JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

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

Everless by Sara Holland

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Everless by Sara Holland is the first novel in a YA fantasy series, about a young girl who must confront the treacherous Gerling estate to uncover her origin and also save her father.

Our protagonist, Jules Ember, has agency and drive, is motivated to help others, and is the strongest part of this book. She grows in the novel and learns to trust her instincts. There are things about her past that she doesn’t understand, and yet, through her circumstances, she comes to learn just how significant she is.

“I realise what happened, of course. When I pricked myself, time froze — or slowed — like when I fished for the trout in a stream, so many days ago, or when I confronted the Gerling guard in the Crofton market while waiting to be selected as an Everless girl. Nerves flare in me. It hasn’t happened since I arrived, or if it has, it was too subtle to notice.”

Everless is as addictive as it is compelling and intoxicating, with a truly original premise and world-building. There is plenty of mystery in the book, with a few surprises that I didn’t see coming.

Another one of the strengths of the book is that there are a diverse range of side characters — particularly in age — and I felt like they were developed really well. In particular, Caro, Ina and Addie were my favourite side characters. They aided Jules and helped develop backstory, and Sara Holland took the time to really include all of them in the story as much as necessary.

Above all else, Everless is an incredibly well-written and truly imaginative start to this series.

“An older couple, two women with backs curved with too much work and too few years, hunch over a small table in the corner, taking turns cutting each other’s palms and letting the blood flow into empty vials. I wonder if they’re putting time away for their children.”

There were definitely a few flaws in the novel, in particular the major info-dumping in the opening chapters. The world-building is relevant, but I think it could’ve been scattered throughout the first half of the book, rather than saturated in the opening chapters. Until about 50 pages in, I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to continue the book. But luckily, the pace quickened and soon I couldn’t put it down.

Another aspect of the novel that I thought was underdeveloped was the relationship between Jules and Alia. Jules promises her sister Amma that she’ll look after Alia, and yet, Alia isn’t really in the book much and we don’t learn much about her.

This is a great read for those of you who love fantasy or thriller reads. It’s also ideal for a YA reader, and anyone who loves a really unique but quirky premise. I read this on holiday and loved it — the perfect book to dive into when you’re relaxing!

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

Everless
Sarah Holland
January 2018
Hachette Publishers Australia

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Asha is a dragon-slayer. Reviled by the very people she’s sworn to protect, she kills to atone for the wicked deed she committed as a child – one that almost destroyed her city, and left her with a terrible scar. But protecting her father’s kingdom is a lonely destiny: no matter how many dragons she kills, her people still think she’s wicked.

So to unite the fractured kingdom, she must marry Jarek, her father’s cruel commandant. As the wedding day approaches, Asha longs for freedom.

Just when it seems her fate is sealed, the king offers her a way out: her freedom in exchange for the head of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard. And the only person standing in her way is a defiant slave boy . . .

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli is the first book in a fantastic new high fantasy series. It’s adventurous, gripping and fun, with fantastic characters that you grow to love, and a really unique premise that I marvelled at.

Asha is a princess but has grown up being feared and despised. When she was a child, she rebelled and told one of the ancient ‘stories’. As a result, the First Dragon Kozu fought her off and burned her and half the city. She brought upon the death of many people in her kingdom, and the scar on her body is a daily reminder of her foolishness. To compensate, she’s the fiercest, most deadly dragon slayer in the land and after every conquer she brings home the head of the dragon to her father, the King.

“Asha’s pulse quickened. She ducked out from under him and rose to her feet. Putting all her focus back on the dragon in the trees, she sloshed through the spring. If she could catch it, maybe she could tame it. And if she could tame it, maybe she could teach it not to follow her into the city.”

Asha really grows over the course of the novel. Initially, she’s rude, arrogant and spoilt. But she’s also intelligent, strong and capable. She becomes a driving force in the book and a really strong protagonist. She is also drawn to the stories of the past, sometimes using them to lure in dragons before she kills them. But those stories are what killed her mother, and she knows that just using them is a crime.

“Asha lured the dragon with a story.”

The Last Namsara is rich with Figaard mythology and ancient legends and stories, with pretty much every second chapter being a story from centuries ago. It all flows really well, and I found myself just as intrigued by the history of the book as I was in the present storyline.

I adored this book, reading it in one day. The Last Namsara portrays courage, loyalty and the importance of family and love — there are multiple layers to this novel, and the more you read of it, the more you come to love these characters and this world.

Additionally, The Last Namsara is a coming of age novel. Asha, once feared and despised, fulfils her purpose in this novel as Iskari — a ceremonial warrior named for a ‘deadly’ God. And later in the novel, Asha becomes something much more. She becomes the key to settling all unease in the kingdom, and along with her brother Dax and the slave boy Torwin, they are able to work towards correcting all injustices.

I did find the relationship between Asha and slave boy Torwin to be slightly odd and unlikeable. Their ‘love’ for each other seems to develop rather quickly, and doesn’t seem to be relatable or believable. For the majority of the novel, Asha only refers to him as a slave, even though she knows his name. Asha comes across as quite disrespectful at times, and even though that illustrates how far she outranks him, it’s a little jolting for the reader and it’s hard for us to really cheer for them as a couple when she treats him so terribly. Their relationship is so unbalanced that it’s hard to really push past their character dynamics and their exchanges.

“He’ll go to the pit tomorrow and never come out,” Dax said. As if a slave dying in the pit was supposed to elicit her sympathy. Slaves died in the pit all the time.
Asha shook her head in disbelief. “That is where criminal slaves belong.”

The Last Namsara is rich with storytelling and history, beautifully written and expertly illustrated. Despite some flaws — particularly with Torwin’s character — I did really love this book and I’m desperate to read the sequel next year.

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

The Last Namsara
Kristen Ciccarelli
October 2017
Hachette Publishers Australia

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer is a young adult fantasy novel with a large cast of characters and a long array of special abilities.

Nova’s parents and infant sister are murdered when she is six years old. She is unharmed, but she blames the Renegades — superheroes who protect their city — because they were supposed to protect her family and they failed to save them in time.

Fast forward ten years later, and Nova is planning to infiltrate the Renegades and enact revenge on them for failing her family all those years ago.

“One cannot be brave who has no fear.”

Nova’s power is that she can induce sleep merely by touching someone. She’s also an insomniac, and is incredible at combat and defence. She’s confident, fit and self-assured, and she’s a fantastic protagonist who really drives the story forward and keeps the reader engaged.

“The Renegades cared about finding the best prodigies to make their organisation stronger, smarter, better. If she got in, all she would have to do was persuade them that she was worth keeping, and no one would care about her past or her connections. They wouldn’t think to dig any deeper until it was too late.”

The world building is really detailed and believable, and the combat scenes are described well enough to be easily followed, but not too much so that the reader feels like they’re reading a movie script. This book would definitely translate really well on the big screen, but it’s also a really fun book and Marissa Meyer has done a really great job of alternating the intimate third person point of view between Nova and Adrian (a Renegade).

Nova and Adrian are both hiding something from their teammates, and after a while the reader wonders how those kids are so foolish that they haven’t picked up on it yet. It’s so obvious that Nova isn’t on their side, and it’s so incredibly apparent that Adrian is actually Sentinel (his alter ego). At times, I actually cringed with how awkward their cover ups were.

“Nova turned her wrist from side to side, feeling the start of a grin. New tech, a new gadget. Finally, they were speaking her language. But then, a thought occurred to her that smothered that first twinge of excitement. Technology like that had to include a tracking device. Which meant, so long as she wore it, the Renegades would know just where to find her.”

When I think about this book, I realise that not a lot actually happened in it. There was only one ‘mission’ and it was for the characters to surveillance a library. Sure, things go wrong, but at the end of the day, this book is certainly more character driven and more ‘world building’ than it is actual plot. And considering that the book is almost 600 pages, I am really surprised by that.

Additionally, it was super difficult to keep up with all the different characters mentioned and their abilities. It took me a good 50 pages to grasp the world and who was good and who was bad, and how their stories correlated.

In saying that, I loved this book. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened, and despite the fact that there wasn’t much plot, I still really enjoyed the novel. My hypothesis is that book 2 is going to be much more action-packed than Renegades is, and and that’s okay. I’m happy to stick around if it means I’m set up for book 2.

I recommend this to comic book fans and people who love superhero movies. This has a very ‘superhero movie’ feel to it, with unique abilities and fun characters and a really great world.

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

Renegades
Marissa Meyer
November 2017
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years by Nelson Mandela and Mandla Langa

The long-awaited second volume of Nelson Mandela’s memoirs, left unfinished at his death and never before available, are here completed and expanded with notes and speeches written by Mandela during his historic presidency, making for a moving sequel to his worldwide bestseller Long Walk to Freedom.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first president of a democratic South Africa. From the outset, he was committed to serving only a single five-year term. During his presidency, he and his government ensured that all of South Africa’s citizens became equal before the law, and he laid the foundation for turning a country riven by centuries of colonialism and apartheid into a fully functioning democracy.

Dare Not Linger is the story of Mandela’s presidential years, drawing heavily on the memoir he began to write as he prepared to leave office, but was unable to finish. Now the acclaimed South African writer Mandla Langa has completed the task, using Mandela’s unfinished draft, detailed notes that Mandela made as events were unfolding, and a wealth of unseen archival material. With a prologue by Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, the result is a vivid and often inspirational account of Mandela’s presidency and the creation of a new democracy. It tells the story of a country in transition and the challenges Mandela faced as he strove to make his vision for a liberated South Africa a reality.

Dare Not Linger began as Nelson Mandela’s unfinished handwritten memoir and was completed by South African novelist Mandla Langa. Because of Mandela’s age and ill health, he was unable to finish his manuscript and he died in 2013. But now in 2017, the sequel to Long Walk to Freedom has finally been finished and published.

This memoir details Mandela’s five years as South Africa’s president after the collapse of apartheid — it begins just as he is leaving prison after spending 27 years incarcerated for fighting white minority rule. In 1994, he became South Africa’s first democratically elected President. He pledged that he would only serve for five years.

“Mandela’s personal warmth towards people from all walks of life, from gardeners, cleaners, clerks and typists to those in the most senior roles, did not go unnoticed. Those who came across him in the course of their work describe him as generous, self-effacing and easy-going: a man who knew how to be an ordinary person.”

Mandela wrote 10 chapters of his memoir, and Mandla was brought in to write the remaining chapters. Mandla used a lot of research, interviews and notes to complete the book, managing to bring the rest of Mandela’s story to the page.

Dare Not Linger allows for Mandela’s thoughts on certain political matters – which weren’t previously known – to come to the forefront. He had a strained relationship with former president FW de Klerk, and reading the book allows us to see just how frustrated Mandela was. We also learn about Mandela’s marriage breakdown with Winnie Mandela, and the strain that this put on Mandela’s role as the President.

I did feel like this book was rather dense, and at times I found it a struggle to read. The reader does have to have some sort of understanding about South African politics in order to understand the references in the book, and sometimes I felt like parts of the book were just going over my head.

“Mandela’s tendency to canvass for views outside conventional circles was perhaps controversial. He didn’t hesitate to call to a meeting anyone he deemed suitable to throw light onto a subject…this gravitational pull towards people was mutual; people from all corners of society wished to interact with him and vice versa.”

Mandela was a fantastic communicator, and at times, friend. He was grateful for what he had — he insisted on making his own hotel bed, and he always cleaned his own shoes on a plane. Whilst his personality doesn’t really come through in his memoirs, it is external observations of him that allow us to get a sense of who Mandela really was. He was comfortable with forgiveness, and generous in his teachings.

“I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”

This book is dense and requires a fair bit of effort to read. I only recommend this to readers who are genuinely interested in his presidential years (because that’s really all this book covers – it rarely talks about anything else but politics). Overall, it’s really inspiring to read this because Nelson Mandela was a truly unique leader.

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

Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years
Nelson Mandela and Mandla Langa
November 2017
Pan Macmillan Publishers

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