BOOK REVIEW: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

BOOK REVIEW: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh

Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on May 12, 2015
Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling
Setting: Khorasan
Purchase: Fullybooked [PH] | NBS [PH] | Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.7 Roses

One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

I truly have no idea what the Arabian Nights was all about and I've been curious as to how that story goes. It just seemed so whimsical and holds magnificent stories and stuff. I really have no idea and I have been eyeing The Wrath and the Dawn for quite some time now and I was really curious as to why brides were killed each dawn of a new day. I have my theories and none of them were right, I did not see that coming. 

I'm deciding that I would read The Arabian Nights, by the way, because I'm curious about the mini stories in it!

So The Wrath and the Dawn is about the king of kings, the caliph of Khorasan (Khalid) who takes a new bride everyday just to kill them at dawn the next day. Shahrzad's (MY GOSH!! I CAN'T REMEMBER THE SPELLING!!! Let's just call her Shazi for the rest of the discussion) best friend, Shiva was taken as a bride and Shazi took it upon herself to exact a revenge upon the murderer of her best friend. Shazi volunteered to be a bride (I VOLUNTEER! well, by now, that famous line belongs to Katniss, but you know, Shazi volunteered. Just without the eyes of too many people in replacement for her baby sizzums) but to all of Khorasan's amazement and even amusement, this new bride survived to see the next dawn and the next and the next.

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about loving this book. In the beginning, I was really excited and conflicted because I don't understand the caliph's motives and apart from that, I had a hard time grasping for the meaning of some words but I overcame that at the last page of the book, almost literally. Next, there was really no peak moment where you expect to be gripping the edge of your seat waiting for what was to come next. It was kind of linear and has no thrill, especially the moment when the truth became clear. The reason for that is because of the buildup. I think I was too expectant of the reason behind the killing that I was not shocked by the truth. It fell flat and I was really disappointed. Like, was that it?

Next, the portrayal of a strong feminine felt a little too forced and unnatural. I feel like the book wanted to shove into our faces that Shazi is cunning and strong and everything a woman should be. We all knew that that was her character but I think it was sprinkled with a little too much that it didn't feel natural at all.

Khalid's character is a bit bland. All the sprinkled seasoning was showered to Shazi that the character of the king fell behind. The book gave him a role of not doing anything but the book also wanted to shove into our faces how dangerous this man was. It was all talk about the characters' characters and not much action to back up for these adjectives that were crowned in these characters' heads. This is the reason why I was so conflicted if I want to love this book or not. It is a beautiful tale. It is woven beautifully but not intricately.

Khalid's letter to Shazi. My favorite part.

So why did I give almost four roses? I love the writing and the tinge of poetry in Renee's words and there are a lot of good parts. I also loved the little romance in there. There's tension everywhere and I was so giddy the moment that Khalid's wall fell apart. I loved every bit of that part!!! I loved Khalid's letter and the rose and their obvious happiness. It was a great experience to be transported into a world that I only watched in movies and have not been able to read about firsthand. I really loved these kind of setting.  So regal and whimsical and magnificent. Arabian culture (am I right? I actually lack the knowledge as to where Khorassan really is)  is really interesting and rich (both literally and figuratively) and I wanna read more books set in Persia or Arabia or wherever because I truly enjoyed Prince of Persia and I enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn. 

It took me a long time to finish the book but I obviously loved a good part of this book to give it almost four. I'm actually debating whether I would give it a 3 or 4. I cannot give it 4 and 3 is too low for it, so 3.7 is just the perfect rating.

The book ended with Shazi and Khalid separated and the bits of magic here and there were not established properly so you really need to pick up the second book to actually be clarified of the blurry things from this one. I'm reading it right now and I do hope I would enjoy it! BYE!

