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My name is Ardis and I am an avid reader and budding writer. I want to share my love of books with others. I work with kids and am interested in finding and creating books that will ignite the reader in everyone. Contact me at: ardis.atkins@gmail.com

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I Owe You One
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Love, Hate & Other Filters
The Wartime Sisters
The Belles
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Hey, Kiddo
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Queen of Air and Darkness
Firestarter
The Retribution of Mara Dyer
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Showing posts with label book series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book series. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2021

Audio ARC Review: Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff



Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The squad you love is out of time. Prepare for the thrilling finale in the epic, best-selling Aurora Cycle series about a band of unlikely heroes who just might be the galaxy's last hope for survival.

Is this the end?

What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.
Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast.
When we last saw Squad 312, they working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.
But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the te4am has one last chance to rewrite thirs. Maybe two. It's complicated.
Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem
Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.
Actually saving the galaxy, though?
Now that will take a miracle.

Review:

The end of a book series comes with mixed feelings.  We want to finally have all the character's problems resolved, but we're also sorry to see them go.  I have really enjoyed the Aurora Chronicles, but Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.  It has been a really fun series filled with diverse characters and lots of humor.  Listening to the audiobooks as been (mostly) delightful, as the voice actors who narrate are wonderfully expressive.  As I listened to the final book in the series, Aurora's End, I again loved the humor, the characters, and how it is wrapped up.  I was a little mixed about some of the sound quality of the audiobook.  Also, although this is an action series, the battle scenes go on for far too long.  This actually slowed the book down.  But, even with these caveats, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a worthy finale to the series.

What I Liked:

Characters:

With six main characters, it would seem difficult to give each of them their due.  The book focused mostly on Tyler, Scarlett, Zila, and Fin.  I liked this because the other books were more centered on Aurora and Cal.  We learned so much more about how Zila thinks and why she is so reserved, in particular.  Zila is one of my favorite characters, and it was great to see her come out of her shell.  And there are major developments int the relationship between Scarlett and Fin!  Tyler shows a side of himself that is quite unexpected.  But as the story continues, one can see how this came to be.

Book Series Recap:

I so appreciate that then beginning of the book has a recap of what happened in the two previous books!  When you have book series, I often find that I need to re-read the previous books so I won't be lost when I read the next one.  But, the authors bring the reader up to date on what happened so you can jump into the action without thinking, "who was that person again", or "Why are they at that place"?  It makes the experience so much better.  I wish more authors would do this.

Story:

The story takes place over multiple timelines.  I think the authors did a wonderful job of keeping everything logical, so it was easy to follow.  Without giving too much away, the story shows some of the characters at different ages, and it's fun to see how they changed as they got older.

What I Was Mixed About:

Audiobook Quality:

While I enjoyed the overall quality of the audio narration, for some reason one of the voice actors sounded like they recorded their lines in a closet.  When Steve West (who plays Cal) spoke there were strange echos that were not part of the story.  Just the quality of the sounds made it clear to me that he recorded his part separately from the other actors.  Hearing Cal was something I was really look forward to.  But with the sound quality so off, it was all I could focus on.

What I Didn't Like:

Story: & Pacing:

The story meandered around with various battles, again and again and again.  Part of that was built into the structure of the book.  But beyond that, there were too many epic "Final" battles.  Some editing would have given the book a faster pace, which is what this novel needed. 


Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  November 9th, 2021

Authors:  Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Audiobook Publisher:  Listening Library

Audiobook Narrators:  Kim Mai Guest, Jonathan McClain, Lincoln Hoppe, Donnabella Mortel, Jonathan Todd Ross,  Erin Spencer, Steve West

Audiobook Length:  15 hours, 6 Minutes

Print Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers

Book Length:  512 Pages

Source:  Penguin Audio

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  Even though the novel meandered around, there was still the signature humor and humanity in each character.  A worthy end to the sereis.

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Sunday, May 26, 2019

Book Review: Finale by Stephanie Garber

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40381392-finale?ac=1&from_search=true
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end…


Review:
I first heard about the Caraval books when I read an advance copy of the first book in 2017.  I loved how creative and romantic the novel was.  The subsequent books have been equally exciting.  Finale is a wonderful ending to the story.  I loved learning much more about the Fates, and Paloma (the sister's mother).  And there is plenty of romance, and sacrifice to make this book a page-turner.

What I Liked:
Setting:
The Meridian Empire is a land filled with magic.  Magical beings are inspired by tarot cards (known as the Deck of Destiny).  As these creatures are released after being imprisoned inside the deck, they start to wreak havoc in the kingdom.  This is a vehicle for the author to show who the many different Fates are and what they represent.  I found this so creative!

