The Quiet Concert

Top Ten Characters We'd Never Want To Trade Places With

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's Top Ten list is "Top Ten Characters I'd Never Want To Trade Places With".

Penryn in (Penryn & The End of Days series by Susan Ee)
Angel apocalypse. Scorpion/Angel hybrid creatures. Flesh-eating sister. No thank you.

Sloane (This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers)

Zombie apocalypse. Suicidal feelings. Yeah, also no thanks.

Deuce (Razorland series by Ann Aguirre)

Freaks. NO WAIT. Intelligent Freaks. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Katniss (The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins)

Cia (The Testing series by Joelle Charbonneau)

Rachel (Defiance by CJ Redwine)
Having a society where woman can't really live on their own is not my kinda place.

Lena (Delirium by Lauren Oliver)

Love is a disease. I happen to enjoy that emotion :) so that would not work for me.

Tris (Divergent by Veronica Roth)

A society broken up by factions with serious bad leaders. Not even sure what faction I would be in if I had to pick.

Lynn (Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis)

Ren (The Ward by Jordana Frankel)

The whole concept of water-logged city with infections sounds awful. I am not a strong swimmer so the whole water everywhere would freak me out.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Pages: 352
Source: Edelweiss (thank you HarperCollins!)

Summary from Goodreads:
Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Review

Nyx was raised to marry a monster to repay a debt that her father had made before her birth.

"He had killed countless people, including my mother. He had tyrannized my country for nine hundred years, using his demons to keep my people in terror. And he had destroyed my life."

She was prepared to do whatever it took to kill him and save her country.

"I had a house to explore, a husband to defeat, and no time to waste at all."

She never expected to love him.

"I hated his eyes, his laugh, his mocking smile. I hated that he could kiss me, kill me, or lock me up with perfect ease. Most of all, I hated that he had made me want him."

Cruel Beauty is a gripping and romantic tale set in a world that feels both familiar and utterly unique. From the moment Nyx stepped inside the Gentle Lord's castle I felt like I was under a spell. I was transfixed. Every encounter with the Gentle Lord made me want to see him again. Every glimpse of the house, which was magical and ever-changing, made me want to continue exploring. The story was filled with discovery and mystery and precious moments with him.

"Ours eyes met, and for a moment there was nothing buy shared glee between us - between me and my enemy."

There was layer after layer to this story. Each turn of the page brought something new. It's one of those stories that you don't understand the magnitude of until it's revealed to you. It's not just a story about a girl who falls in love with the monster she is supposed to kill. Although that part is lovely on its own. There is a larger story about the Lords of Bargains and a debt that goes deeper than the one even Nyx is asked to pay. It is puzzling and complex but utterly addicting.

"They avenge the wronged, when it suits them. Strike bargains with the desperate, when it suits them. They love to mock. To leave answers at the edges, where anyone could see them but nobody does. To tell the truth when it is too late to save anyone. And they are always fair."

Look at that beautiful prose!

Nyx... oh, Nyx. She was so angry at the world for the unfairness of it all. But so much was expected of her, at no choice of hers. I think she had every right to be angry. But she beat herself up about it when she should have given herself more credit. She was so torn between her own selfish desires and her duty. As for the Gentle Lord himself... so mystifying. He was merciless and cold yet so tender and vulnerable. I couldn't get enough of him. How wonderful a pair of characters for this story.

"The Gentle Lord was the most evil creature besides Typhon, and the most powerful after the gods. Everyone knew it.
Everyone was wrong."

I just adored this book. I know some have remarked that it is slow in pace but the writing swept me away that pace was the last thing on my mind. Cruel Beauty is beautiful and cruel and everything in between. I highly recommend it. Not to mention it would be a stunning addition to anyone's shelves (gorgeous cover alert!)

"One night awaits us all; therefore, beloved, wait for me."

Stacking the Shelves (56)- Jan 25th

Stacking the Shelves - hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews features books that you bought, borrowed, rented from the library, received for review, etc.

This is what's on my shelf for upcoming reads:

Revel by Maurissa Guibord
Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger

What books are stacking your shelves??

REVIEW: Fractured (Slated #2) by Teri Terry

Title: Fractured
Series: Slated #2

Author: Teri Terry

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Release Date: September 26, 2013

Pages: 336
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads:

Perfect for fans of the dystopian settings of The Hunger Games and Divergent, the gripping second installment of the Slated trilogy is a riveting psychological thriller set in a future where violent teens have their memory erased as an alternative to jail.

Kyla has been Slated—her personality wiped blank, her memories lost to her forever. Or so she thought. She shouldn’t be able to remember anything. But increasingly she can—and she’s discovering that there are a lot of dark secrets locked away in her memories. When a mysterious man from her past comes back into her life and wants her help, she thinks she’s on her way to finding the truth. But this new knowledge lands her in the middle of a tug-of-war between two dangerous adversaries, and despite her misgivings about both of them, she’s forced to choose a side for her own protection.

I continue to like the premise of this story - rather than face a harsher punishment, difficult teens can be "Slated" aka have their memories erased and be inserted into a new home for a chance at a second life. But for some reason, Slating didn't work as it should have on Kyla and she is slowly recovering her memories and discovering the person she was before slating; who happened to play a pivotal role in the rebel movement opposing the corrupt and oppressive Lorder enforcers.