BIGGEST AND BADDEST BOOK HAUL FROM BIG BAD WOLF BOOKS PH

BIGGEST AND BADDEST BOOK HAUL FROM BIG BAD WOLF BOOKS PH

Saturday, February 17, 2018

]
The Big Bad Wolf has opened its doors yesterday to every book lovers who wishes to score books for a cheaper price. I was able to score preview passes before it is opened to the public on the 16th but sadly wasn't able to come so we fare the sea of people on its first day and it was an experience I'll take note of for the next book sales I will go to (it's my first ever).

These are the books that we scored. For the price of probably two hardbounds and one paperback, my sister and I actually got ourselves FOUR hardbounds and FOUR paperbacks. Good bargain, huh?

Now just a little tip before I head on to my book haul 😁

TIP 1: Bring someone with you to wait in line maybe one hour before you feel like you're nearing the end of your search.

For us, we wandered for 3 hours and wait in line for the checkout for 2 long hours. You won't feel the irritation though because it is cold inside and the line keeps on moving but it would take you literally 2 hours to get to the cashier. The line is a giant snake from entrance to exit. LITERALLY.

Somehow, while you're still in line,  you can still see books surrounding you so you can still pick up some while waiting.

TIP2: Once you've scoured every isle you wanted, you should checkout the sorting section. You'll see it beside the check-out and it has a big tarp indicating that the sorting section is in there so you won't really miss it. I don't have a picture sadly.

Here is where all unwanted books were left by shoppers who thought they wanted it but cannot fit in the budget so as heartbreaking as it may be, they left it for adoption. Unwanted books baskets are posted in every column you can find, but in the sorting section,  you'll find a lot of good books that you might want, you just have to dig into the baskets and find a treasure.

TIP3: New release titles are not common here so you might want your internet ready for references on the new titles that might be good but you're not familiar about.

That's it and without further ado, here are the books that we got from our bbwph experience!

 ONE DAY by DAVID NICHOLLS

as some of you may or may not know, I dig these kinds of story line. Like November 9 by CoHo or the Before Movie Trilogy and of course, I've watched the movie adaptation of One Day and I loved it so why not try the book where it originated from, right?

It’s 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley have only just met on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. But after only one day together, they cannot stop thinking about one another. 
Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day—July 15th—of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself.
Twenty years, two people, one day.

OUR TRAGIC UNIVERSE By SCARLETT THOMAS

I have literally no idea what this book is about when I picked it up. I just know that I just judged a book by its cover when I decided that I was gonna buy this so I'm hoping that I wouldn't be disappointed.  

If Kelsey Newman's theory about the end of the time is true, we are all going to live forever. But for Meg - locked in a dead-end relationship and with a deadline looming for a book that she can't write - this thought fills her with dread. Stuck in a labyrinth of her own devising, Meg knows that there must be a way out.

 WINTER'S TALE by MARK HELPRIN

I haven't watched the movie adaptation yet and I cannot find the original book cover so I guess I'm stuck with this movie tie-in edition. 

New York City is subsumed in arctic winds, dark nights, and white lights, its life unfolds, for it is an extraordinary hive of the imagination, the greatest house ever built, and nothing exists that can check its vitality. One night in winter, Peter Lake, orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side.
Though he thinks the house is empty, the daughter of the house is home. Thus begins the love between Peter Lake, a middle-aged Irish burglar, and Beverly Penn, a young girl, who is dying.
Peter Lake, a simple, uneducated man, because of a love that, at first he does not fully understand, is driven to stop time and bring back the dead. His great struggle, in a city ever alight with its own energy and besieged by unprecedented winters, is one of the most beautiful and extraordinary stories of American literature.

 ILLUSIVE by EMILY LLOYD-JONES

This is my sister's pick and she loved stories of superhuman people. She loves watching superhero movies so I guess that's why she picked this up. 

THEY ARE YOUNG.THEY ARE CRIMINALS.THEY ARE IMMUNE.
When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers, and Americans suffering from these so-called adverse effects were given an ultimatum: Serve the country or be declared a traitor.
Some people chose a third option: live a life of crime.
Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist. She's also a thief. After crossing a gang of mobsters, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow superpowered criminals on a job that most would have considered impossible: a hunt for the formula that gave them their abilities. It was supposedly destroyed years ago - but what if it wasn't?
Government agents are hot on their trail, and the lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race that could cost them their lives.