Fashion:
Clothes play an important role in this book.  There are magical dresses that reflect the mood of the person who wears it.  And even without magical outfits, the descriptions of clothing are so detailed that they show significant aspects about each character.  I found this so creative and fun! 

Characters:
We get to know even more about two of the fates:  Jacks (The Prince of Hearts), and Legend.  They are in a tug of war with Tella caught in the middle!  Fates aren't supposed to be able to love.  They can only feel lust, and obsession.  She has been told that if a Fate does begins to love a human, they will lose their immortality.  If Tella really wants either Jacks or Legend to love her, she is dooming them to become mortal.  I liked how each of these characters must decide what cost they are willing to pay in order to find that connection with another person.

I also liked getting to know more about Paloma, Scarlet's and Tella's mother.  It's always difficult to see our parents as complicated, real people.  The previous books paint Paloma as a selfish, irresponsible parent.  She is still selfish and irresponsible, but the sisters learn she has many good qualities as well.  She is neither all good or all bad.    

Love Triangle:
What an epic love triangle between Legend, Tella, and Jacks.  Tella is really torn between both men.  But since they are Fates, can either of them ever truly love her back?  Tella can't tell what their feelings are for her.  Do either of them really care about her, or are they just obsessed with winning her favor?  When she finally does decide who she loves, can she really doom them to mortality (and death)?

What I Was Mixed About:
As much as I love this book, some of the tasks the characters have to do are somewhat futile.  A big part of the story has the sisters trying to find a magical object.  They must also do something dangerous to open it.  But, after all the effort to get these items, it is not really used to advance the plot.  What was the point of all those sacrifices?  This should have been a huge part of how the main plot points are resolved.

Rating: 





Release Date:  May 7th, 2019

Author:  Stephanie Garber

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Page Length:  496 Pages

Source:  Public Library

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A worthy finish to an imaginative, romantic adventure series.  Definitely read the other two books first.





 
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Monday, October 26, 2015

Book Review: Magnus Chase & The Sword of Summer



Synopsis (from GoodReads):

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .


Review:


Working with upper elementary school kids has taught me to keep a look out for certain authors:  Kate DiCamillo (The Tale of Desperaux, Because of Winn Dixie), Brian Selznick (The invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck), and Rick Riordan.  Starting with The Lightning Thief, written in 2005,  Rick has built a powerhouse brand and is a publishing rockstar.  His newest series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, continues his reign as the undisputed King of kids books (J.K. Rowling, notwithstanding).  These books focus on Norse mythology and incorporate familiar gods such as Thor and Loki, with lesser known (okay totally unknown to me) gods such as Heimdall (god of vigilance) and Ran (goddess of the sea).


The book opens with a look into the life of street kid Magnus Chase (If the last name sounds familiar to fans, then they will be in for a treat!).  Life is tough for this 16-year old as he has to survive alone on the streets of Boston after his mother is murdered by wolves two year before.  It's almost impossible to discuss this book without getting into spoilers!  Suffice it to say that some big events happen right at the beginning of the book that enable Magnus to enter the world of the gods.  It's an unconventional way to open a book series, but the author makes it work.  In this book, Magnus learns he is a demigod and must search for the Sword of Summer in order to prevent the escape of Fenris wolf who, if he gets loose, will start the end of the world.


One of the best aspects of all of Rick Riordan's books is that he populates his novels with characters that reflect the diversity of his readers.  There are people with disabilities, different ethnic backgrounds, and a variety of religions.  He doesn't do this to hammer into kids lessons in tolerance.  He just presents it as part of the world the characters live in. 


While his other series were full of romantic pairings, this book is refreshing for it's lack of them.  This is an adventure story that weaves several Norse god's stories into the plot.  There are contests of skill and fighting, tests of courage, and moments where the hero must outwit his enemies.  It is a fun, fast paced book!


I only have two small criticisms of this book.  This first is the extremely up to date pop references made throughout the novel.  While they are hilarious, I worry that this will make the book dated in years to come.  One of the reasons a series such as Harry Potter can be read anew by successive generations of readers is that it is timeless.  If we had all kinds of 1990's pop references in the books, it would have reminded the reader of when those books were written.  I think this series is great and I want it to endure.  The second issue with this book was all the references to Rick Riordan's other series.  Again, if you have read his other books, you will be laughing your face off.  But for those who have not read all of his other books, you might be scratching your head wondering what in the heck he is talking about. 


I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of The Lightning Thief and has read all of Rick Riordan's other books.  Take the time to read the older books first for maximum enjoyment.  The author has produced another winning series and I can't wait for the next one to come out (Summer 2016).




Rating:        

Source:  Bought by me


Format:  Hardcover


Recommendation:  Great for fans of Rick Riordan books.  But if you haven't read his novels before, start at the first book, The Lightning Thief.


Will I read more from this author? Yes!




  










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