My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton [Spoiler Free Book Review]

My Lady Jane [The Lady Janies, #1]

by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton

Genre: YA historical fantasy

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

Sometimes history gets it all wrong. 

This is the story of Lady Jane Grey, in a way that it's never been told before. 

Overall Thoughts

This book was, in a word, fun. It wasn't world changing. It didn't really make me think, or impact me in any great way. It probably will be forgotten a few decades down the road. But oh boy was this book just a heck of a good time.
It's lighthearted and fluffy, which makes it a perfect read for right now.

The Characters

These characters were not deep. They weren't incredibly complex. But they were still fun to read about, you know, as in the sense that Marvel movies are still fun to watch. The characters aren't particularly well developed, but no one honestly cares very much, because they're still fun characters.
That was definitely the case here. I liked all the major characters, though I did have issues with one character's obsession with girls. It wasn't a huge part of the story, though, so I was able to ignore it.

Plot/Pacing

The plot for this book is absolutely ridiculous, true to a comedy form. It also has some elements of history woven in, so some of the events do align with real historical events.
The pacing is great; the book sucks you in and keeps you hooked through simple prose and a fast-moving plot.

Worldbuilding/Writing

The writing was not phenomenal, but that's not what I was expecting. It's a fun, light hearted comedy, and that's what the writing reflected.
The worldbuilding was a mashup of actual historical worldbuilding and the random addition of shapeshifting, which just added another layer to the already ridiculous (in the best way) plot. I thought it was fun.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

A few mild swear words. I don't recall any extremely offensive words being used.
There's some violence, but more along the lines of cartoon violence than anything else. Nothing extremely graphic.
In terms of sexual content, there are quite a few instances of sexual jokes/innuendo. Descriptions of women's bodies (in a sexual manner.) Kissing. Numerous instances of nudity.
A very brief sex scene, without much description (it's more implied).

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson [Spoiler Free Book Review]

Elantris

by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Adult high fantasy

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

Elantris was a city of gods, a place of magic and miracles. People came from all across the world to experience the healing and power of the Elantrians. 

Anyone could become an Elantrian. They could be taken at any time, raised to a god-like state. They lived in their city, harmonious and peaceful for eternity. Eternity ended ten years ago. 

Overall Thoughts

I never expected anything less than awesome from a Cosmere novel, and this one definitely did not disappoint. The beginning was somewhat slow, but it picked up and soon I couldn't put it down. I loved the political aspect of the novel, as well as the whole "fantasy world post-apocalypse" concept. 

The Characters

There are three major POV characters: Raoden, a prince who is forced into exile in Elantris; Sarene, Raoden's betrothed, and Hrathen, a high priest of the religion spearheading an invasion into the free states of the world. 

I liked all three of them. Raoden was very much a hero-type character -- well meaning, optimistic, and kind. I loved seeing him step up into a leadership role throughout the course of the novel, and I liked how much he cared about his goals and the people he served. 

Sarene was great as well, suspicious, quick-witted, and smart-mouthed. There were moments when I wasn't sure that I would like her too much, but overall, I really liked her. She had to make some really difficult decisions throughout the novel, and I really admired how she was able to make those decisions. 

Hrathen was fascinating. He's the villain of the novel, but he's so much more than just a mustache twirling evil mastermind. He's logical, driven by wanting to serve his God. He also wants to avoid bloodshed and death, which was such an interesting twist on a villain, and not one that I've seen too often before (most villains are more on the murderous psychopath side of things.)

There were some great side characters, too. I especially liked Ashe, Sarene's Seon (basically a servant, but if a servant was a floaty ball of light.) I thought that his personality was great (and hilarious, at times.)

Plot/Pacing

The plot was definitely slow paced near the beginning. This seems to be a trademark with a lot of adult fantasy novels, but it is worth pointing out. It's way more politics centered than anything else, so if you're looking for an epic fantasy war story -- this isn't it. I like reading about politics in fictional worlds, though, so I was intrigued.
After the first 200 pages or so, the pacing picked up, and by the end was breathtakingly quick paced.
There were some good plot twists, as well. I felt that the reveal for some of the plot twists was slightly less than spectacular, but the twists themselves were good.
I felt like the plot did leave several major loose ends, as well, so it's definitely apparent why Sanderson has talked about writing a sequel to this book in the future. 

