[BOOK REVIEW] Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Title:  Princess Academy

Authors:  Shannon Hale

Genre:  Fantasy

Year Published: 2005

Number of Pages: 336 pages 

Date Read: 6/6/2010 

Series: Princess Academy #1 

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC   

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 12+ (Some Intense Moments)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

When I read “Rapunzel’s Revenge” and “Calamity Jack,” I became more interested into Shannon Hale’s works and “Princess Academy” was certainly no exception!  “Princess Academy” is a Newbery Honor Book from the imaginative mind of Shannon Hale and it is about a fourteen year old girl named Miri who is taken away from her family to be taught how to be a princess in a princess academy, while trying hard to accomplish the goal of being the academy princess.  “Princess Academy” is truly one of the most brilliant fairy tale retellings ever created!

Never have I seen a book so well written since J.K. Rowling’s popular Harry Potter series and Shannon Hale has done a magnificent job at writing this book.  Shannon Hale makes this book extremely exciting as the audience sees all the tough trials that each girl from Mount Eskel have to go through in order to become civilized princesses before the Prince arrives to the academy.  Also, Shannon Hale has done a great job at making the story somewhat intense, especially when Olana at first treats the girls in a cruel manner and locks them up in a closet and also when Miri has to compete with Katar, another brilliant girl to be academy princess and many adults would love to see so much tension build up between the characters which makes the story exciting to read through.  The character who stood out the most in this book is Miri herself as she is shown to be a strong and independent girl who would defy Olana’s rules of the academy in order to save the other girls’ lives.  Miri shows the true power of a kind heart as she was willing to put everyone’s needs before her own and even being kind to her rival, Katar as Miri tries to understand the other girls’ problems and try to figure out a way to solve their problems.  Miri is truly a great role model for women who want to stand up for what they believe is right and to always be kind to everyone, no matter if they are your enemies or friends.

“Princess Academy” is truly an inspiring story that teaches people how to stand up for what you believe is right and to just be yourself, even if you are put through training to become a proper princess!  If anyone wants a book about princesses, adventure, romance, and fierce determination, then this is the book for you!

* 2006 Newbery Honor
* 2007 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee
* 2008 Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee

You might also like: 

• Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

• Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale

• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

[BOOK REVIEW] Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Title:  Dead Until Dark

Authors:  Charlaine Harris

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Year Published: 2001

Number of Pages: 312 pages 

Date Read: 1/31/2011   

Series: Sookie Stackhouse #1  

Publisher: Ace Books

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Strong Language)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

I have read many paranormal romance books where the main character falls for a handsome and awesome vampire that knows how to kick bad guys to the curb! Well, I have just recently stumbled upon Charlaine Harris’s works and let me tell you, this book is unlike any other paranormal romance book I have ever read and this book is called “Dead until Dark.”  Not only is “Dead until Dark” the first book in the “Sookie Stackhouse series”, but it is also the first book that I have read from author Charlaine Harris and it is full of action, drama and vampire loving that will have any paranormal romance fan wanting more from this series!

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana and even though she is extremely beautiful, she has one disability that keeps the men away from her… she can read other people’s minds!  One day, Sookie meets a handsome vampire named Bill Compton and she starts to fall in love with him.  Unfortunately, the moment that Bill comes to town, a string of murders start to happen around Bon Temps and Bill is the prime suspect! Can Sookie clear Bill’s name? 
We will see!

Words just cannot describe how much I really enjoyed this book since I actually stayed up most of the night trying to finish reading this book because it was so interesting!  Charlaine Harris has definitely done an awesome job at writing this larger than life paranormal romance novel that takes place in the South!  There are just so many awesome things that I loved about this book, but I will have to narrow it down to a few things and what I loved the most about this book were the two main characters and the awesome action scenes.  My favorite characters in this book were Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton as they are truly a unique couple that cannot be reckoned with!  Sookie Stackhouse is such an interesting character as not only is the story told from her point of view, but she was also the first mind reader character that I have read about in any paranormal romance novel.  I loved the way that Charlaine Harris does not focus solely on Sookie’s beautiful looks, but also her caring and strong personality since she is the only character in the book who actually knows about what is really going on with the murders of the women in Bon Temps and I loved the way that Sookie refused to let the town’s prejudice against vampires get to her as she protects Bill with all her might.  I also loved the way that Sookie fights her tough opponents as she seems to remind me a bit of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” except that she does not slay vampires!  Another character I really loved was Bill Compton since he can be both scary and sensual at the same time, two personalities that I really loved about this character!  Sookie and Bill’s relationship is sweet, especially since both characters wanted to protect each other from any harm that befalls them and there are many “sensual” moments between the two that will have you panting with anticipation!

The only issue I had with this book is that they rarely focused on the secondary and minor characters. What I mean by secondary characters in this book are the members who are close to Sookie which were Jason and her grandmother and I felt like these two characters were just too one-dimensional since we do not know much about their background other than the fact that they are related to Sookie and they seemed to have less spotlight time in this book than Sookie and Bill. Also, I felt like they could have focused a bit more on Sookie’s African American friends and Bill’s vampire friends since they have even less spotlight time in the book and it felt like they were really not in the book at all since this book was mainly about Sookie and Bill.  Also, this book contains much stronger language than any other paranormal romance novel I have read, so anyone who does not approve of strong language might want to skim over them.

Overall, “Dead until Dark” is seriously one of the best paranormal romance series that everyone who are fans of handsome vampires and strong females will just read over and over again!


Will I read the rest of the “Sookie Stackhouse” series? You bet I am! Sookie Stackhouse series, here I come!

* 2001 Agatha Award Nominee for Best Novel
* 2002 Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original
* 2002 Dilys Award Nominee

You might also like: 

• Need by Carrie Jones

• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

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[BOOK REVIEW] Spider-Gwen: Most Wanted? Volume 0 by Jason Latour

Title:  Spider-Gwen: Most Wanted? Volume 0

Author: Jason Latour

Artist: Robbi Rodriguez

Genre:  Action / Superheroes / Drama / Crime / Music

Year Published: 2015

Year Read:  11/11/2017

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Series: Spider-Gwen #0

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 15+ (Some Language and Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

Introduction:

Wait a minute…Gwen Stacy is…SPIDER WOMAN!?  And who ever heard of a graphic novel having a volume 0?

Before you get confused about this (as I was), there was an event called “Spider-Verse” that might explain about all this (except that I haven’t read the “Spider-Verse” event yet, so that point might be moot at this time).  Anyway, I have been hearing so many good things about the “Spider-Gwen” series that I had to give “Spider-Gwen: Most Wanted? Volume Zero” a shot and I must admit that I actually liked this graphic novel!

What is this story about?

In this universe, it was Gwen Stacy who was bitten by a radioactive spider and possessed spider powers (not Peter Parker).  It turns out that Peter Parker was bullied so much at school that one day he decided to transform himself into the lizard and went on a rampage throughout the city and ended up getting himself killed.  Because of this, Gwen harbored a lot of guilt over what happened to Peter since Peter was doing all this to be like Gwen.  After this tragic event, J. Jonah Jameson had caused the public to turn against Spider-Gwen by stating that she was responsible for Peter Parker’s death and Gwen ends up being on the run from the law, including from her father Captain Stacy (at least until she tells him who she really is).  Now Gwen has to prove to the public that she did not kill Peter Parker and that she is a true hero while also avoiding the people after her including Frank Castle (A.K.A. The Punisher), the Vulture and Matt Murdock himself!

What I loved about this story:

Jason Latour’s writing:  Jason Latour’s writing was quite unique and interesting to read as this universe’s Gwen Stacy is one of the most interesting characters I had ever read!  I loved the way that Jason Latour made Gwen Stacy into such a strong female protagonist as Gwen also cracks jokes like Spider-Man, but she can be moody at times due to her guilt over Peter’s death and I loved the way that Jason Latour wrote Gwen’s struggles with trying to cope with Peter’s death as it made Gwen into a truly relatable character.   I also loved the fact that Gwen Stacy is involved in a rock band as it adds even more dimension to her character and I just loved the fact that we have a heroine who is into music!   I also enjoyed the moments between Gwen and her father, Captain Stacy, as while it was quite intense due to Captain Stacy not wanting his daughter to get in danger, it was nice seeing how much Captain Stacy cares about his daughter and only wants what is best for her.  Jason Latour also did an interesting job at giving us a Spider-Man universe where Gwen Stacy is Spider Woman as I never would have thought that Gwen Stacy of all people could become a superheroine.  But, this version of Gwen Stacy is so well written that I actually loved the fact that Gwen Stacy makes an interesting Spider Woman!

Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork:  Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork was quite creative to look at, especially Spider Gwen’s outfit!  I just loved the reddish hues that cover the pages whenever Gwen is performing in her rock band as it makes those moments really stand out.  But the best part of Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork is Spider-Gwen’s outfit!  I think I have fallen in love with Spider-Gwen’s outfit since it is actually white and pink all over and it makes her look like a savior type being within the pages!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I gave this book a four-star rating was because I felt that the dialogue was a bit disjointed at times.  I was not sure if it was because the dialogue was trying to use street slang to make the characters seem more modern or if it was the writing itself.  I often had a difficult time trying to understand what the characters are actually saying due to how the dialogue is being written.  Also, if you have not read “Spider-Verse,” chances are you will probably be confused about what is really going on in this book (although this is technically an alternate universe of the “Spider-Man” universe).

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Spider-Gwen: Most Wanted? Volume Zero” is a great graphic novel to read if you want to see a different take on Gwen Stacy!

You might also like:

• Ms. Marvel: No Normal Volume 1 by G. Willow Wilson

• Daredevil Volume 1 by Mark Waid
• Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon Volume 1 by Matt Fraction

[ARC REVIEW] Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin (@PeachtreePub, @bethanwoollvin)

Title:  Rapunzel

Author:  Bethan Woollvin

Genre:  Fairy Tale / Retelling / Feminism / Humor / Adventure

Year Published: 2017

Year Read:  2017

Publisher:  Peachtree Publishers

Source: eARC (Edelweiss)

Content Rating:  Ages 4+ (Death)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

I would like to thank Edelweiss and Peachtree Publishers for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had read many fairy tale retellings where the female protagonists (usually, “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood”) are rewritten as strong protagonists who are able to get themselves out their horrible situations using their wits and action skills.  So, when I stumbled upon this new children’s book on Edelweiss called “Rapunzel” by Bethan Woollvin, which is also about Rapunzel becoming an action girl, I just had to get this book and man was this a truly interesting book!

The story starts off with the wicked witch trapping Rapunzel in a tall and dark tower and every day, the witch would come into the tower and cut some of Rapunzel’s hair off to make some money off of it.  Also, the witch would threaten to put a terrible curse on Rapunzel if she tried to escape the tower.

Was Rapunzel frightened by the Witch’s threats?

Oh no, not she!

I must admit that I was quite intrigued with the premise of this book!  I have always loved reading fairy tale retellings where a different spin is taken on the fairy tale and I will admit that this was not the first time that I had read a “Rapunzel” tale where Rapunzel turns into an action girl (Shannon Hale’s “Rapunzel’s Revenge” anyone)?  Bethan Woollvin has done a great job at retelling this story as I loved the fact that Rapunzel becomes a resourceful girl who used her wits to outsmart the witch in this story and I also loved the fact that she was never scared of the witch’s threats since she is always one step ahead of the witch.  Bethan Woollvin’s artwork is adorable and creative to look at as Rapunzel is shown as being a small girl with long golden hair, while the witch is shown wearing a large black top hat that makes her outfit look so unique! I also loved the fact that the artwork is mostly in black and white with Rapunzel’s hair being one of the few things that has yellow colorings in this book, which makes her hair really stand out in the book!

