JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan

The Girls of Paper and Fire did the impossible. They escaped. But out in the unforgiving wild, hunted like prey, Lei and Wren learn that the most terrifying prisons have no walls.

Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn’t the end of the plan – it’s just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei’s head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within.

Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her?

Girls of Storm and Shadow is the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Girls of Paper and Fire, by Natasha Ngan. Events pick up exactly where the first book finished — Lei has just stabbed and slayed the King and she and her beloved Wren have escaped the palace.

Once again, Natasha’s writing is incredible — she’s so good at crafting prose that flows seamlessly and evokes emotion in the reader.

The series explores a few significant themes — it explores the notion of doing terrible things in order to achieve a good outcome, and it also explores trauma and how trauma remains with the victim long after their suffering has ended. Lei may have escaped the King’s clutches, but she’s still traumatised and haunted by the sexual violence that she endured under the King’s rule.

“Shivers pluck my skin as the words sink in. Naja tore me away while I was still attacking him. When Wren and I were escaping the grove, Kenzo keeping her occupied in battle, I had seen the King’s body on the ground, blood splattered and immobile.”

Setting is one of the strengths of the series, alongside characterisation and illustrating trauma compassionately and realistically. Girls of Storm and Shadow moves quickly through different locations, from vast deserts to snowy mountaintops and everywhere in between.

Lei’s characterisation and growth in this novel builds upon the foundations that were set in Girls of Paper and Fire. Lei is determined, strong, bold and she trusts her own judgement. She trusts others too, but she doesn’t forget what her purpose is.

In the first book, Lei was very much imprisoned — physically and mentally — by men. In this book, Lei has the freedom to forge her own path alongside her love, Wren. This book shows Lei standing up against men who seek to control and manipulate her.

“The sun is setting by the time we arrive at the Fukho Grasslands. Golden light washes over the undulating plains. It’s no wonder this region is nicknamed the Amber Sea, with the winds blowing the grass, filling the air with a rushing sound like running water, and the soft dips and lifts of the hillocks mimicking the roll of waves, all tinted in gold.”

Girls of Storm and Shadow explores the concept of good vs. evil, and how complex and complicated those two concepts can sometimes be. Lei has done things in her past she’s not proud of, and so has Wren. Can they forgive each other? Can they forgive themselves?

Romance is a strong element to this sequel and series fans will adore the connection building between Lei and Wren.

Admittedly, Girls of Storm and Shadow suffers a little from second-book syndrome. Nothing too significant really happens in the book and it very much feels like a filler book from Book 1 to Book 3. Could this series actually just be a duology? Probably. Regardless, this is a story about healing and recovering and rising up against those that oppress others.

“Across the campfire, Caen and Merrin are deep in conversation, discussing tomorrow’s route. Wren has been quiet for most of the meal. I cuddle closer.”

Natasha is incredibly skilled at writing evocative, explosive prose and bringing together an incredibly suite of characters that readers can’t help but fall in love with. This series is recommended for fans of fantasy and young adult fiction. It’s gearing up to be an explosive finale in 2020.

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

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girl of Paper and Fire #2)
Natasha Ngan
November 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

The explosive conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Arc of a Scythe series.

It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Greyson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding finale to Neal Shusterman’s internationally bestselling trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

The Toll is the third and final book in Neal Shusterman’s YA fantasy series Arc of a Scythe. Events pick up three years after book two — Thunderhead — left off, where Rowan and Citra disappeared.

Brief recap: scythes are in charge of controlling the human population by killing, and the population relies on the all-knowing A.I of the Thunderhead.

The Toll builds on everything that we’d learnt in the first two books, but brings different elements to the story. Scythe Goddard is the villain of the story, rising to power in The Toll and killing humans for his own personal gain. A religious sect also comes into power, manipulating people for their own needs.

Overall, The Toll is a satisfying conclusion to the series. It ties in all of the threads that were introduced in the first two book, providing readers with a sense of closure regarding our main characters, Greyson, Rowan and Citra.

There are three parallel storylines predominantly running throughout the book — focusing on Greyson, Rowan and Citra, and Faraday — but they meet up towards the end where the characters reunite for the conclusion. Each chapter switches POV between different characters, keeping the reader intrigued in each of their journeys and how their story will intersect with the others.

