JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

An Ember in the Ashes is one of those books that reaches social media stardom almost out of nowhere. I read about this book a few months ago, but no one else seemed to know what it was or what it was about. And now, it’s #2 on the NYT bestseller list and it’s all over my Twitter news feed.

Both the US and UK covers of this book are amazing. The US cover almost looks like a Roman, gladiator setting (which is on point with the Trials fought in the book), and the UK cover makes it look more dystopian and young-adult-friendly. Both of these covers work for the audience and for the storyline.

What I loved most about this book is that the main character is treated exactly how she should be in that time period. When you have a fantasy novel set in a time period where woman are treated terribly, the main female character always seems to somehow avoid trouble. But not in this book. Laia is tortured both physically and mentally, and is treated like the other female slaves that surround her. And Sabaa manages to capture her fear through subtle actions and through Laia’s motivations.

The attraction in this story between Laia and Elias isn’t overwhelming. There is actually two boys in the story who Laia finds herself attracted to. But in saying that, it doesn’t feel like a love triangle. To be honest, nothing really happens, because in this kind of world, she doesn’t really have time to be chasing boys. And I love that. It’s much more realistic.

This book evokes anger in the reader. The world is unrelenting and the Commandant (a female ruler in control of Laia) is ruthless and a psychopath. There’s the imminent threat of rape throughout the entire novel, and you get the feeling that Sabaa wouldn’t save her characters just because they’re the main characters. She’d do what’s right by the book and by the Roman-like world she’s created.

It hasn’t been confirmed that there is a sequel to this book, but enough of it is left open-ended that the reader can secretly hope for the story to continue. All of the attention that this book has received (not just in Australia but internationally) will mean that the publishers will probably want to publish a sequel.

My Score: 9/10
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Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie

I swore an oath to be avenged on the killers of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath
Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver
Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer
Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?
But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi’s path may end as it began – in twists, and traps and tragedy…

Finally! A fantasy book that isn’t too heavy. I love the fantasy genre, but sometimes a journey doesn’t need to take 200 pages, nor does the description of lineage. And Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King is just over 300 pages, and is fast-paced and easy to read.

When I say ‘easy to read’, I mean that the story isn’t bogged down with too much description and detail, the main character is three dimensional and therefore relatable, and the events that occur in the novel are realistic and believable. Yarvi isn’t the most handsome or skilled protagonist, and that’s what makes the reader sympathetic towards him. We (the reader) are subjected to his thoughts, doubts and his insecurities, and we keep reading the book because of it.

Joe has written the crowded scenes well – when I say ‘crowded’ I mean scenes with around ten characters in it (also known as Yarvi’s oar buddies when he’s a slave on a ship). As a writer, it’s hard to capture ten different voices and make them stand out to the reader. It’s easy to overcomplicate the exchanges and have the reader confused and desperately flicking back and forth through the pages trying to understand who is saying what. I have great respect to Joe for being able to write those scenes in an easy-to-read way.

There is one negative thing I’ll note about the book. Sometimes the point of view jumps into other heads, which is unnecessary. Although the book is written in third person, it’s mostly focused on Yarvi, so we come to understand his thoughts and feelings. However, occasionally, other characters will be focused on and a sentence or two about their feelings will be featured. This jolts the reader a little and makes them detract themselves from the book.

I’d recommend this book not just for fantasy readers, but for YA readers as well. It’s amazing, and deserves a 10/10 rating. I look forward to reading the second in the series, Half the World (coming out in February 2015).

My Score: 10/10
Buy HERE

Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

I started the first book in the Game of Thrones series last year, but I only made it about three quarters of the way through before I needed to sacrifice it for my uni work. When I picked it up again on the weekend, I realised that I couldn’t remember anything that happened and I’d need to start again.

Game of Thrones presents a bleak, melancholic setting in the Seven Kingdoms where being a ‘good’ character doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to stay alive. When you play the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die. A lot of people die. A lot. And George R.R. Martin’s writing style is direct, pace-y (not sure that’s a word), and invites the reader into the story. The book changes point of view between Eddard, Catelyn, Jon, Arya, Sansa, Tyrion, Bran, and Daenerys. Despite the vast number of POV’s, Martin has captured a different, unique voice for all of the characters and you don’t ever feel like there’s a cross over. Martin captures Tyrion’s quick wit and humour, but then uses Daenerys to illustrate naivety and fragility.