The reason why I took off half a star from the rating was because I felt that the story was a bit bland at some place. I wished that more was fleshed out on Rapunzel herself and even though I like the fact that Rapunzel is much more resourceful in this book, her actions did not seem to have much weight at times because I wanted to learn more about her backstory to really sympathize with her character.

Overall, “Rapunzel” is a great read for anyone who wants to read a fairy tale retelling that features a strong female protagonist!  I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since the narrative is easily accessible for younger readers.

  You might also like:

• Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

• The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke
• Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke

[ARC REVIEW] Heathen Volume 1 by Natasha Alterici (@thevaultcomics, @Alterici)

Title:  Heathen Volume 1

Author:  Natasha Alterici

Artist:  Rachel Deering

Genre:  LGBT / Norse Mythology / Fantasy / Feminism / Adventure

Year Published: 2017

Year Read:  7/31/2017 

Publisher: Vault Comics

Series: Heathen #1

Source: eARC (NetGalley)

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Nudity and Themes of Homophobia)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

I would like to thank NetGalley and Vault Comics for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Introduction:

I have noticed lately that I rarely got the chance to read graphic novels that features a LGBT character as the main protagonist and I have been searching for many graphic novels that contains main LGBT protagonists.  Well, luckily NetGalley had decided to hand out such a graphic novel called “Heathen Volume One” which is written by Natasha Alterici along with artwork by Rachel Deering and I must say that this is easily one of the best LGBT graphic novels I have ever read!

What is this story about?

The story starts off with a young Viking woman named Avdis who was banished from her homeland due to participating in a forbidden act in her land: kissing another woman.  After this event, Aydis decided to go out on a mission to change the ways of Odin’s empire and the first thing she tries to do is to find and free the Valkyrie Brynhild.  It turns out that Odin had cursed Brynhild by forcing her to return to her mountain prison if she cannot find a mortal who is willing to marry her and Aydis aims to bring Brynhild’s suffering to an end!

What I loved about this story:

Natasha Alterici’s writing: Wow! Natasha Alterici has certainly done a wonderful job at writing this story as she is able to combine Norse Mythology with LGBT themes, which made this graphic novel such a unique read! I loved the way that Natasha Alterici wrote the dialogue between the characters as it really characterizes the characters and I loved the little nods to humor in the dialogue, especially between the two wolves Skull and Hati, which was the best part of the story.  I also enjoyed the details involving Norse Mythology in this story since I am always interested in fairy tales and mythology and it was nice to be able to point out the characters from Norse Mythology that were mentioned in this story, such as Odin and the Valkyries.  But probably the best part about this graphic novel was how it approached the issues that Aydis is going through.  Natasha Alterici has done a fantastic job at paralleling the prejudice that Aydis is going through because she kissed another woman, to the real-world prejudice that the LGBT community is going through and it is great that there is a graphic novel that portrays a strong LGBT character in a positive light.

Rachel Deering’s artwork:  Rachel Deering’s artwork is quite gorgeous to look at and I especially loved the focus on the characters themselves. The backgrounds are blank for the most part, apart from some trees, but the characters are drawn in such a detailed way, that they really stand out in the artwork. I also enjoyed the wilderness scenes as the trees surrounding the characters look truly luscious and they bring a certain beauty to the story.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like nudity in a graphic novel series, there is a bit of nudity in this volume, especially with the images of Freyja with her breasts being openly exposed.  Also, even though the artwork is gorgeous for the most part, I found the artwork to be a bit too scratchy at times and it was a bit hard for me to see what is going on in the story due to the artwork blurring out some action scenes.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Heathen Volume One” is a fantastic graphic novel for anyone who loves Norse Mythology and LGBT characters!

You might also like:

• Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

• Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe
• Monstress: Awakening Volume 1 (Part 1) by Marjorie Liu

[BOOK REVIEW] Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title:  Throne of Glass

Author:  Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Fantasy

Year Published: 2012

Number of Pages: 404 pages

Date Read: 5/30/2017

Publisher:  Bloomsbury

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

“You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.” 