“Salvage was a painstakingly slow process. It took three months of digging through the submerged debris until they found that outer vault.”

Once again, the characters in the book are incredibly authentic and relatable, drawing the reader in and making us sympathise for them and their plight.

In terms of character development, Greyson Tolliver grows the most over the course of the novel and his character does go into an unexpected direction. This won’t necessarily surprise viewers but adds further depth to the character. Additionally, Rowan and Citra grow and mature a lot over the course of the novel.

Other strengths of the novel include dialogue, particularly between Greyson and the AI, and the world building. Neal Shusterman captures an incredible system and organisation with this series, which feels really unique in the genre. Neal also captures a greater span of time in this book than in Scythe and Thunderhead, giving context to the world and its makeup and allowing the reader to understand more about the setting.

Special shout out goes to the revelation about the Luna colony and the Mars colony — what a fabulous twist!

“Loriana found that keeping busy was the best way to avoid panicking at their current situation, and, in a vacuum of leadership, most people were willing to take direction from her — something they probably never would have done in the comfort of the AI offices.”

There were parts of the book that were quite predictable, and there was also obvious signposting scattered throughout the novel. This might frustrate readers but ultimately, won’t deter them. Younger readers may not pick up on this, but adult readers probably will.

Additionally, the pacing was a little slow at times and could’ve been sped up. It’s a very long book, sitting at over 600 pages, and I do think it could’ve been trimmed a little.

Despite that, this is an enjoyable finale to the series and readers will be pleasantly surprised with where Neal has taken the story.

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

The Toll: Arc of a Scythe #3
Neal Shusterman
November 2019
Walker Books Australia

Supernova by Marissa Meyer

All’s fair in love and anarchy …

Nova and Adrian are struggling to keep their secret identities concealed while the battle rages on between their alter egos and their allies. But their greatest fears are about to come to life. Secrets, lies and betrayals are revealed as anarchy once again threatens to reclaim Gatlon City.

Supernova is the third and final instalment in Marissa Meyer’s Renegades Trilogy, set within the world of superheroes and super-villains.

This review is riddled with spoilers, not just for the series thus far but of Supernova. It’s hard to review this critically without being specific on the examples. Only read on if you’ve read Supernova, or if you’re happy being spoiled.

You can read my review of Renegades HERE and my review of Archenemies HERE.

Sitting at 550 pages, Supernova is a beast of a book. The story picks up almost immediately after Archenemies left off — Nova/Nightmare has stolen Ace Anarchy’s helmet, used Agent N to strip Frostbite, Gargoyle and Aftershock of their powers, and witnessed Max Everhart nearly bleed to death after Frostbite unintentionally stabbed him.

Nova is still in doubt over her true objective, and where her true loyalties lie. She’s falling hard for Adrian Everhart, and she’s developed true friendships with the other Renegades. But she owes Ace Anarchy her life, right? She’s a conflicted character, and she remains conflicted for the majority of the book.

“To a lot of prodigy parents, Max would have been seen as a threat long before he was seen as a child worth loving. For months, after, Max had lived with a civilian foster family who cared for him until Hugh and Simon could figure out what to do. From the start, Hugh had felt it was important for him to be kept close.”

The pacing, dialogue and world-building have always been the strengths of the Renegades Trilogy. Marissa Meyer is really skilled at constructing relatable characters who you can’t help but empathise with or sympathise for. There are moments in Supernova where Nova is a bit unlikeable and her actions are unrealistic — like when she tries to convince Ace Anarchy and the rest of the crew that they should just leave Gatlon City and set up camp somewhere else — but for most of the novel, you’re rooting for her.

Both sides of the war — Renegades and Anarchists — are fighting for what they believe is right. And both sides have beliefs and values that the reader could understand. It’s not black and white, and there are moments of the book that are very grey. It’s easy for the characters to lose sight of what’s important, and how to achieve their end goal.

“Nova was eager to put this charade behind her. As soon as she left headquarters with the fake helmet tucked into a plain tote bag, she marched straight for Blackmire Station, one of the defunct stations on the old Gatlon City subway line.”

