JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice and betrayal for readers of Tomi Adeyemi, Kendare Blake and Samantha Shannon.

All hail the Girl King

Sisters Lu and Min have always known their places as princesses of the empire. Lu is destined to become the first female emperor, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. When their father declares their male cousin heir instead, his betrayal throws both their lives into chaos.

Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu must flee the court in search of an ally. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. After years in hiding, Nok is forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved. Now they need an army to take back the throne.

Left alone in the volatile court, Min’s hidden power awakens. It’s a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign . . . or allow Min to claim the throne herself.

But there can only be one emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could turn out to be each other . . .

The Girl King by Mimi Yu is the first book in a new fantasy series, about two sisters who become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor. This book explores issues surrounding family, sacrifice, ambition, prophecy, destiny and betrayal, perfect for young adult readers.

This debut is amazing — refreshing, unique, enthralling and extraordinary. I went into this book completely blind, having never heard anything about it. It was delivered to my door as an unsolicited request from Hachette Publishers, and I’m so so glad they sent me a copy. I demolished this book, and I’m now so eager for the sequel.

There are many characters in the book, but the main protagonists are princesses and sisters Lu and Min, and Nok, an apothecarist’s apprentice living in a poor village in the city’s North. When Lu flees home, she crosses paths with Nok — who has his own special abilities — and they work together to overthrow Set and his army.

Lu is determined but naive, which aligns with her privileged upbringing and her young age. She is determined to be the dynasty’s first female ruler, and her father’s betrayal is not going to stop her from being Empress.

“Chaos broke. Shouts went up from her men — there was a flash of steel as weapons were drawn. A crossbow twanged and someone in Hu reds fell to the ground. Lu tried to track who it was, who had shot — who, if anyone, was on her side, and who was the enemy.”

Lu is very flawed and the people she meets on her journey are not shy in acknowledging that. It’s refreshing. Lu is too young to possibly know everything she can in order to overthrow and rule her family’s dynasty. She needs to grow up and mature, and she needs allies. She needs to learn to trust others and honour promises, and she needs to learnt to connect with people so that they can trust her as a future ruler.

Set may be young, but he’s a great villain. He’s cunning and clever, he’s brash and careless. He’s also overconfident; he’s not as skilled as Lu in combat or swordplay. He’s a child. He’s unprepared for what he’s been thrust into, and once the Empress pulls the right strings to allow Set to be the new Emperor, he disregards her and pushes her aside and that’s probably one of the biggest mistakes he makes in this book.

Min is forever overlooked. The second sister, never destined to rule. She never receives the same kind of attention or training from her father. But she is not to be ignored. Unbeknownst to her, she harbours very powerful and effective magic that once unleashed, changes the empire and has a big impact on the war between her and her sister Lu.

“Lu felt a familiar pinprick of annoyance. Sisters, she was fairly certain, were supposed to present a unified front against their parents. Min acted more like a twice-shot, over-burdened messenger, running ragged between Lu and their mother, trying to keep the peace. Their mother was a tyrant, true, but if only her sister would stand up herself now and again.”

The plot moves quickly and the characters are all three-dimensional, full-fleshed out. It’s easy to become lost in the story, reading chapter after chapter, desperate to get to the end. The writing is smooth and visual, with effective dialogue and vocabulary used to allow the reader to visualise what’s happening.

I felt like Min’s magic, and her abilities, weren’t really explained as clearly as they could’ve been. I don’t 100% understand the magic she is able to do, and what the magic inside her means for her surroundings, but I believe this may become clearer as the series progresses.

Despite this, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. This is my first 10/10 for 2019, and I think anyone who loves fantasy books, or sagas or series will love this. But truthfully, I think all readers — young and old — will enjoy this story.

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

The Girl King
Mimi Yu
January 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

I Am Out With Lanterns by Emily Gale

One of us is in the dark.
One of us is a bully.
One of us wants to be understood.
One of us loves a girl who loves another.
One of us remembers the past as if it just happened.
One of us believes they’ve drawn the future.
But we’re all on the same map, looking for the same thing.

Year Ten begins with a jolt for best friends and neighbours Wren and Milo. Along with Hari, Juliet, Ben and Adie, they tell a story of friendship, family, wild crushes, bitter feuds, and the power of a portrait.

As their lives intertwine, images could bring them together, and tear them apart.

I Am Out with Lanterns is the latest contemporary novel by Australian young adult author Emily Gale. It explores friendship, family, relationships and identity.

There are many characters to this novel, and many switching POV chapters. However, central characters include Wren, an artist who is stuck drawing portrait after portrait of her brother Floyd, who died a few years earlier. Milo is Wren’s next door neighbour. He’s sweet, kind-hearted and has a beautiful soul. But he’s often misunderstood and at school, he’s bullied really horribly.

Adie’s father is an artist, and she’s been his muse since she was little. But he’s a harmful character, and their relationship is not a healthy one. Juliet is really loved and supported at home, but she’s lonely and feels a little lost.

“This is it: my first party as a teenager. You could call that impressive, considering I’ve been a teenager for more than three years, or you might prefer to call it what it actually is.”

I Am Out with Lanterns is very much about self-discovery and self-awareness and that crucial time in a teenager’s life when they grow into themselves and must make choices that others may disapprove of. The title of the book was actually inspired by an Emily Dickinson quote, ‘I am out with lanterns, looking for myself’ and this does well to capture the feel and atmosphere of the novel.

The book explores themes of sexuality, friendship and identity, through the lens of six teenagers.

Emily brings all of these characters together, allowing us to witness their lives alter and change as their paths intersect. Some of these characters are incredibly flawed, but all their voices are incredibly unique and we come to understand each character in a different way.

“I hold the Nintendo high and watch him jump for it. Noah is smaller and skinnier than I was at his age. He’s always in his own little world or having secret chats with Mum, or climbing the tree down the back of our garden by himself and sitting there like some loner.”

Ben’s character is quite different from the others. He’s a bully, and he’s powerful and assertive. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his incredibly manipulative father, and even though he can see this, he doesn’t appear to want to change.

I appreciated his presence as one of the six characters. I think it’s important for authors to show readers a full range of people, and not just good-natured or nice people.

“Today after we’d sat in the chair on the street, as close as I’ve ever been to anyone, I said something funny. She looked at me and for a second we were locked in. Then she hit my arm and it was over. But that’s what I want to draw. Her face in that split second, a shot to the heart. The next time she looks at me like that, I think I’m going to kiss her.”

My only criticism is that I really struggled to keep track of the different characters and their relations to each other, because of how many POVs there are and how quickly they switch. Many of the characters weave in and out of other POVs, so sometimes I had to take a moment to remember their backstory before continuing.

I Am Out With Lanterns is an energetic, emotional story with a dynamic and diverse cast — it is both heartwarming and heartfelt.

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

I am Out With Lanterns
Emily Gale
August 2018
Penguin Random House

In the Dark, In the Woods by Eliza Wass


The premise of this novel is an intriguing one and it had me hooked when I read the blurb.

The Creswell family live in the woods and the main character Castley is one of the daughters and she wants to be normal. She wants to fit in with the girls at school and not be steered by the radically religious views that her father has. Castley’s father is abusive and her mother is disabled and they don’t have enough food or resources to continue living. And slowly, secrets emerge. Lots of family secrets that were once hidden are uncovered throughout the book.

Eliza Wass presents a very small, confined setting. The Creswells are all bunkered together in a small house out in the forest, and the only other place the children are regularly allowed to venture to is their school. This setting is remote and it suffocates the characters, and it works well to suffocate the reader as well. The reader can automatically sense dread – they can sense that there will be some shocking and worrying events to come in the book.

The family dynamic is wonderful. Castley begins to doubt some of her siblings and she questions their decisions, but all is not as it seems and her relationship with her family begins to shift. She is forced to confront her beliefs and everything that her father has taught her and she must figure out what she wants. Alliances change throughout the book. Her opinions of her brothers change and her idea of what’s important also alters. These shifts in the Cresswell family dynamic become catalysts for resulting events, propelling the story forward and quickening the pace.

There were a couple things that I believe could’ve been more effective if done differently.

1) I don’t think the children should’ve been going to school. Their father is extremely dangerous and doesn’t trust anyone in the town, but he lets his children go to school? It would’ve provided a different element if the children were banned from school and only had each other and their father to rely on. It would’ve further refined the setting of the story and allowed for a creepier element to the novel. Plus, Castley really wants to be like every other normal child in town. If she were forbidden from venturing into town or going to school but perhaps snuck out and did it anyway, her voyeuristic, outsider viewpoint of the other kids would have highlighted this even further.

2) Castley’s siblings seem to change their minds often. In some chapters they’re following in their father’s footsteps and mirroring his radical views with unrelenting obedience. In other chapters, they’ve flipped and are being rebellious. This may be a chosen stylistic technique of Eliza’s to highlight that the children aren’t sure of what they believe anymore and that they’re starting to have doubt. However, if this is the case, I think the altering opinions and the different behaviours could have been written a little bit more seamlessly and delicately to make it a little more realistic.

3) I think the characters could’ve had a bit more depth. Sometimes, even Castley felt one dimensional to me. I found myself struggling to sympathise for her or her siblings and I read the story with interest but not worry or concern. I definitely think there was more room in the story for Eliza to develop the characters so that the readers could become more engrossed in the book.

Overall, I did really enjoy this novel. The writing is simplistic and the dialogue isn’t overdone and it’s a quick read. The characters are intriguing enough that you want to keep reading and the plot moves quickly enough that you aren’t bored.