This second book is largely focused on Kyla and her past before Slating. I enjoyed the journey of self discovery that she went on as her memories were revealed to her. Her past is somewhat surprising to her and she can't help but question who she was and who she wants to be. She is torn between her past and present desires.

The ending of this book was fantastic. There were a ton of revelations, quite a few twists, and lots of action - a serious pick up in pace from the rest of the book and I couldn't read fast enough. The third book is looking really promising.

What really made Slated stand out for me was the emotion that I felt while reading. Kyla's fear, confusion, and uncertainty was palpable and I was highly involved in the outcome of the story. But I didn't feel the emotion in this novel to the same degree, at least not until the end. The stakes were just as high, if not higher, but I didn't feel the threat or the severity of the situation like I did in the first book.

Although I liked the journey of self discovery that Kyla went on, I would have preferred less indecision on her part - at least with regards to her back and forth over what cause she supported and what she believed in - it got a little repetitive.

I didn't like how Kyla had no strength of will against Nico or Dr. Lysander. I would say that with every interaction she had with either of these characters there was some mention of her inability to disagree, lie, or withhold information. It just didn't agree with every other situation in which she is extremely capable and smart. It was a small thing and I think it was just a tool to provide information but it was obvious and abundant.

I enjoyed Fractured and I think it had a great ending, but the rest of the book was not as strong as I had hoped it would be. I didn't have the same emotional connection as I did with Slated and some of the writing bothered me. But I will be reading Shattered for sure. I love the premise and the third installment holds a lot of promise.

Thoughts for Thursday (12) - 5 "Oldies-but-Goodies" I Vow to Read in 2014

Welcome to Thoughts for Thursday! This feature is our outlet to talk with you about whatever we currently have on our minds. It might be bookish, it might not! Now for this week's thought:

5 "Oldies-but-Goodies" I Vow to Read in 2014

So these books aren't "old" per say but anything released before the previous calendar year that has a strong following I like to call "oldies-but-goodies". And these are the 5 "oldies-but-goodies" that I've set my sights on for this year. I already own all of these, I just haven't gotten around to reading them yet. I have no good excuses. So without further ado...

5. Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

I love this cover and the synopsis gives me goosebumps.
I also snagged this through ARCycling so it gets bumped up the list.

4. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

"A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch,
and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together."
Need I say more? That sounds freaking awesome.

3. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

"To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness"
I've heard this ranks among the best Vampire Fiction.
That's enough of a reason for me.

2. Hate List by Jennifer Brown

I love Jennifer Brown.
There is no good reason for not reading this yet.

1. On the Jelicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

This will be my first Marchetta contemporary.

I have heard nothing but wonderful things about this book.

So what do you think of my list? Have you read any of these? Are there any books you think I missed? What "oldies-but-goodies" are you going to read in 2014?

REVIEW: Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet
Series: Scarlet #1

Author: A.C. Gaughen

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Release Date: February 14, 2012

Pages: 292
Source: eBook

Summary from Goodreads:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

I loved that Scarlet was a retelling of the classic Robin Hood tale and it was so much more than that. Scarlet had history and passion and grief and cunning. There was a remarkable depth to this story that readers will appreciate.

The world and characters felt so real, you couldn't help but sympathize with these townspeople and root for the success of Robin Hood and his gang. And there were some serious monsters to root against. So much death and violence. Your heart does not get to take it easy during this reading experience.

The band was so much fun. But Scarlet and Rob specifically were great, both individually and as a pair. Scarlet was a riot. She was sassy and stubborn and could hang with the best of them. The story is told from her POV, in a sort of lower-class broken English, which was perfect and really gave voice to her character. Rob was a sweetheart but could be so dumb at times when it came to Scarlet. Men... *shakes head*

Who doesn't love a book with thievery and law-breaking, good guys vs bad guys? This book was so much fun and one big adventure. And the ending was perfect. Conclusive but still open-ended enough for the sequel.

I didn't care all that much for the love triangle between Rob, Scarlet and John, primarily because I didn't care all that much for John. Whatever affections John might have had for Scarlet, and vice versa, did not feel genuine and only served as a distraction from Rob and Scarlet, which was perfect and meant to be. Plus, there was too much back and forth on Scarlet's part.

I didn't find the pacing to be all that fast. Most likely the love triangle focus slowed it down for me. Nevertheless, the book in its entirety was still immensely entertaining.

I can understand why there is so much hype surrounding this book. It's a retelling done extremely well - sans the love triangle. The characters are memorable - flawed but great. The setting is thorough and the story is full of emotion. There is plenty of action and adventure and a fair share of thievery and lawbreaking. Who can say no to that? It was a smooth, enticing read from start to finish and I am looking forward to reading Lady Thief!

Pages

Top Ten Characters We'd Never Want To Trade Places With

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Review

Stacking the Shelves (56)- Jan 25th

REVIEW: Fractured (Slated #2) by Teri Terry

Thoughts for Thursday (12) - 5 "Oldies-but-Goodies" I Vow to Read in 2014

5 "Oldies-but-Goodies" I Vow to Read in 2014

5. Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

4. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

3. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

2. Hate List by Jennifer Brown

1. On the Jelicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

REVIEW: Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen

Top Ten Things On Our Reading Wishlist