 MESSENGER OF FEAR by MICHAEL GRANT

Apart from the striking red and black cover of these one, I think the mysterious title sold me! 

I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself.
And then the games began.
The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear. 
But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out . . .

 READ ME LIKE A BOOK by LIZ KESSLER

How?  How could you read me like a book? This looks like a mystery thriller. I haven't read the synopsis but here's to hoping it would be a good read. 

Ashleigh Walker is in love. You know the feeling - that intense, heart-racing, all-consuming emotion that can only come with first love. It's enough to stop her worrying about bad grades at college. Enough to distract her from her parents' marriage troubles. There's just one thing bothering her . . .
Shouldn't it be her boyfriend, Dylan, who makes her feel this way - not Miss Murray, her English teacher?
A thought-provoking coming out story from a highly skilled author.

 WE KNOW IT WAS YOU by MAGGIE THRASH

A lot of my sizums picks are mystery books. She digs tgese kinds of stuff. 

It’s better to know the truth. At least sometimes.
Halfway through Friday night’s football game, beautiful cheerleader Brittany Montague—dressed as the giant Winship Wildcat mascot—hurls herself off a bridge into Atlanta’s surging Chattahoochee River.
Just like that, she’s gone.
Eight days later, Benny Flax and Virginia Leeds will be the only ones who know why.

FINDING AUDREY by SOPHIE KINSELLA

I think everyone loved this book. I still have no idea why so I'm joining in on the fun now that the hype on the book has died down. 😁

Audrey can't leave the house. she can't even take off her dark glasses inside the house.
Then her brother's friend Linus stumbles into her life. With his friendly, orange-slice smile and his funny notes, he starts to entice Audrey out again - well, Starbucks is a start. And with Linus at her side, Audrey feels like she can do the things she'd thought were too scary. Suddenly, finding her way back to the real world seems achievable.

Have you been to Big Bad Wolf Books? If not, it would still be open until the 24th of February. I'd also like to check out your haul from this event! 💕

BOOK REVIEW: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

BOOK REVIEW: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Title: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: The Grishaverse #1

Published by: Henry Holt and Company on June 5th 2012

Genre: YA fantasy

Format: Hardcover, 358 pages

Purchase: Fullybooked [PH] | NBS [PH] | Amazon | B&N

My Rating:  3.75 Roses

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

I never thought I would love this series so much, I am not even done yet with the whole series but I know that the next two books will be as amazing as this first one, hopefully (please please let it be). Story-wise, I am in love with how the story played out, especially with the second half of the book. Character-wise, I wasn't connected with the main characters. There were two characters that stood out for me but one is not a protagonist and one is not the main character. What?? How could I go on with that?! (I kno right? But trust me, it somehow gets better, kind of) I can't give away anything because I want you all to find out about these characters but the story is interesting and I would love to read the next two books and see how the characters would develop a connection with me. Let's see.

I was grasping at straws for the first few chapters because I was so clueless. I know nothing about the Grisha world or grisha people and the way Leigh Bardugo painted the whole scenery was not enough because I have no background of it. It was still hard to grasp what the group of people do. These corporalki and etherealki, I still get confused. The magic, it was hard to understand it. It wasn't really tackled in depth and there are a lot of things I would have loved to know but weren't answered. I wasn't into this world, so to speak, but it grew on me on a certain level. I think the world building expected me to just catch up as the story goes on but it never really clicked. I was still confused hahaha.