Structurally, Supernova falls short. Nova’s secret identity as Nightmare is discovered by Adrian and the gang pretty early on. Understandably, he’s pissed. Nova is immediately imprisoned in Cragmoor Penitentiary, where Ace Anarchy and other dangerous villains are held. This is where the book starts to get really good. You think Nova will work out a way to escape. Maybe she’ll break out Ace as well?

But, the resulting plot line is a disappointment. She claims innocence, Adrian is worried he is wrong, and then one of Nova’s allies dons her suit and delivers a cringe-worthy speech to Adrian that Nova has been framed and….Adrian believes them. And thus, Nova is released from prison and all returns to normal.

It’s a soft plot point — it feels like the author wrote herself into a corner and took the easy way out. It also gives the reader whiplash and severe disappointment, because of all the ways the plot could’ve gone, mistaken identity and the classic ‘I was framed’ storyline was the weakest option.

Another weak element of the book are the action/fighting scenes. I felt myself growing bored whenever they came up, perhaps because they were too long and stretched over multiple chapters. Perhaps because the writing wasn’t as tight and polished as it needs to be during a fight scene.

“Dazed, Nova looked down to see one hive with a footprint shoved into its papery shell in the centre of the room. She’d moved so fast, she hadn’t even noticed stepping on it. The bees who had called it home were swarming around, apparently enraged, but they were not the insects that worried her.”

A solid conclusion to an explosive and action-packed series. Even with a few questionable plot points and unrealistic, far-fetched moments, Supernova will please fans of the series.

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

Supernova
Marissa Meyer
November 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

REVIEW AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Relic by Bronwyn Eley

In the city of Edriast, there is no deadlier duty than to serve as the Shadow.

As the personal servant of the powerful Lord Rennard, the Shadow’s life is all but forfeit. Rennard possesses one of five rare and dangerous Relics – a jewel that protects his bloodline, but slowly poisons everyone else in its proximity. When the current Shadow succumbs to its magic, nineteen-year-old blacksmith Kaylan is summoned to take his place.
It’s an appointment that will kill her.

As the time Kaylan has left ebbs away, hope begins to fade… That is, until she discovers a plot to destroy all five bloodlines in possession of the Relics.

A rebel force plans to put an end to Rennard’s rule and Kaylan suddenly finds herself embroiled in a cause that might just be worth fighting for.  But no cause is without its costs…

As her life hangs in the balance and rebellion bears down on Edriast, Kaylan must decide where her loyalties lie – and how she’ll leave her mark on the world.

Relic by Bronwyn Eley is the first novel in the dark YA fantasy series, The Relic Trilogy. Set in the fictional city of Edriast, teenager Kaylan is selected as the new Shadow — a cursed role serving Lord Rennard, that guarantees imminent death.

Bronwyn’s debut novel is an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the premise, and the characters, and the pacing. At times, I felt the stakes weren’t that high but I still think fantasy readers will be entertained by this debut story. The relationship between Lord + Shadow is an interesting one, and certainly something that readers will be intrigued to find out more about.

“I flinched when Lirr’s hand rested on my lower back, firmly pressed against me as I tried to back away from his approach. I didn’t look at her, though, keeping my focus on Rennard. When he stopped, he was so close I could smell the heavy wine on his breath, so strong it was as if the fumes were pouring out of his skin.”

Friendships and alliances are a strong element in this book. Kaylan forms connections with a few other people whilst living as the Shadow, including Lord Rennard’s wife Jesper, and the delightful Markus.

Family is also a strong element in this book. Kaylan is really close with her family, particularly her siblings. It pains her to leave them behind when she is chosen as the new Shadow and she does her best to try and reconnect with them and check in on them after she’s left. It’s a heartwarming element to the story.

A few of the characters didn’t feel like they were fully fleshed out — Lord Rennard is an interesting character, although I didn’t feel like he was as three-dimensional as he could’ve been. I imagine we’ll come to know more about him and his motivations as we progress through the series. Additionally, Bellamy is a character we only hear about from other people. We don’t fully understand his intentions — good or bad — but I imagine this is setting things up for the sequel.

“Pride flourished in my chest briefly, suddenly replaced by a dark knot. In doing my job, I was helping Lord Rennard get one step closer to Bellamy. And what did I know about him? Nothing. Lord Rennard had put me in the middle of a dance without me knowing any of the steps.”

Kaylan is a relatable character that readers will sympathise for and empathise with. She’s a likeable character — a young girl who has been thrust into an unfortunate situation that she can’t do anything about. And it has a huge ripple effect on the rest of her family and friends.

At times, we’re dealing with an unreliable narrator and that’s always a welcome and enjoyable element in the fantasy genre. Over time, Kaylan’s mind falls victim to being Shadow and Kaylan can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. As a result, sometimes the reader is in the dark about the events in the book. This helps build the tension in the story,

“Better to come clean now, tell him why I wouldn’t be attending the celebration as a guest. Remove that look from his eyes. Quell any hopes of dancing under the stars with me. It couldn’t happen. And yet, I couldn’t stand the idea of those eyes turning cold and sorry.”

The world-building feels a little underdeveloped, and the plot points a little similar to many other fantasy novels. And the pacing is a bit slow in parts. But, the story kept my attention and the characters are interesting and I think YA readers will be entertained by this debut.

Rebellion is mentioned a lot in this book, but we don’t ever get to see any acts of rebellion. I look forward to the next book in the series, where the tension between Bellamy and Lord Rennard will no doubt reach boiling point.

Recommended for teenage readers and fans of fantasy novels. 12+

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

Relic
Bronwyn Eley
September 2019
Talem Press

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH BRONWYN ELEY

How do you juggle full-time work and writing?

Quite easily, honestly! I actually have three jobs (including my authoring) – my full-time work at Booktopia and I’m also a barista on Sundays at a cafe. Basically, I leave work and go to sport and then sit my butt down in front of the computer with some yummy snacks and beautiful instrumental music and just write! I always write after work and on the weekends, never in the morning before work. I don’t know how people do that – I like sleeping!

What skills from the military helped you write fantasy?

I’m not sure if my skills from the military helped write fantasy specifically but it helped writing in general. This is because I am a much harder worker now than I used to be. Being in the military got me to used long working days and that’s what writing with a full-time job is! It also showed me that I can do and be a lot more than I think. It made me believe in myself, so if I’m ever having a long day and finding it hard to write after work, I just remind myself of all the crazy and incredible and hard things I got through in the military. Then I think that sitting in front of a computer with some tasty snacks doesn’t sound too bad after all!

What element of novel writing do you think is your biggest strength?

Finishing the novel? Haha. Seriously, though, I am good at getting the words down on the page. Sometimes too many words! I’m definitely a waffler. I also like to think that I’m good at dialogue, that it comes across as natural.

What element of novel writing do you most struggle with?

Condensing my word count! As previously stated, I am a waffler and having to cut unnecessary words and scenes – or condensing them – is really challenging for me. Luckily, my wonderful editor is a total badass when it comes to this!

Working at Booktopia must give you an insight into another side of publishing that most people don’t see. What benefits do you think there are to writers knowing more about the publishing and/or bookselling process?

Great question! Working at Booktopia has been both a blessing and a curse in this regard. It’s great knowing the backend of the book publishing process: the realities of selling books, of becoming a bestseller, of what interests the booksellers, of how enormous the demand is – all incredibly helpful knowledge. On the other hand, it sometimes makes me wonder if there is even a point in me trying to make this work. So many books don’t even make a tiny splash, while others explode.

I do think it would benefit writers to understand how their books are processed – from the suppliers to the bookstores – and if they can help the process along. It’s also just really interesting! Seeing the trends and the people behind the books… it’s an interesting little world!

The fantasy genre is often filled with a lot of familiar tropes, storylines and characteristics. How do you craft your writing to either avoid or embrace these common elements?

I start by reading a lot of books in the fantasy genre in order to know these tropes and elements. I then decide which elements I don’t like – which is easy for me – and avoid them like the plague. On the other hand, if some moment or character in a book sticks with me, I make sure to investigate why it did so. I don’t want to force anything into one of my stories that doesn’t feel natural or right but if I can include/avoid these tropes then I will.

What can we expect from the next book in the series?

I’m going to avoid spoiling things from book one but I’m so glad you asked this question. I love book two, despite it still needing a lot of TLC. It’s all about stepping forth into the world and experiencing everything for the first time. Kaylan has a lot of challenges ahead of her and she is going to come to understand things she never thought she would.

There are a few new characters – two who I love to write so much and I really think readers are going to adore both of these people.