Worldbuilding

The entire concept of the world is that it was once full of magic, but now magic is basically a plague. I loved that concept so much, so of course, that part of the novel especially intrigued me. I loved the politics of the world as well -- both socially and religiously.
But -- magic plague, guys. Magic. Plague.
It's brilliant.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Swearing is mostly made up swear words/phrases. There may have been one or two minor real world swears.
Sexual content is limited to a few sexual references and comments, including a reference to "the wedding night". Characters flirt with each other. There may have been one instance of kissing, but I can't recall for sure.
Violence is... definitely the most disturbing part of the novel. In this storyworld, obviously there are people who can't die. No matter how gruesome their wounds. Which can... obviously get disturbing at times. A man is clubbed in the head. A brief description of the scene after a battle, with gruesome injuries described (not in detail). A character witnesses a human sacrifice. Mentions and descriptions of blood and wounds.

Because You Love to Hate Me [Spoiler-Free Review]

Because You Love to Hate Me 
By Amerie (editor), Renee Ahdieh, Soman Chainai, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tulcholke, Nicola Yoon

My Rating: ★★★

Description: 

13 stories of villainy from 13 well-known YA authors. 

My Review

The problem with a short story anthology, honestly, is that everyone is going to find at least one story that they don't like. The opposite is also true, of course, but I feel like the mixed ratings for this book on Goodreads may have something to do with the fact that everyone has different opinions on every single short story in the book. So rating the whole book is hard because, well, I had different opinions about every single short story in this book. It was a mixed bag for me, honestly. 

But without further ado, let's just get into it.

The Blood of Imuriv by Renee Ahdieh 

My Rating: ★★

This story started out strong, but the rest of it never really lived up to its killer opening. While the concept itself was intriguing, the execution was lacking, and I wish the author had spent more time on the parts of the story I was actually interested in (the main character can see nightmares?? Gimme more.)

CW: Descriptions of blood, violence. Minor swearing? 

Jack by Amerie 

My Rating: ★★

This was just a story. Nothing really stood out to me as special, and the end twist was shocking (not in a good way) because there was little to no foreshadowing for it. 

It wasn't the worst story in the anthology, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. 

CW: Violence, references to cannibalism. Reference to kissing. 

Gwen and Art and Lance by Soman Chainai 

My Rating: ★★

The idea of a story being told entirely through text messages (or IMs, or whatever it was) was very interesting to me. 

But it quickly grew confusing, and the storyline, while halfway interesting, never really had a proper arc, and so lacked meaning. Gwen's character was interesting (in a twisted sort of way). She's manipulative and will do anything to get what she wants. However, overall, this story didn't really stick with me. 

CW: Sexual references. Some language. 

Shirley and Jim by Susan Dennard 

My Rating: ★★★★

At this point in the anthology, I was starting to worry that I'd be reading 300+ pages of 2-star stories. And then came along this gem. 

I loved it! A Sherlock Holmes retelling, with both Sherlock and Watson being recast as female, it was well-written, engaging, and had an excellent story arc. The character of Moriarty was fascinating as well, and I love what the author did with his character in her retelling. 

CW: Kissing. Potential minor swearing?

The Blessings of Little Wants by Sarah Enni 

My Rating: ★★★

This story was fairly solid. Though that said, I keep forgetting that I even read this story... my thoughts keep blanking when I see this title, and then there's the moment of realization: oh, that story. So it wasn't very memorable. 

But the characters were interesting, and the plot and writing were both solid. I wish the end had had a little more foreshadowing, but it was a fairly good twist. 

CW: Violence, descriptions of blood. 

The Sea Witch by Marissa Meyer 

My Rating: ★★★★

I loved the concept of this story! It's a sort-of Little Mermaid retelling, focusing on the backstory for the Sea Witch. The writing was good, and the characterization and character arc (descent into villainy) was actually very well done. 

CW: Nudity, kissing, descriptions of blood. 

Beautiful Venom by Cindy Pon 

My Rating: ★★★

TRIGGER WARNING: Rape

I liked this story. It casts the character of Medusa in a new light and shows her backstory and what caused her to become the way she is. 

I found it very interesting, and at the same time very sad. 

There were a few places where I felt that I needed more explanation, which is why this is only rated 3 stars. But it was well-written and Mei's character was excellent. 

CW: See trigger warning. Sexual jokes. References to sex. Some violence. 

Death Knell by Victoria Schwab 

My Rating: ★★★★★

So... *guilty face* I may have picked this book up just because I knew Victoria Schwab had written a story for it. 

Yeah. I know. Sorry not sorry. 

But this story was everything I wanted it to be and more! I knew going in that I was going to love it (because I have loved every book I've read by Victoria Schwab.) The writing was beautiful, simple and elegant. Third person, present tense for the win! I also loved the characters and the character arcs and ahh just everything about this story. 

CW: A flashback to a kiss. 

Marigold by Samantha Shannon 

My Rating: ★★★

This is another story that suffers a bit from the lack of foreshadowing. It's about faeries, and a girl who has been traded to the faeries in exchange for the queen's daughter. Her brother and her lover go in search of her. 

The writing style didn't appeal to me hugely, and like I said before, lack of foreshadowing took away from my enjoyment of the end. But it was still a decent story, just not the best.  

CW: Implied off-page sex and a few references to sex. Some swearing? Gun use. 

You, You, It's All About You by Adam Silvera 

My Rating: ★★★

This is one of the few pieces of writing that I've read that's written in second person (you did this, you did that.) It was an interesting narrative choice, and I feel it worked very well. 

The foreshadowing for the end was done very well. 

The reason that this isn't a four star is because there was one thing that kept getting brought up, but that stretched my suspension of disbelief. 

CW: Drug use, kissing. 

Julian Breaks All the Rules by Andrew Smith 

My Rating: ★

This story was not enjoyable for me at all. The writing style really grated on me (I hate it when the POV character talks to the reader, especially if they're trying too hard to be quirky). It was also just a little bit too disturbing for me.

CW: Violence, drug and alcohol abuse, nudity, a brief mention of a couple having sex, sexual references. The main character is a psychopath, and his thoughts are disturbing to read. Profanity. 

Indigo and Shade by April Genevieve Tulcholke 

My Rating: ★★★★

This was a very interesting take on Beauty and the Beast. The end was shocking, and also really emotional. I liked it a lot. There's not really much else I can say without spoilers. 

CW: Kissing, sexual references, violence. Maybe some profanity? 

Sera by Nicola Yoon 

My Rating: ★★★★

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I found it really interesting and original. 

CW: Violence. There might have been profanity?

Overall, I'm giving this anthology 3 out of 5 stars. But if you liked Victoria Schwab's writing, you should read it just for Death Knell. Because Death Knell made the whole book worthwhile. 

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns
by Margaret Rogerson

Genre: YA high fantasy

My Rating: ★★★

Description:

Elisabeth has lived her whole life as an apprentice in the Great Library of Summershall. She is charged with the task of keeping the grimoires -- magical books created by sorcery -- safe. And keeping the outside world safe from them.
But when an accident occurs and a grimoire escapes, Elisabeth is dragged into a centuries old conspiracy, alongside one of her greatest enemies -- a sorcerer.

Overall Thoughts

A fun, enjoyable book, but nothing super special. It's still worth a read if Victorian fantasy or books about books are things you like, but overall, there are probably more unique stories out there.

I was pretty conflicted with my feelings over this book by the time I finished Sorcery of Thorns. On one hand, I loved the magic, the whole concept of librarians being guardians of monstrous books, the Victorian setting, and Silas (who, let's be frank, is the best character in the whole book.)
On the other hand, I couldn't connect with the main character, Elisabeth, who felt very bland and stereotypical. As a result, I couldn't get on board with the romance. I also feel like the plot wasn't the most original out there, but it would have been fine had the main character been more relateable.

The Characters

The characterization was a bit all over the place. 

Elisabeth, the main character, was overall very bland. I couldn't connect with her character voice at all, and though she did have her moments, overall I couldn't really ever root for her as a character because I just... didn't... care all that much. She was like a number of YA female protagonists I've seen over the years, so she doesn't stand out as anything special. Without giving anything away, I also feel like she didn't end up being that relevant to the completion of the story goal, so I'm not sure why she was the main character at all. 

Her love interest (not really a spoiler, guys) Nathaniel, was okay. I liked his personality, and he had a few really awesome pieces of dialogue. I think I would've liked him a lot more if he didn't have this weird obsession with Elisabeth. I mean, come on, dude, you could do a lot better than her! 

And then there's Silas. Who was, by far, my favorite character. He's the butler, which should tell you... literally everything you need to know. He was great. Truly. I literally was reading the book for him at some points. 

Plot/Pacing

There's not really much to say in regards to plot. It starts out interesting, but soon devolves into a more stereotypical fantasy storyline. Which I would be fine with, if the characters were interesting enough to outshine the plot itself. 

The pacing was good, however, for the most part. There was a portion of the book where I literally put it down in the middle of an action sequence and didn't pick it up for three days, but that was less of a pacing problem than the fact that I just wasn't rooting for Elisabeth at all. 

Worldbuilding

I'm happy to say that the worldbuilding was really fun. I loved the whole idea of the Great Libraries, and the grimoires and Maleficts and literally everything to do with the libraries. I adored the concept, and I loved the way it played out on page. 

The sorcery element was not my favorite, but I still enjoyed it. It's a soft magic system, so there weren't many rules explained on page, and it seemed very typical fantasy magic overall. I still thought it was fun, though. (I call the weirdest things fun. The sorcery in this book literally involves trading away years of your life to demons. *shaking my head*)

Content

Recommended for ages 14 and up. 

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: A character is implied to have some form of PTSD, which results in nightmares. 

Violence is not well-described, but there are several fight scenes and descriptions of blood and wounds. Several descriptions of monsters that could be disturbing for some readers. Some grimoires are made by binding body parts to them which... is exactly as gross as it sounds like. Characters use magic and swords to fight. 

Sexual content is limited to kissing and a few vague references. One kissing scene is pretty sensual and drawn out, with one of the characters starting to undress the other character. They are interrupted before it goes too far. One male character mentions that he "fancied" another male character at one point. 

Swearing is limited to some mild curse words. 

Characters drink alcohol.

A Study in Charlotte [Charlotte Holmes, #1] by Brittany Cavallaro

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, you all. With the threat of COVID-19 now so close to home, I really hope you all are staying safe and healthy. Social distancing isn't easy, but it is necessary to keep this disease from spreading. 

Stay safe at home, everyone. And remember to wash your hands frequently! 

A Study in Charlotte [Charlotte Holmes, #1]
by Brittany Cavallaro

Genre: YA mystery

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

Going to school in Connecticut wasn't Jamie Watson's idea. Not only is he going to be moving within driving distance from his estranged father, but Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the descendant of the famous Sherlock, who has inherited both his renowned intellect and caustic personality. It's awkward, and things just get worse when a Sherringford student ends up murdered. And it looks like Jamie and Charlotte have been framed.
Now, it's a race against time to find the killer and clear their names... before anyone else ends up dead.


Overall Thoughts

I liked this book. It's not a new favorite, but overall, I thought it was a great story, and I enjoyed reading it.
I had heard mixed things about A Study in Charlotte before I ever picked it up. In fact, I avoided it for the longest time because of some of the things I'd heard regarding content. While those warnings were definitely founded (this is not a book I would be recommending to young teens) it was still a good story and I genuinely enjoyed reading it.

The Characters

The characters were great. I enjoyed Jamie's narration of the events, and even though I tend not to like first person, retrospective, I did enjoy it in this book. I feel like the style worked really well for the story, especially since Jamie had a very unique and recognizable character voice and personality.
Charlotte was also a very interesting character. I can't say that I liked her all that much -- she's not a very likeable person, overall -- but as a character, she was well-developed and interesting.
The other characters were all over the place. I feel like a lot of the secondary characters got sidelined, without too much development. I also feel like several adults in the story sometimes didn't feel quite genuine/real/whatever -- their reactions didn't exactly seem human. But overall, those were really small portions of the book, and I still liked the characters overall.

Plot/Pacing

The mystery was fairly slow moving in terms of how the pieces were put together. I did like how active Charlotte and Jamie were in the plot -- they made the decisions, and those decisions propelled the plot forward. There was no "oh boy, we stumbled on this clue by accident, ha ha, how cool is that" stuff happening, for which I was very grateful.
The pacing of the book, however, was well done. I was never bored, despite the length of the chapters, and the writing style kept me engaged throughout the story.

Content (potential spoilers)

Recommended for ages 16 and up.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Drug abuse, sexual assault, rape, references to suicide.

Violent content includes a fist fight between two characters. Gun use. An explosion occurs at one point. Characters are poisoned. At one point in the story, a girl is attacked and it's found that a plastic jewel has been shoved down her throat. References to rape and sexual assault, which could be triggering to some readers.
Sexual content includes kissing, several instances of innuendo and a few references, as well as mentions of rape and sexual assault (as discussed above.)
Swearing includes several (maybe ten or fifteen) uses of the f-bomb, as well as other offensive language.
Drug abuse is discussed, and a character takes drugs (recreationally) at one point in the story. Discussion of drug dealing. A character smokes.