Anyway, that first half almost got me into not finishing the book but I endured it because I was hoping that it will get better, and it did. It was way better than I was expecting and I was expecting a lot. Not expectation from the hype but expectations as I read it and deym, was I satisfied with that ending! I was on the edge of my seat ready to throw my phone because I was really annoyed at what was happening leading to the end of the book, but boy was that annoyance redeemed by a whoop in the air victory I felt at the end. I'm expectant on the next books and I'm hoping it will get better and more kick-ass than this one! Please let it be awesome because if the second book flunk, I will be so disappointed! I finished this book in mere hours, that was how quick the pace picked up for me during the second half, so really, high expectations here darling!

SPOILER-Y PART!!!

O-M-G I was almost fooled for a moment there. I've had my moments though, because I've already grown on believing that not all darkness are evil because, duh, Rhysand?!? But, oh well, some evil still lurks in the darkness and this freaking Darkling is freaking one of 'em! Ugh I want to smash his face!!!!

You know, the first moment that the Darkling was introduced, I felt like, omg, this is gonna be a beauty and the beast all over again. The dark one whom everybody thinks is a bad person is really a good one and he just wants to do good and save the world and all that fuss, but nah, this isn't a typical story. I also thought that Mal would just be a "Gale", who will be the 'best friend forever', but I was wrong okay? I was an assuming beyotch for ever thinking of these things. But despite my wrongness, I wasn't convinced that Mal would not show up again, the bestfriends always does, you know? They always show up on unexpected moments, and I'm right, he showed up right before the pivotal moment in our story. 

And then he kissed me.It happened so suddenly that I barely had time to react.

SHUT.UP! When I read this, I was all W-T-F people! They barely had screen time together people!! What was I supposed to do with that kiss?? BELIEVE IT? EFF OFF! You're not fooling anybody (But of course, I was fooled for a moment, okay? HUHU) So anyway, I wasn't convinced with that first kiss, as you might have noticed by my reaction. The Darkling kissed Alina and then huh? What?! You kidding me? I wasn't even considering that you already like her! (Uh-oh, here I go again) This raised an alarm deep inside me, but the next few chapters had me almost believing that maybe they could be the leading people of this series,  and I was thankful that I wasn't so deep into this thing between Alina and Darkling because he's the spawn darkness and he really is, right down to his core.

So everything after this winter something was just perfect!! I loved every single part of it even those moments that I want to strangle her and strangle them just so they would see the obvious thing that would happen if they continue!!! But why was I even trying??!!! Protagonists always present themselves in front of danger when oppportunity calls for them! Ugh these people, can they be anymore dumb? Hahaha kidding, eveything fell into place eventually, so I was happy, okay?

Mal was, as I have said, I saw him as 'the bestfriend'. He has no layers that even with the first few chapters, I knew that there's got to be another interesting guy. It couldn't be him. He wasn't anything special. Although, there's some hint that there could be more to him other than his good-natured character. He could have a power, I think. The way he said things like he just feels things whenever he's tracking and the way that he's so good at tracking tells me that he might have a power underneath him. I should hope so.

So the Darkling has his own charms. He's a magnet, okay? It was interesting whenever we see him on the scene and I just can't help but hope that he is not the bad guy here, but he certainly is. I hate it though, that he is a cruel and evil person because I was hoping that he isn't, but I think there is more to him, or I hope there is.

Genya is the breath of fresh air amidst the glamour and chatter and jealousy of this grisha people's court. There's two sides of her, I can feel it. I can feel that she's good but indebted to the Darkling. Deep inside her, I don't think she agrees on this new world that the Darkling was envisioning, or she's just really blinded by the Darkling's lies, who knows, but she has yet to decide which side she'll be on because she already gained so much because of him and things like that. I'm hoping she'll play a vital role in the next few books and I'm hoping that she won't be a pawn on the dark side.

Lastly, the Baghra (did I spell it right?), I am so doubtful of her role. I don't think that that was it already for her. Right after she helped Alina, she just disappeared like that? I was thinking that there's more to her. I think she also has evil plans, because if not, where would the Darkling get his evil roots right? His mother, the mother of evil, I can't trust her. HUHU.

Stories I Ate This Month: JANUARY 2018

Stories I Ate This Month: JANUARY 2018

Thursday, February 1, 2018

I got this idea from my favorite booktuber, Christine Riccio from PolandBananasBooks,  and I decided to adapt this on my blog since not only am I into books but I love movies and series as well. I review books but I have no idea how to really review a movie or a series so I'm only going to talk about them in snippets here in this blog segment. Nit only that,  though,  this would also sort'a be the wrap-up for all the books that I've read for that month.

This month I've read a total of six books, binge-watched Riverdale Season 1, watched an episode of Black Mirror (Play Test), and finished just two movies.

Movies

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Source: posterspy

I've always wanted to be a Potterhead and I really do hate mainstream but I guess Harry Potter buzz would never die down and I am really interested in all that fuss. Basically, almost all of my bookish friends are potterheads and I only know bits and pieces about it. I haven't watched every single movie and I've only ever read the first book and I feel so lame and out of the loop. Not that I actually cared though, but I'm genuinely interested not just because everyone loves it and almost every bookworm read it,  but I really do want to know every character that everybody loves to love and everybody loves to hate.

So going back, I told Daniela that I would marathon all the movies and maybe read all the books,  and she told me "GOODLUCK!" *mejo sarcastic yata* HAHHAHAH,  probably because it would take me forever to finish the books, but I could definitely start on the movies, right? But so far, I've only watched the first movie and at this point, me being curious in a lot of books lately, it would take me the whole 2018 to actually finish everything.  Wish me luck!

Coyote Ugly

Source: imdb

I know I've watched this before but I totally forgot it already and if you actually know me, it doesn't matter if I watch a certain movie 100 times,  I would still watch it for the hundred and first, especially if I really love that movie.

In this case though, I just wanted to remember what the movie was about and I think this movie was a craze during its time and right now,  watching it, it just became a typical story to me. But considering that this story line was a big concept in music movies,  a small town girl trying to make it into the big city, it was actually good, but nothing could ever replace Burlesque when it comes to that kind of cliché. I love that movie so much and I've watched it a million times. 😅

Series

Riverdale Season 1

Source: senscritique

Just like all the fuss, I've never wanted to actually watch Riverdale when it was all that people talked about until I watched a short trailer on youtube about Southside merging with Riverdale High. It piqued my interest because I dig those kind of stories and I was waiting for it to happen while watching the whole first season only to find out that that trailer was for season 2! 😂 I was like, when will Southside merge with Riverdale High?!?!  Silly me! I do not know anything about the storyline!

I loved the color scheme of this series. The dark perfectly painted the picture of mystery surrounding Riverdale. I love that the story was not predictable. You will come to the point where you'll really suspect the real killer but you don't see any motive at all,  but I guess a lot of things are just sick and the story was executed perfectly well for a mystery that everybody wants to unveil but eventually, the story will unveil itself and you can do nothing but grasp at straws in order to know who the real killer was. It was still a bit unconvincing for me, the motive of the killer, so I'm going to research more on that in case I missed the point while watching it.

Black Mirror

Source: fubiz

I have no idea why I still haven't finished everything with this series. I'm guilty of having a short attention span and I really do love each story of Black Mirror but it would take me days to be inspired to pick up where I last left off in the series. I think the reason why I am not eager to finish it was because it's gaining popularity and I don't know what's wrong with me, really,  but my disinterest despite my amazement and love for the series is just so weird right now.

The last episode that I have watched is called Play Test and IT. WAS. SICK! I was never really inclined to the whole idea of facing your fears in some kind of a virtual reality game. It was like the one in the divergent series. Only, this certain technology really digs its claws all the way down to the darkest parts of your mind. It was a beta-test before it comes out into the market but shit, every test for that tech failed and it cost a life. It was just a virtual reality,  but it friggin'killed a person!!  😱😱😱

Books

• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Mist and Fury
• A Court of Wings and Ruin
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman
• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart [Review to follow :P]