RELIC, Bronwyn Eley’s debut fantasy novel, is slated for release September 12.

About the author
Bronwyn joined the military right out of high school, where she learnt (among other things) to disassemble and reassemble a rifle blindfolded. After that she spent a lot of her time travelling around the world. Her favourite places (so far) are Scotland, Mongolia, Iceland and Ireland.

Bronwyn finally found her natural habitat when she landed her first job in the publishing industry. While she has always been a writer, it was only when surrounding herself with books that she realised her life’s dream was to become an author. Relic is her first novel.
Bronwyn lives in Sydney and spends her time eating chocolate, reading and practising her martial arts.

You add Relic to Goodreaders HERE, and visit Bronwyn’s website HERE

Evermore (Everless #2) by Sara Holland

The highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestseller, Everless!

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one.

Return to the intoxicating land of Sempera, where the rich live for centuries and the poor bleed time to pay for a loaf of bread. Can the Alchemist overcome the Sorceress once and for all?

Evermore is the second and final book in the YA fantasy duology from Sara Holland, picking up where things left off in Everless. If you haven’t read Everless, this review will be filled with spoilers — you are warned!

Last year, I read and loved Everless, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating reading the sequel and reviewing it for the blog. I’ve read quite a lot of negative reviews online, but I liked this sequel. Did I think it was truly amazing? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I feel it wrapped up the storyline in a satisfying manner? Yes.

Despite there being a lot of travel in this book (like many fantasy sequels), the pacing is quick and the stakes are high, and the tension rises with each passing chapter. There was a lot of history in this book — Jules explores her past and her connection to Caro, to find out what their backstory is and how they’re destined to cross paths in every lifetime. This element may not be for everyone but I found it incredibly necessary to the storyline, and I really enjoyed it.

“Liam Gerling flits across my mind again, the complete belief in his eyes when he stood in an open field and told me I was the Alchemist. I wish he were beside me, if only to show Amma that I’m not mad. Not yet.”

Jules and Caro are pretty far removed for most of the novel, which sometimes drags the novel. The confrontation at the conclusion is satisfying, but I would’ve liked the climax to be a little more drawn out and brought earlier into the story. It felt really rushed. We do spend a lot of time exploring Jules and Caro’s backstories and while this is important, other elements of the story could’ve perhaps been embedded throughout to break up the storyline and ensure the reader’s attention didn’t waver.

The concept of blood being exchanged as currency wasn’t used very frequently in the story, and that saddened me. That concept felt truly original and it was one of my favourite things about Everless — it completely hooked me into picking up the series.

However, its lack of presence in this book just highlights how cut-off Jules is from the rest of civilisation. She’s often in the middle of nowhere, travelling somewhere that will give her answers to her past and her connection with Caro. It was a necessary sacrifice, I’m sure, but something I dearly missed.

“As she speaks, she dances out of the way of all my blows, her movements quick and graceful and efficient. She doesn’t seem to be trying to hurt me, but I realize that we’re closer together now than before. Caro is luring me to her — just like she lured me here, I think bitterly, foolishly.”

Something about this book felt so different to the first one, and not always in a good way. I think Evermore felt more generic, more like stereotypical fantasy than Everless did. And I’m sure that has something to do with the structure of the book. Jules is on a journey for most of the book — she’s travelling a lot and she’s learning a lot of information about her past and its significance, and she’s keeping a low profile. It feels pretty similar to a lot of other fantasy books.

That, combined with the fact that Sara Holland’s incredible magic system from book one doesn’t really get prime position, made for a slightly less-than-impressive sequel.

“My stomach lurched. A year. And these people don’t even care; they’re laughing and smiling as they roll up their sleeves, exposing their arms and palms like fish bellies to the dancing candlelight of the hall. Their flesh is smooth. Unblemished. No signs of having been bled before.”

Two books felt like the appropriate amount for this story — I actually was expecting this to be a trilogy, not thinking too much about it, until I neared the end of Evermore and realised that the story was wrapping up! I really appreciated that. Not all fantasy series need to be 3+ books.

I recommend this series to YA fantasy readers. It sits pretty comfortably in that space, so I feel confident that readers who love and regularly read fantasy will be the core audience for this series.

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

Evermore (Everless #2)
Sara Holland
August 2019
Hachette Book Publishers