Now, I have a shameful confession to make: even though I had heard nothing but good things about Sarah J. Maas’ “Throne of Glass” series, I have never actually read the first book in the series “Throne of Glass” (although I had read “The Assassin’s Blade” first) until just recently and this book has been on my TBR shelf for many years now!  Now that I finally got the chance to read “Throne of Glass,” I am seriously awed by the highly creative and intense world that I was thrown into!

The story starts off with a young assassin named Celaena Sardothien who was toiling away in the slave mines of Endovier and just as it seemed that all hope of was lost for Celaena to ever break out of Endovier, the young crown prince of Adarlan named Prince Dorian Havilliard came in and said that he will set Celaena free if she becomes the King of Adarlan’s Champion.  However, Celaena must first go toe to toe with other assassins, thieves and warriors in a competition that will determine who will be strong enough to be the King’s Champion.  Although Celaena hates the King of Adarlan for destroying her hometown, she does want to be set free from her hardships and agrees to the terms.  However, once Celaena appears in the kingdom of Adarlan, she finds out that some kind of monster is brutally killing each Champion contestant and she will have to figure out a way to save the kingdom from this mysterious evil force!  Meanwhile, Celaena starts having relationship problems with both Chaol Westfall, the stern and loyal Captain of the Guards who believes that Celaena is a threat to the Crown Prince and Prince Dorian Havilliard, the intelligent and optimistic son of the King of Adarlan who has fallen in love with the assassin.  Who will Celaena choose?

 Wow…. just wow!!!  I cannot believe I waited this long to actually read this book from one of the most acclaimed novels ever written!  Sarah J. Maas has done a spectacular job at creating this intriguing fantasy world where magic exists, but got banned by the kingdom and it forces the characters to rely on their wits and strengths to survive in this world.  I was also a bit surprised at how the story seems to be like a medieval version of “The Hunger Games” as the competitors have to risk their lives to become the King’s Champion, but the story never felt like an exact replica of “The Hunger Games” as it has the main character, Celaena, entering the competition to regain her freedom rather than have the competitions be a yearly thing for the kingdom. Sarah J. Maas also did a great job at writing these characters, especially Celaena, Chaol and Dorian themselves and I loved the fact that Celaena is portrayed as a strong female protagonist who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and is an awesome fighter to boot!  I also enjoyed the characters Prince Dorian and Chaol themselves, as they provided an interesting dynamic with not only themselves, but with Celaena also.  I loved the fact that Chaol is the stern and highly protective Captain of the Guards who is always looking out for both Celaena and Dorian, no matter how gruff he appears to both of them, while Dorian is the carefree and optimistic prince who wants to see the good in everyone, no matter how suspicious that person is.  As for the obligatory LOVE TRIANGLE that occurs between Celaena, Chaol and Dorian, I will discuss that in the CONS section down below.

For anyone who does not like gory violence, there is a good bit of gory violence going on in this book with various characters getting murdered in a graphic manner, such as having their organs ripped out of their bodies and having their faces being skinned off.

***Begin Rant***

Alright, so this is a small nitpick that I had with this book and that is the obligatory LOVE TRIANGLE that happens in the story.  Now, luckily, the LOVE TRIANGLE in this story is not played up too high, but there were times where I was a bit annoyed with the fact that Celaena had a hard time trying to choose between Chaol and Dorian throughout the book and I actually wished that Celaena actually chosen who she wanted to be with early on in the story rather than spend most of the book going back and forth on whether she wants to spend her time with Chaol or Dorian.

***End Rant***

Overall, “Throne of Glass” is a fantastic book that fans of strong female assassins and magical worlds will greatly enjoy and now I am off to read the second book in the “Throne of Glass” series, “Crown of Midnight!”

* 2015 Lincoln Award Nominee

* 2015 North Carolina Young Adult Book Award for High School

                    You might also like: 

• The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

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• Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers