JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess–a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian is the first novel in a new YA fantasy series. It explores power, family and grief amidst the backdrop of a crumbling tyranny.

The crux of the plot is a young princess who vows revenge on the cruel man who stole her throne. She seduces the prince to aid her mission.

The plot is not unique or original, but it is readable and enjoyable. There are SO many YA fantasy series in the market at the moment, and if I’m being honest, I don’t think this one feels too different from the others. It is well-written and the characters are interesting, but I wasn’t blown away by the book. And I was unimpressed with the stereotypical tropes used in the book — love triangle being the most obvious one.

“This time, I let myself remember how my mother would sometimes let me wear her crown, how it was so big it would fall down around my neck. But while my mother’s crown was wrought from black gold and set with rubies, the one the Kaiser sends me is folded from ashes, and as soon as it is in place, it begins to crumble, streaking my hair, skin, and dress.”

Ash Princess is ripe with tension, suspense and drama. None of the characters can be trusted, and yet you find yourself invested in all of their storylines. The novel is punchy and pacy, and this launches a series that I am interested in continuing. It may not be original, but it is engaging enough to keep me entertained.

I would’ve preferred this novel if Theo had more control over her safety and her future. She needs her friends to help break her out, and it’s their determination that spurs her newfound confidence. And later in the novel, it is her allies that help her out of confinement.

Theo needs other people. She needs other people to save her.

“I’ve been dreaming of freedom every day since the siege, waiting and waiting and waiting for just this moment, when someone would take me as far away from this place as possible.”

I wanted this book to be about a young girl who takes charge and forges a new path for herself. Instead, it’s about a girl with friends and allies who help her forge a new path. She’s determined, yes, but she’s not cold or ruthless. I wouldn’t call her frightening or scary. Once she starts enacting her vengeance, she seems to be incredibly lucky. Almost too lucky.

“Through the wall, I can almost feel Blaise’s thoughts running the same path as mine. Throughout the past decade, the idea of the After has been all that’s kept me going, and i don’t have to ask Blaise to know that a part of him years for it as well. I’ve imagined my mother there, waiting for me.”

This series will appeal to those of you who love YA fantasy. It follows the usual tropes from the genre, but it is really well-written with strong prose and realistic dialogue. Despite it’s 400+ page count, you’ll find yourself tearing through those pages rather quickly.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ash Princess
Laura Sebastian
May 2018
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro and Daniel Kraus

It is 1962, and Elisa Esposito—mute her whole life, orphaned as a child—is struggling with her humdrum existence as a janitor working the graveyard shift at Baltimore’s Occam Aerospace Research Center. Were it not for Zelda, a protective coworker, and Giles, her loving neighbor, she doesn’t know how she’d make it through the day.

Then, one fateful night, she sees something she was never meant to see, the Center’s most sensitive asset ever: an amphibious man, captured in the Amazon, to be studied for Cold War advancements. The creature is terrifying but also magnificent, capable of language and of understanding emotions…and Elisa can’t keep away. Using sign language, the two learn to communicate. Soon, affection turns into love, and the creature becomes Elisa’s sole reason to live.

But outside forces are pressing in. Richard Strickland, the obsessed soldier who tracked the asset through the Amazon, wants nothing more than to dissect it before the Russians get a chance to steal it. Elisa has no choice but to risk everything to save her beloved. With the help of Zelda and Giles, Elisa hatches a plan to break out the creature. But Strickland is on to them. And the Russians are, indeed, coming.

The Shape of Water weaves fantasy, fable and mystery. It was put together by two artists — award-winning director Guillermo del Toro and author Daniel Kraus. Scattered throughout the novel are black and white sketch illustrations by visual artist James Jean. These illustrations help give the reader a sense of vision, and they allow us to imagine this story on the big screen.

I was intrigued to read this novel after the movie won Best Picture at the Oscars. It has such an odd plot and quite a quirky romance that I was definitely keen to see what all the fuss was about.

This novel may appeal to all age groups, but it is written like an adult novel, with complex vocabulary and a dry third-person narration. The pacing is quite slow but the characters are full of depth. Given Elisa’s mutism, there isn’t much dialogue to the book. The Shape of Water is mostly prose and description.

“Man should be better than monsters.”
“Ah, but who are the monsters?”

The Shape of Water also highlights the gender inequality of the 1960s. The two main female characters are cleaners, with low-paying jobs and very little respect. The ‘important’ workers involved in the project are all men, and some of them are very dismissive towards Elisa and Zelda. The novel also explores the relationship between Strickland and his wife Lainie. She stays at home with the children, not working or having the chance to make many friends. He’s away for work, sometimes months at a time, and there is very little communication between the two.