I do wonder what will happen with Bran, because after he ‘falls’ from the tower and becomes a cripple, his POV seems to set up what is going to happen to him later in the series. At least you know he’s going to live for a while, because after the shock death at the end of the novel, the reader will want to know that their favourite characters are actually going to make it through the Game of Thrones.

I applaud Martin on the world he’s built and the way in which he reveals information. When _____ (that line is intentional – I don’t want to give away the ending) dies at the end of the novel, Martin doesn’t bog the story down with revealing how each character found out about the death. Catelyn’s POV is set after she’s already found out, so the pace doesn’t slow down and the reader doesn’t have to relive ______’s death. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series, A Clash of Kings, although I’ll wait until I have the time to read it, because if I pause even for a few days, I’ll have to start over again, and the book is too long for me to want to do that.

My Score: 9/10

White Tiger by Kylie Chan

Book One in the Dark Heavens Trilogy

When 28-year-old Emma Donahoe becomes a nanny to John Chen’s daughter, Simone, she does not expect to be drawn into a world of martial arts, magic, and extreme danger, where both gods and demons can exist in the mortal world.

Emma gradually realises that John Chen is no ordinary businessman and that nearly all the demons in hell would like to see him dead. John and his American bodyguard, Leo, begin to teach Emma their particular brand of martial arts and special defensive techniques … they also begin to realise that there is something that is different about Emma but exactly what it is, nobody can say.

For the first 80 pages, this novel reads like a romance. Emma accepts a full-time nanny position and can’t quite suppress her feelings for the father. At first it’s intriguing and I wanted to keep reading to see what happened, but then Emma appeared a little needy and at times, she seemed 18 and not 28.

The martial arts/fantasy side of the novel is well written, and John Chen’s character is developed and three dimensional. Kylie should be commended on the humour between Emma and Leo, Simone’s bodyguard. This book will please fantasy readers because it presents an interesting, fantasy/magical take on martial arts and Chinese mythology. Even though the novel is quite long (a little too long), it is fast-paced and the tension developed in the story is engaging for the reader.

I also loved that Kylie’s novel is inclusive of many different types of characters and promotes equality, which is something that I had read before picking up the book. White Tiger consists of characters of different ages, genders, cultural backgrounds, and sexual orientation, and that is quite rare for a fantasy novel. Actually, that’s quite rare for any novel.

My Score: 8/10

The Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien

I realise that most of the novels I’ve reviewed so far have been given high scores. But, most of the novels I want to read are the ones that I’ve heard of from other writers. They’re either a classic, or they will be a classic, or they’re just amazing in a ‘that’s such a good idea for a novel. Why didn’t I think of that?’ kind of way.

This review is no different. Tolkien could do no wrong. I love The Lord of the Rings almost as much as I love Harry Potter. Although it took me until I was 21 to read the series. I must’ve tried to read The Fellowship of the Ring about 20 times when I was younger, to the point where I had Bilbo’s birthday speech memorised. Sometimes it’s hard to read the book when you’ve seen the movie so many times. And, it just killed me when I realised that most of the female characters in The Lord of the Rings films were created by Peter Jackson, and actually didn’t exist in the novels.

The series – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King – follows Frodo Baggins as he tries to destroy the ring of power, which was forged by Sauron in the depths of Mount Doom. Frodo originally sets out with nine companions, but they soon separate and multiple journeys are documented. Unlike the prequel (The Hobbit) where I felt the journey was rushed, each novel in the series is well paced and the character’s actions are realistic. The setting is described well and can be imagined easily, and the dialogue is representative of each character’s role within the novel. When the journey finally ends, it’s doesn’t feel like one of those TV shows where it’s dragged on (Prison Break and Lost). It’s bittersweet, and Tolkien did the story justice.

My Score: 10/10
The Next Novel on my List? Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind