not just a "bridge" book between the beginning of the story and the end - great new information and plots came to light here in their own right. All in all, much better follow up than where is started and I'm definitely pretty intrigued to see where things go now.