There is a definite imbalance in each relationship. Strickland is rarely home and when he is, he doesn’t treat his wife with much respect. He’s dismissive and doesn’t understand how demanding their children are. Over the course of the novel, Lainie finds her own purpose and starts to imagine a life without Strickland.

Additionally, Zelda’s husband Brewster is useless and unappreciative of his wife. He’s demanding and he belittles her and Elisa often thinks about how Zelda would be better off without him in her life.

“Working women don’t get to scurry home and bury their faces in pillows when they’ve been yelled at. You settle your trembling hands by wrapping them around your tools and returning to work.”

The pacing is a little inconsistent. The book takes a long time to kick off — with a lot of backstory and build up — and then the final third of the book moves so quickly that I actually had to go back and reread a few chapters because I was sure that I had missed something integral.

I haven’t seen the movie, but this novel feels void of character emotion. This is supposed to be a grand love story between Elisa and the sea creature, and yet, their romance seems to blossom very quickly but behind the scenes so the reader doesn’t really witness it. And then there’s this grand plan to save the creature from his fate, and I found it quite predictable. Truthfully, I didn’t find myself hugely invested in their romance.

“Zelda kneels to pick up the punch card. Yolanda’s going wild behind her. But all Zelda hears is Brewster carrying on about how she shouldn’t trust anyone. He doesn’t know Elisa, though, does he? Of course he doesn’t. Despite their long years of friendship, Elisa’s never been to Zelda’s home, not once.”

This novel will appeal to people who, like me, want to read the book before they see the movie. It’s not my favourite novel, nor my favourite fantastical romance, but it is something rather different and the characters carry this novel just as much as the plot does.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Shape of Water
Guillermo Del Toro & Daniel Kraus
March 2018
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the first novel in a really complex, compelling trilogy. Jude is a mortal human, but she is raised in a world of faeries and magical beings. She despises her adoptive father because he murdered Jude’s mother and father, and she grows distant from her sister Taryn because Taryn is determined to wed in the Court and fulfil their adoptive father’s wishes.

It has been ten years since Jude’s parents were murdered and Jude and her sisters were kidnapped and taken to the High Court of Faerie. She is determined to become a Knight and learn how to fight, but she is despised by many of the fey just because she is human. She is determined to succeed regardless.

“Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.”

Holly Black brings faeries to the forefront in this novel, and despite the tension and violence present, The Cruel Prince is a rich, vibrant tale that readers will love.

The novel explores the concept of power and the complexities surrounding magic. Jude is considered weak and inferior because she doesn’t possess magic, but her determination and her gut instinct do make up for this.

I loved that Jude doesn’t fall into any stereotypes within this fantasy genre. She doesn’t cower away or get spooked easily. She is violent and confident, and she’s also a murderer. She does what she needs to do to survive, and she’s a really strong protagonist.

“Even though I am holding a knife, even though I’ve avoided his attacks twice and disarmed him, even though I’ve stabbed him once before, he grabs for my throat again. His fingers sink into the flesh of my neck, and I remember how it felt to have fruit jammed into my mouth.”

Jude is smart and strategic. After ten years of being raised by a violent man, she’s learnt a thing or two about getting what she wants. And she’s also very good at keeping secrets.

The novel explores power, family and abuse. The Cruel Prince is lyrical and at times poetic, taking the reader on a journey that is both lush and brutal. We question what it’s like for Jude and her sister to grow up in this new land, away from the human world. They have been raised by an evil man, but lear that there’s nothing they can do about it. The Cruel Prince forces the reader to think about what horrible actions we should deem ‘necessary’ when survival is the end goal.

“The next day at school, Taryn walks beside me, swinging her lunch basket. I keep my head high and my jaw set. I have my little knife with me, cold iron, tucked into one of the pockets of my skirt, and more salt than I reasonably need.”

There’s one aspect of the book that I didn’t like. The Cruel Prince follows the stereotypical trope of ‘boy is mean to girl because boy is in love with her’ which I find a little unrealistic and overdone in YA fiction.

I’d recommend this to fans of young adult books, but also anyone who has a vested interest in fantasy. The Cruel Prince reimagines the tropes of the genre and presents a unique story with fascinating characters. Holly Black pulls us into this world and leaves us desperate for the sequel.

The Cruel Prince
Holly Black
January 2018
Allen & Unwin Publishers

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is the first novel in a stunning new fantasy series, inspired by West Africa.

Essentially, it’s about a mission to restore magic to the world. The characters race against time to complete a particular ritual before the solstice is over; if they fail, they won’t ever get another chance and they will continue to be oppressed and beaten and dictated.

Children of Blood and Bone doesn’t feel 100% unique, but it does have a really compelling premise and layers upon layers of history and world-building. The characters are strong-willed and determined, driving the book and drawing the reader in. Additionally, the novel highlights a lot of larger issues beneath the surface — Tomi draws attention to the consequences of power, privilege and desire, but also racism, racial violence and prejudice.

“They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise”

Set in the fictional land of Orisha, the book switches point of view between three characters: Zelie is a fierce warrior maji, referred to as a ‘maggot’ by people who look down on her. She’s the main character in the book. Princess Amari has discovered that magic is slowly returning to this world, so she steals something from her father and joins Zelie on the run. And Prince Inan, whose father orders him to hunt down Amari and return the object she stole. He struggles to understand what he should and shouldn’t do, and his emotional and moral turmoil is a big focus when we read the chapters that are from his point of view.

I actually felt that Amari’s point of view wasn’t needed, because we were getting similar events from more than one perspective. Throughout the book, she’s in most scenes with Zelie and some with Inan, so without her point of view we still would’ve got enough of the plot and her story. Additionally, the novel felt way too long and the book definitely could’ve been edited down a fair bit.

“Amari’s screams reverberate through the trees. Inan and I freeze mid-attack. We whip our heads to see Amari struggling with a masked man just a few metres away. Though she thrashes, a black glove closes over her mouth. Her eyes glaze before rolling back.”

Tomi tackles pacing really well, and the dialogue is relatable and believable. The dynamic between all of the main characters allows the reader to really sympathise and understand them. The characters may be flawed or naive at times, but they’ve got determination and will.

This book is both plot-driven and character-driven. It did take me some time to wrap my head around the massive cast in the book, and at times I had to remind myself how certain characters knew each other, or how they were related. There’s a fair bit of world-building but Tomi has embedded it in the story by scattering it, so that the reader doesn’t feel overwhelmed with too much information at once.

“Kill her. Kill magic. My plan is all I have. Without it, the world slips through my fingers. My maji curse threatens to break from my skin.”

Children of Blood and Bone is about rising up against your oppressors, and will be popular with fantasy readers, as well as fans of young adult.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Children of Blood and Bone
Tomi Adeyemi
March 13th 2018
Pan Macmillan Publishers

City of Bones (10th Anniversary Edition) by Cassandra Clare

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones with this gorgeous new edition, complete with special content including a new piece from Cassie and exclusive colour illustrations.

The pride of any fan’s collection, City of Bones now has new cover art, over thirty interior illustrations, and six new full-page colour portraits of everyone’s favourite characters! This beautifully crafted collector’s item also includes four bonus stories that have previously only appeared in limited distribution, and – best of all – a new piece written by Cassandra Clare.

This is the book where Clary Fray first discovered the Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to driving demons out of our world and back to their own. The book where she first met Jace Wayland, the best Shadowhunter of his generation. The book that started it all.

I first read City of Bones by Cassandra Clare many years ago; I was completely absorbed in the story and the characters, and I devoured the book. Unfortunately, I never got around to reading the rest of the series and as time went by, I forgot everything that had happened in City of Bones.

Enter the 10th Anniversary edition. This was the perfect opportunity for me to reread City of Bones and also review it for Jess Just Reads.

City of Bones is the first book in The Mortal Instruments series. This anniversary edition is gorgeous — just perfect for a Cassandra Clare fan. It’s hardback, cloth-bound, with gorgeous colour illustrations inside of the characters.

Additionally, there are black and white illustrations scattered throughout the whole book. There are whole page illustrations and there are also illustrations underneath each chapter heading.

My favourite part of the book was and always will be the dialogue between the characters. Isabelle Lightwood is bold and witty, but also self-aware and at times caring. Jace is hilarious — snarky and sarcastic and a very fun character.

“You want me to hold your hand?”
Clary put both her hands behind her back like a small child. “Don’t talk down to me.”
“Well, I could hardly talk up to you. You’re too short.” Jace glanced past her, the torch showering sparks as he moved.

City of Bones has always felt a little long to me. I did find myself getting a little exhausted in the final few chapters, even though that’s when most of the action is happening.

Despite this, though, Cassandra Clare is really great at weaving dialogue and prose together so that one doesn’t dominate the other. The dialogue is relatable, funny, and easy to read, and the prose is detailed yet necessary when building a world like this.

“Hodge, gasping, stared after him, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. His left hand was gloved with the wet dark fluid that had seeped from his chest. The look on his face was a mixture of exultation and self-loathing.”

This edition is definitely a collector’s item, so I recommend this to people who have read and loved City of Bones. If you’re not sure whether this series is for you, I’d probably recommend buying the regular paperback.

But regardless of what edition you buy, this is a really fantastic series and this first book is fun and a fantastic launch to the series.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

City of Bones 10th Anniversary Edition
Cassandra Clare
November 2017
Walker Books

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