Love and Other Forgein Words by Erin McCahan

 

There are books where you want to critique it to within an inch of its life, then there books that you want to just appreciate it for how it made it you feel. Love and Other Foreign Words is one of those books that made me feel good; made me grin like a fool. Josie is such a quirky, insightful, unintentionally funny character. 

This book also achieved being romantic even if the romance was subtle. It's sweet and awkward, which to me is the perfect combination in a teen contemporary romance. 

Josie Sheridan is very analytical, a bit distant from her own life. She dissects people's words, the way the same phrase can mean two totally different things depending on tone, speaker, audience, and other context. She's pretty good at responding to people the way they expect, since she's so good at breaking down communication. But she's missing a deeper, natural feel for interaction.

Josie's need to understand love comes to a head when her sister introduces her fiance to the family. Geoff is pretentious and awkward and Josie just knows she can't let Kate marry him. I liked that we were clearly getting a biased view of Geoff (and Kate), although Geoff did make a genuinely bad first impression. At the same time, Josie's biases muddled some of Kate's character progression. Geoff stays about the same, but Kate becomes needlessly cruel. It's a fairly abrupt character change and I didn't really buy the resolution. It wasn't earned.

The family dynamics is surreal, almost. They're a close-knit bunch. Though the Bridezilla sister will probably annoy you, as well, Bridezilla's fiancé. But in the end, you'll probably forgive them anyway.

Throne of Glass By: Sarah J Maas

With a notorious female assassin as a main character, Thone of Glass redefines the meaning of impressive. Celaena Sardothien is Ardalan’s greatest assassin, both beautiful and deadly, yet with such an infamous title comes a price; she labours away in the salt mines of Endovier, funnelling her strength and frustration into a pickax. When a miraculous opportunity for freedom arrives in the form of the Crown Prince of Ardalan, Celaena is ready to grasp it with both hands. Her task: compete with others for the position of King’s Champion – his own personal assassin. 

The determination, wit and pure strength that resonated in Celaena’s character made her instantly one of my favourite female protagonists of all time. Her quick thinking and chillingly precise knowledge of how to incapacitate anyone, anywhere, was both fascinating and strangely exhilarating. What’s interesting, and even slightly amusing, was that Calaena was not just an assassin, but she was also unexpectedly girly. Perhaps my understanding of assassins is limited, but I sure wasn’t expecting that side to peek through. Her playful, sarcastic retorts and unashamed comments were wonderfully entertaining, as was her desire to attend royal parties and fawn over luscious dresses. She never once failed to astound, and I can think of two male characters who might agree with that. 

The Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, and the Crown Prince, Dorian Havilliard are perhaps potential contenders in a love triangle. I say perhaps as it didn’t quite read like one to me, though I have chosen my favourite love interest (and was left disappointed when the romance appeared to be swaying towards the other guy – I won’t mention who) and hope that the next book is more fulfilling in that regard. Regardless, both men had a strong presence in the story and appealing, sometimes similar, qualities about them. Both were steadfast and determined to ensure Celaena emerged triumphant in the contest, proving to be loyal companions to a sharp-tongued assassin. Where Dorian was the more open of the two, flirting endlessly with Celaena, Chaol didn’t fail to leave an impression with his unbreakable exterior glimmering with brief glimpses of humour and a deeper personality. 

With such a well-crafted set of fleshed-out characters, it was near impossible to disengage from the story. The author’s world is completely entrancing, with hidden depths of magic and mentions of Fae lurking behind the primary plot. A few aspects remained unexplained throughout the book, particularly regarding Celaena’s past, but I am confident any dark areas will be addressed in the books to come. Overall, the plot proved to be a gripping one, with the right amount of action and mystery complementing the romance and court intrigue. 

Sarah J Maas has delivered a truly captivating story and I can say with assurance that the ten years she spent working on Celaena’s world has paid off.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson 

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutelyl

It starts out just after the world has been effected by calamity! People are mysteriously turning into epics and have these extraordinary powers. These epics have taken over and you must follow there rules or you will suffer the consequences which is death! The world building is incredible. Every turn of a page the world comes alive with devastatingly grim, yet strangely vivid, details. 

Epics are humans that have abilities, amazing superhero-like powers, and tend to use them for personal gain and power. They are so powerful that nobody fights them. Nobody except the 'Reckoners'. Epics are essentially bullies (bullies with incredible destructive power) but each one has a weakness, and thus can be fought by ordinary folks like us.

This is a novel for all of us. The plot is only the superficial top layering of this 17-layer cake and, believe me friends, this cake has a lot of delicious calories. Sanderson is known for his unique, complex magic systems that he constructs for his novels. So, of course, the system that he has built for superheroes is equally complex and interdependent. He doesn't just come up with weird cool powers and sprinkle superheroes around.

Each new Epic introduced is more fascinating than the last, not to mention terrifying. The various powers that range from death by command, to illusionists, to controlling daylight, coupled with the concept of weaknesses, are imaginative and utterly compelling. Much like Calamity which remains the enigma behind it all, yet to be explored but full of promise.

Now let's meet the characters. We have a protagonist who's dedicated his life to learning about the Epics, his knowledge on the matter turns him into a capable and intelligent character. His awkwardness around a certain girl and his terrible analogies offer some comic relief to the story's borderline unbearable tension while carving him into a flawed, easily relatable character. He soon teams up with the Reckoners, a group who is fighting back against the Epics. Each member of this team brings forth a memorable personality, and a few have an air of mystery that will make you constantly question everything about their character. The powerhouse in this book, however, is none other than Steelheart himself. He makes his presence known during the first few pages, paralyzing us with his sheer power, ruthlessness, and invincibility. Most of the plot - especially its mystery - is spent on figuring out what exactly could lead to his defeat, but finding this weakness feels like an insurmountable challenge.  

Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of this book! Steelheart is a spectacular read that's impossible to put down; sit comfortably, take a (deep) breath, now get ready to be up all night!