Thank you to Hachette for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

March 2016 Wrap Up

Another month has gone by, meaning another month of books acquired and reviews posted! Here is a list of the books I’ve received/bought/borrowed in March:


1. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for supplying this book to me through Netgalley. This is about Lily, a beautiful daschund who develops a brain tumour. But we don’t refer to it as a tumour. We call it an octopus. Lily’s owner is desperate to help Lily beat this Octopus because he’s so close with Lily and can’t imagine losing her. I’ve already read this book and am writing up a review for it soon. I absolutely loved it! It’s such a heart-warming tale for all animal lovers, but it’s also exceptionally well written! A favourite of mine for 2016.


2. Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley
Thanks to Text Publishing for supplying this book to me through Netgalley. Sid and Cassie are sisters who live in different countries and aren’t as close anymore, so they start writing letters to each other to better keep in touch. And out comes their marriage problems, parenting woes, and all the concerns they’ve had and been too afraid to tell the other. I’ve posted my review already and thought it was a lovely read.


3. The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis
I picked up a copy of The Sidekicks earlier this month at a book event, and I finished it in one sitting. This book is about three school students who are dealing with the loss of their friend, and it is painfully raw. The characters are all very different and yet they mould well together and they work to find themselves again after the sudden death. I really enjoyed this book!


4. Ruined by Amy Tintera
This is the first book in a fantastic new YA/fantasy series by Amy Tintera. I borrowed an early copy off a friend and read it within a couple of days. The main character is feisty, daring, bold and courageous. She impersonates a princess to seek revenge on the royal family because they murdered her parents and kidnapped her sister, and the story unfolds at a rapid pace!


5. Yellow by Megan Jacobson
I bought this book earlier this month after its release and have since read it and posted a review on the blog. Yellow is about a young girl who is struggling to fit in. Her friends bully her, her father has left them, and her mother is an alcoholic. And then she meets a ghost who was murdered 20 years earlier, and she seems to be the only person who can hear him. This is a really compelling debut novel!


6. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
This is another book I bought upon release date after hearing so much about it on social media. Imagine Aladdin set in a dystopian world, and you’ll understand the setting of Rebel of the Sands. The main character is a fantastic shooter, and she’s desperate to escape her no-hope town and find a better life. Action and adventure ensues.


7. A World of Other People by Steven Carroll
I’ve had this on my bookshelf ever since Steven Carroll won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award last year. He’s a wonderful writer, and A World of Other People is about a couple whose lives intersect multiple times but who tragically part ways every time. Steven has done a marvellous job of telling their story.


8. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
I bought this one at a Lifeline bookfest a few weeks ago and I’ve just started reading it. It’s beautiful. It sheds light on a piece of American history that is often forgotten, and the writer is extremely talented. The characters are wonderfully real and painfully flawed.

And in case you missed it, here is a list (with links) of reviews that I’ve posted on Jess Just Reads this month!

REVIEWS POSTED IN MARCH:
1. Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley
2. Hold by Kirsten Tranter
3. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
4. Yellow by Megan Jacobson
5. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
6. A World of Other People by Steven Carroll

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

I’m fast becoming a sucker for a YA dystopian series with a fantastic cover. Perhaps I’ve read too many, or perhaps I love YA dystopian novels because they’re always so unique and interesting and they are can’t-put-it-down kind of books. I actually have to stop myself from reading more YA dystopias so this blog can remain a book review blog where I review different genres of books.

Snow like Ashes is the first novel in a new series by Sara Raasch where different societies are separated by seasons. Not districts. Not class levels. Seasons, like winter, autumn, spring and summer. And it’s very refreshing. And I love that our main character is from Winter. It reminds me of Frozen, and it also reminds me of many glorious fantasy novels where they’re fighting winter or they have to travel through horrific cold conditions to complete their task/mission.

The main character, Meira, is fantastic. She’s confident, daring, bold and she knows what she wants. This isn’t exactly unique in YA fiction, because I’m reading more and more novels where writers are finally giving their female lead character a bit more backbone. There aren’t many Bella Swan’s in YA dystopian fiction, thankfully. Meira also knows how to handle a really shite situation where she’s been betrayed. There’s a particular scene where her love interest and father figure betray her (quite horribly) and she acts accordingly. She knows how to get what she wants and she doesn’t give second chances.

I’m looking forward to reading Ice like Fire (the second in the series) because there were romantic links between Meira and Mather and also Meira and Theron, and these remain unresolved at the end of the novel. This leaves it open to be further explored in the second novel. Also, Meira’s magic powers and her link to the kingdom in Winter is also expected to be developed further in Ice like Fire.

Despite the fact that it took me a good 50 pages to fully understand the premise of the story, and also to understand which character is which (I got confused with all the names in the first few chapters), I do think this book is wonderful.

Cheers to Snow like Ashes:

My Score: 9/10