Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston Book Review

This is a spoiler free review.

Ahsoka

Written by E.K. Johnston

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction/Star Wars

Publisher: Disney LucasFilm Press

Release Date: October 11, 2016

Pages: 400

Source: Library

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 14 and up!

Summary:

Fans have long wondered what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clone Wars, and before she re-appeared as the mysterious Rebel operative Fulcrum in Rebels. Finally, her story will begin to be told. Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa, and the Rebel Alliance….

Review:

E.K. Johnston is a brilliant writer. I have only read A Thousand Nights by her but I already really enjoy her writing style. Yes, this is a completely different type of book that she is writing but I can still see some of her other writing style. I love the Star Wars movies and am a big fan of the universe and a friend recommended this book to me so naturally I checked it out from my local library.

COVER

This is a good cover for a Star Wars book. It is simple and the main character is very clearly seen on the front so if you don’t know what she looks like, then you have a perfect representation on the front to gaze at.

WORLD-BUILDING

I needed the world-building. Despite being an avid Star Wars fan, I do not know everything and I sure didn’t know Ahsoka was. Giving me a little bit of background on the whole story was greatly appreciated. I also liked how they gave me some info about the planets and their place and importance in the overall story which was a blessing. I enjoyed learning about what the galaxy was like at the current moment that this book took place.

Then there are the characters.

AHSOKA

This book is honestly filled with female empowerment. Ahsoka is the main character who used to be a Jedi and was in fact Anakin’s padawan until recently. She revoked her Jedi membership and has been living on a planet with a family until she escapes on the day that Imperial troops take over. She has to move from place to place because of the ultimate threat of the Imperial troops who have occupied many a planet and moon. She is strong in so many ways. Both physically and emotionally. She has to convince herself to do some things that she doesn’t want to do because she is worried what others will think or do. But in the end she pulls through. I really liked how strong she was and what a good example of strength in females she was showing.

KAEDEN

Kaeden was someone that Ashoka developed a strong attachment to. I really liked Kaeden. Oh and diversity because I believe that she was in fact gay. [Not positive but still] I really enjoyed her character because although she wasn’t familiar with a lot that was going on around her and on her planet, she still put up a fight and did what she thought was right even if it wasn’t. She was another strong female character without all the badass skills of Ahsoka. She didn’t give in to pressure and didn’t give up hope. I loved her.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

Family is something that is constantly questioned by this book. Ahsoka questions if she needs a family or if she should have one. But nevertheless, she often gains a family who are definitely not by blood. I was really happy that this book decided to explore her special relationship with all the people she met and showed that even a Jedi could consider having a family. [As most of you know, love is frowned upon for Jedis]

PLOT

The plot was interesting, partly because I'm a Star Wars fan but I was so happy to get more information into the world that I so love. We got to see new planets and new areas of the galaxy, as well as new people. I loved getting to see everything from a new point of view and the plot was very interesting, with twists and turns that you may never see coming.

ROMANCE

There was no romance in this book and yet there was the possibility of romance which I was really disappointed that E.K. Johnston didn't take. Now, it would not have been the normal romance that you and I all know of. It would have been between Kaeden and Ashoka and ugh, I wanted it so bad. But sadly, no go. :(

It was still a good book without romance and it was a refreshing breather to not have any in a book.

WRITING

The writing was good. As usual, I really enjoy E.K. Johnston's writing because it has a certain, almost lyrical way about it and this was no different.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This book is something that I would pick up, only if you have previous knowledge of the Star Wars universe. Going into this one with no knowledge would not be a good idea. That being said, it was an amazing book. I loved the characters, the storyline, and the world. It was amazing and everyone who has the chance should try this book out.

Quotes from the Book:

None

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

Weekly Update: 1/2 - 1/16 Two Week Update!!

I have decided to start doing a weekly post called weekly recap where I update you on my life, reading and watching. Plus any posts I have done or will do.

This week was fairly productive. I mean, school-wise. I am still trying to get on top of my schoolwork and balance it with my blogging, which so far is a work in progress. If I ever have a day where I have no school-work, I make sure to do some blogging or planning at least. But most days, I am struggling to keep up with schoolwork so that is why I am usually only posting during the weekends.

I do have three, three day weekends this month which is fun. I am almost done with my first one which wasn't that productive in terms of writing but I did watch some tv. [Sherlock was lit but also terrifying. This show is so freaking scary. I can't even tell you. I really hope they make a season 5]

Now, let's get into recapping cause I have two weeks to recap :)

New Books

Purchased:

Library: 

Received for Review: 

In Case You Missed It

December '16 Wrap Up
January Books on my Shelf '17
2017 Movies That I Am Pumped For
Winterspell by Claire Legrand Book Review
Winter 2017 Most Anticipated Books
Frostblood by Elly Blake Book Review
2017 Challenges

This Week I Read

  

  

Next Week I'm Reading

Upcoming Reviews

Upcoming Posts

Monday:  Weekly Update

Tuesday: NONE

Wednesday: NONE

Thursday: Ahsoka Book Review

Friday: 2016 Favorite Songs

Saturday: TBD

Sunday: TBD

Around the Blog Community

Tracy over at Cornerfolds did an audiobook review of Reign of Shadows

Nick over at Nick and Nereyda's Infinite Booklist did a review of The Cursed Queen

Cait over at Paperfury did a review of Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Bekka over at Pretty Deadly Reviews did a review of Caraval by Stephanie Garber

2017 CHALLENGES!!!

Hey guys! I have not posted my challenges yet but I have so many to post so here they all are combined into one convenient post. I will be tracking my progress on my challenge page and at the end of each month or every quarter. 

Here are the challenges that I plan to be a part of. 

1. New Release Challenge 

Hosted by: Unconventional Bookviews

The rules are: 

1. Books have to be released and reviewed in 2017

2. Books can count towards more than one challenge, as long as the ones you use for the 2017 New Release Reading Challenge qualify to the other rules

3. The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages, it can be in any format though, physical, e-book, ARC or audiobook. 

The level that I am doing is: Level 1 which is 1-30 books [New Release Newbie]

2. NetGalley Challenge 

Hosted by Katrina @Bookish Things

The rules are: 

1. Challenge will run from Jan 1, 2017 - Dec 31, 2017

2. Any genre, release date, request date, length, etc. counts so long as it came from Edelweiss or Netgalley

The Level That I Am Doing Is: Bronze which is 10 books

3. Series Ender 

Hosted by Sandy @somewhereonlyweknow

The rules are:

1. Any genre, length or format is acceptable as long as the last book in the series has already been published.
2. Make sure to link your reviews up.

The Level That I Am Doing Is: 2 which is 5-10 series

4. Debut Challenge
Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

The rules are:

1. You must post your thoughts on each debut you read to count towards the challenge.
2. Debuts must be published in 2017 and read in 2017

The Level That I Am Doing Is: 12 or more

5. Retellings Reading Challenge
Hosted by onceuponabookcase

The rules are:

1. Share your thoughts or reviews.
2. Post the link to your review.

The Level That I Am Doing Is: Hard 9-12 retellings

6. Beat the Backlist Challenge
Hosted by Novel Knight 

Rules are:

1. Books must be released prior to 2017
2. You have all year to complete the challenge.

My personal goal: Read at least two books a month

7. Flights of Fantasy Challenge
Hosted by: Alexa Loves Books

The rules are:

1. Challenge runs the whole year
2. Make sure to sign up with your link

My Personal Goal: Read 20 books

8. Diverse Reads 2017
Hosted by: Read. Sleep. Repeat

The rules are:

1. Any diverse book counts for this challenge
2. Sign up

There are mini monthly challenges for this but I am not completing them unless I do by accident.

My Personal Goal: Read 2 Diverse Books a Month [at least]


And that is it. Thanks for sticking with me! :) 

Frostblood by Elly Blake Book Review

I received a copy from the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you to them! This is a spoiler free review. [Spoilers are included in my Goodreads review, if you want to see]

Frostblood

Written by Elly Blake

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: January 10, 2017

Pages: 384

Source: eArc from publisher and NetGalley. Thanks!

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 13 and up!

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby's powers are unpredictable, and she's not sure she's willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon.

All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king's tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.

Review:

I had already heard some things about this book when I pressed the button to request it from NetGalley but I went into this one mostly blind. As in, not browsing Goodreads for hours before requesting it. Overall, this was a really good book which is why I gave this five crowns. :)

COVER

This cover isn't my favorite but it isn't bad. I like how the background looks exactly like ice. It reminds me of the Red Queen book cover with the blood dripping from the crown thing. I like how it is all centered in the middle and it is overall aesthetically pleasing.

WORLD-BUILDING

The world-building was one of my favorite parts of the entire book. I like how she was able to create an entire new world while borrowing a couple elements from other books. It was interesting how there are two types of people and one type is really shunned by the other. There are the frostbloods and the firebloods. The frostbloods are the preferred type as the King is a frostblood. And I believe most of the land is covered in snow and ice and I really enjoyed it.

Then there are the characters.

RUBY

Ruby is not the typical flat YA heroine. She has flaws and yes they are actually talked about. Her story is emotional because she is put in prison [not a spoiler, I promise] and she is alone and scared and thinks she's going to die but she has the power of fire which can protect her and keep her warm. She is chosen to complete a task by monks who rescue her and she is not prepared at all so she trains. She is a smart, resourceful heroine as well as totally badass. She is a heroine who saves herself as well as others without submitting to others.

ARCUS

Arcus is the love interest who has secrets to hide. He does not start out lovable at all. In fact, I was kind of confused as to what his point was in the book at first but then I found out. And I did like him but not as much as some guys in books. He was loyal and had good characteristics but I wish he had had more page time because then I would have liked him more.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

Family is an important concept, though it isn't front and center. She wants to get revenge for her mom but she also knows how important other people's families are which is why she hesitates to do a lot of stuff because of them.

PLOT

The plot was similar to Red Queen but it was still it's own book. I loved the scenes which were so vivid and interesting. Yes, the first half of the book it was kind of boring but keep going because it gets so so interesting. And you will want so much more from it. I did at least. I highly recommend it.

ROMANCE

The romance was slow-burn but later it was predictable but I still shipped it. Not as much as some ships but I still enjoyed it. The banter and sarcasm and all of it was so real and cute and I loved it. The romance really worked into the story and wasn't taking over the plot which is something I never like. But it was enjoyable and relaxing and not controlling at all.

WRITING

The writing itself wasn't something I focused on during the reading but it was not bad. It was in first person which was refreshing as I so often read in third person. I also really liked the font on the ebook. I don't know why. It's just pretty.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This was a good book and I will definitely go through with the series. I recommend it especially if you liked Red Queen. It has magic and political intrigue and great characters. Give it a try.

Quotes from the Book:

NONE AT THIS TIME

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Crowns

OTHER BOOKS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

 

WINTER 2017 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS!

Hey guys. 

Another most anticipated list because the wrap up to 2016 posts just go on for eternity. These are the books that I am so so excited for during the months of January and February of 2017. These are the books that I am most excited for. There are more that I will probably read. 

Let's get into it. 

JANUARY BOOK RELEASES

    

1.  The Continent by Keira Drake ~ January 3, 2017

I don't know much about this but there was apparently a lot of controversy surrounding it last year so they edited it some and moved the release date to this year. From what I gather, it's about a girl who receives a once in a lifetime chance on her birthday to go to a place called the continent. This is a cold place where two nations are at war. Citizens tour the continent to see the spectacle as in the Spire [where they live] there is no such thing as war anymore. And she wants to improve on her maps of the place. But her life changes and she is stranded there.  It sounds so interesting and I will pick it up even though people have said awful things about it. 

2. The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova ~ January 10, 2017

I'm not really familiar with this book at all but it looks so interesting that I will be picking it up nonetheless. It's about a girl whose life changed when the Dragon King took the throne and she wants revenge. I'm not quite sure but I am excited. First I have to read the Air Awakens books. 

3. RoseBlood by A.G. Howard ~ January 10, 2017

This is a Phantom of the Opera retelling and I AM READY! It's about a girl named Rune who has a mistake to hide and her mom sends her to a French arts conservatory in an opera house for her senior year. It apparently is connected to the Phantom of the Opera. She befriends a masked violinist named Thorn and ugh I am ready. It sounds so good. Plus I love A.G. Howard's books so far. 

4. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth ~ January 17, 2017

I never finished the Divergent trilogy but I have hope for this book. I have heard both bad and good things but I will keep an open mind and read it. This is set in space and sounds like it has a lot of political stuff. 

5. Caraval by Stephanie Garber ~ January 31, 2017

I have heard nothing but good things and I want to read it. There are two sisters who enter a dangerous game. People have said fantastic things about it. 

6. Wires and Nerve Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer ~ January 31, 2017

The Lunar Chronicles are some of my favorite books of all time and this is the first graphic novel about Iko and everyone else will be in it and the pictures and I am so ready. Finally I can see how the author thinks the characters look like. 

FEBRUARY BOOK RELEASES

 

1.  The Burning World by Isaac Marion ~ February 7, 2017

This is the sequel to Warm Bodies which I own and have never read. Yay me. But honestly, I am excited for this because I know that when I finish the first book I will be able to read the second. 

2. To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough ~ February 7, 2017

This is a Contemporary Thriller about a girl whose mother was murdered so she was taken in by a friend's family. This was a long time ago and now she finds another body and is wrapped up in the mystery and soon people are pointing fingers at her and it sounds so interesting and creepy. I'm ready. 

3. King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard ~ February 7, 2017

This will be an auto buy for me because I need this book. It sounds so intriguing. Mare is captured by Maven and is powerless and her rebels are plotting without her and I am ready for this. [kinda but more Maven = happy heart for me]

4. The Last of August by Brittany Cavalaro ~ February 14, 2017

This is the sequel to A Study in Charlotte and I did not read that one yet but I will get to it within the next couple of months. I am excited for this one because Sherlock Holmes. 

5. The Valiant by Lesley Livingston ~ February 14, 2017

This is about a female gladiator which is something I've never seen before. Lesley Livingston is such a good author and I am ready for this because gladiators and history and female empowerment. I'm ready. 

6. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller ~ February 28, 2017

Pirate books are something that I never see. I literally only have like five pirate books on my shelves which is sad. But this is about, a seventeen year old female pirate captain. I am ready [I keep repeating that. Whoops]

7. Lifeblood by Gena Showalter ~ February 28, 2016

This is the sequel to Firstlife which ended on a massive cliffhanger and I read it last year. I need this book. It continues and she's gonna be in the afterlife which will be interesting. 

8. Wanted by Betsy Schow ~ February 7, 2016

I actually got an eArc of this and I am currently reading it. I loved the first book which was a retelling of the Wizard of Oz and I read it so long ago that I can't remember anything but I am still enjoying this one. The sass is so real in this. 

That is it for this blogpost. It took a lot longer than I thought it would. I'll see you in a little bit with a book review. 

Winterspell by Claire Legrand Review

This is a spoiler free review. [I will do a small spoiler section on Goodreads, so if you are interested, check out that review here]

Winterspell

Written by Claire Legrand

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Retelling

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Pages: 454

Source: Bought

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 14 and up!

Summary:

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince…but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor’s ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother’s murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted—by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they’re to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets—and a need she can’t define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won’t leave Cane unscathed—if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

Review:

I must admit, I almost did not pick this book up. I’ve actually had this on my shelf for at least a year and I never picked it up because there were so many negative reviews and I was scared that I would hate it and no, I could not have that. I have a thing where I want to love every book that I ever read which isn’t even remotely possible. I do tend to DNF books but this was not one of them. Yes, it was a little odd and I had some issues with it [as I usually do] but I enjoyed it for the most point.

COVER

Gorgeous cover, come to me!!

This is one of the most beautiful covers that has ever graced my bookshelf. I love how they got Clara’s hair right and how it is covering part of her face. I also love how there is mist/smoke in the background, almost covering the gates behind her. Ugh, I wish I designed this cover.

WORLD-BUILDING

This book had excellent world-building. I actually knew where the characters actually were supposed to be [compared to some books where I have no idea where the heck these people are supposed to be. Do they even exist?] But the land of Cane is so complicated and eerie and perfect. A lot is up to the imagination and it was done so perfectly.

Then there are the characters.

CLARA

Clara weirded me out at the beginning a bit. Especially the whole bit with the statue. [Please get that off of my page, it was weird and creepy and kinda gross] But otherwise, she was a strong female heroine. And she was definitely bisexual which was cool because LGBTQ characters is something that Fantasy authors tend to shy away from. And they almost never make a gay/bi female character.  She was honestly one of the best female characters. She had such strength in her. She was thrown into this weird adventure and she had absolutely no idea what to do. People just told her she was an entirely different person then she had once thought, and she has to accept it. The feminism is so strong in this book, which makes me proud. She is able to defy the thoughts that a girl/woman can’t save herself. Clara does not by any means need a man to save her.

NICHOLAS

Ummm. I had a couple of issues with Nicholas. The first one being that he goes from nice to possessive and borderline evil in .02 seconds. And that happens quite a few times. Yes, there was apparently some damn curse put on him but I had no idea what Claire Legrand was talking about half the time. I did not know what curse, they were talking about and why did it make him want to rip Clara’s innards out especially when Anise was like obsessed with her. Why would she want Nicholas to kill Clara then? Nicholas also bored me. I mean he was supposed to be the Knight in Shining Armor, right? I mean, what else is the main male lead supposed to be. He fell flat, delivering whatever he was supposed to and I didn’t like him. Plus, I didn’t want him near my precious Clara for half of the book. #ProtectClara2k17

ANISE

I adored Anise and I’m so mad that she was the villain. To be honest, she had so much potential. Anise didn’t seem like such a villain to me. In fact, she was more of a misunderstood female in a world where she had to show her strength in order to maintain her power. I’m really upset that she and Clara didn’t end up together because their sexual tension was way higher than the tension between Nicholas and Clara. Plus, I feel like she did actually care about Anise even though she didn’t always act like she did.

CLARA’S SISTER [FELICITY]

One more thing that I wish was different was that I wish that Clara could have brought her sister with her. Instead she left her in the real world where it felt a lot more dangerous than in the land of Cane but maybe that was just me. Like please, Clara. Please take her with you. She was a young, vulnerable girl who needed protection. [The protection that only Clara could give her]

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

Family was supposed to be the main focus of this book. She was going to Cane to save her father and her father’s life and her own life but that is not what I felt the ultimate goal the book reached. I feel like it was more on Clara ‘finding herself’ and being with Nicholas and ugh. I like it when the focus is friendship and family which is a much more needed book trope but alas.

PLOT

The plot wasn’t all that great at the beginning. In fact, it took me a lot longer than I thought it would but it picked up later and I was anticipating everything and it did keep me on my toes in the end. Many people have said that it is boring and left them in utter boredom and that was not completely true for me which makes me happy. It’s a retelling done at its best. The word ‘retelling’ was totally used loosely. It is almost completely different from the original but that’s what I always want from a retelling.

ROMANCE

I could write an essay on the romance in this book but I won’t. I’ll keep it short and sweet.

I was NOT a fan of Nicholas and Clara’s romance, which makes me sorry to say. Usually, I really like either the romance or the male lead but in this book I feel like some of it was a borderline unhealthy relationship.   Take the quote below for an example. Nicholas says this to Clara. Sure, he spends much of her younger life as a statue in her Godfather’s shop but still. This is just plain stalkerish and kind of gross. *shudders*

““Does that make me sick, do you think? Spying on a little girl? But then again it’s not as though I could help it. And I thought nothing untoward, at first. You were this awkward, amusing thing. You made me forget myself every once in awhile. It wasn’t until you were much older that I started to want..."

Then we have the other relationship that unfortunately was not the canon relationship. This was between Anise and Clara but this wasn’t that healthy either. I was just not pleased with the relationships in general.

WRITING

The writing was where there was actual strength. I loved the writing. In fact, it was some of the best writing that I have read since The Star-Touched Queen and that is saying something. It was eloquent and I liked the font and it was so so pretty. [like the cover]

FINAL THOUGHTS

Beware of this book. Everyone has different thoughts so don’t trust everyone on Goodreads or who reviews it. I happened to enjoy this work. I loved that it was a Nutcracker retelling which is something that is hardly ever explored. And there are two bisexual characters. One of them is even a main character. But in other words, the romance isn’t great and the male character is borderline creepy and stalkerish. If you are down for an interesting new kind of retelling, I encourage you to pick this up and try it yourself. Who knows what you might think.

Quotes from the Book:

“A kiss. A wicked, forbidden kiss. A kiss to end a kingdom.”

“You cannot shy away from yourself. Look the world in the eye, and it can do nothing to hurt you.”

“You’re powerful, Clara. Or you could be, if you would let go of your fear long enough to realize it.”

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Crowns