TV Spotlight Thursday (2) - Shameless

Welcome back to my new feature! As you may know, I'm a huge TV buff, and want to share with you some of my favourite shows and some of the things that I like best (and hate most) about them.

Warning: this post contains a LOT of gifs.

This week's spotlighted programme is:

SHAMELESS

At the heart of Shameless are the Gallaghers, a chaotic, down-and-out family in the South Side of Chicago. Based on a popular UK program, Shameless is best known for its incredible sense of humour, but it can also be absolutely heart-wrenching. Surprisingly, the US version is better than the UK original. I know, consider me shocked. This never happens when it comes to American re-makes. The important thing to remember about Shameless is that after the first season, the two shows go in very different directions. Also, the US version has much higher production values, which makes it easier to watch (for me at least). 

Regardless, it is one of the best shows I've ever seen. It does have a lot of, ahem, adult content, so be forewarned. There's a lot of sex and foul language and nudity and violence. But good god is it worth the sense of corruption that you may experience whilst watching it. My favourite thing about Shameless is that it is absolutely realistic. Yes, it is over the top. Yes, these situations don't arise in most people's lives. But there is an undercurrent of realism in the show that allows for a truly poignant look at the underprivileged, and how privilege affects both those who have it and those who don't. 

Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher

Warning: Fiona is never allowed to stay happy for long. I believe she's nineteen in the first season, and she is the glue keeping her family together. She is the only mother figure her younger siblings have. Fiona hasn't had an easy life, and she makes bad decisions sometimes. She tries to do the best thing for her family and her friends, but sometimes she lets her desire for fun overrule her logic. In the hands of anyone but Emmy Rossum, I don't think that Fiona would be nearly as sympathetic as she is. That said, she's a perfect example of the incredibly complicated characters Shameless has to offer. She makes mistakes, just like the rest of the world. The problem is that mistakes sometimes have harsh consequences. At the end of the day, Fiona is one of my favourite characters no matter how much she screws up.

Jeremy Allen White as Lip Gallagher

Lip is the second-oldest Gallagher kid. He's pretty much a genius, but he's also stupendously lazy when it comes to school. He just doesn't care about education - he'd rather get drunk and have sex and be a general fuck-up. There are a lot of things that I don't like about Lip, but sometimes he does something incredible and I just get a surge of joy for him. He can be very judgemental at times, and is somewhat of a hypocrite, but I think that's what makes him interesting. Like Fiona, he'd drop anything for his family if they need him to. 

Cameron Monaghan as Ian Gallagher

Ian is a very interesting character. I honestly don't know how to describe him. At the beginning of season one, he's a closeted gay kid who is having an affair with his (married) boss, but he's so much more than that. Ian is quiet and could easily be lost in the cacophony of his boisterous family, but he never is. You know what, let's not talk about Ian. If you want to learn about Ian, go watch the show. It can explain him so much better than I ever could.

Emma Kenney as Debbie Gallagher

In seasons one and two, Debbie is an innocent child. She's absolutely adorable, with her round face and unruly red hair. She's actually one of my favourite characters because she is so unlike everyone else. Debbie faces a lot of changes personality-wise as she goes through puberty around the third and fourth seasons. She is less innocent, wide-eyed child and more angry teenager, but I love her all the same. She wants so badly to grow up and to be like all of the other girls she knows, but she doesn't really know what she's asking for. She longs for the illusion of adulthood she sees in her friends - she wants to be seen as pretty and happy and confident, but doesn't realise that there is more to growing up than appearances.

Ethan Cutkosky as Carl Gallagher

Carl is a little hellion. He's unruly - his favourite activities are blowing things up and making shivs out of household objects. He's basically a juvenile delinquent in the making. In the first few seasons, Carl functions more as a background member of the family. He's there on the sidelines causing a ruckus, but it isn't until season three and four that he gets some real story lines of his own. While is kind of a nut job, Carl is in many ways the moral centre of the show. He's the only character left who hasn't been completely corrupted by his surroundings. He still has hope in the world, something his older siblings have long lost.

Blake and Brennan Johnson as Liam Gallagher

Liam is the youngest Gallagher. He doesn't really have much personality other than cute. He gets tossed around among the kids a lot, functioning mostly as a plot device and complication. But he's so cute that I just can't care. His role does increase in season four, as he's central to a VERY important event that occurs, though he has been important to many stories throughout the seasons. Nobody knows why he's black, considering both of his parents are white. He just is.

A few other highlights include William H. Macy as deadbeat Gallagher patriarch Frank, Shanola Hampton and Steve Howey as ever-entertaining neighbours Veronica and Kev, and Joan Cusack as the agoraphobic mother of Lip's girlfriend Karen.

Confession time: I don't actually have any particular ship on this show because all of the relationships are, pardon my language, absolutely fucked. In lieu of my own favourite romantic relationship, I'll briefly mention the most popular ship in the Shameless fandom.

Gallavich

Gallavich is Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich. That gif-set makes them look way cuter than they actually are. They have their moments, but I'm pretty sure most of the attention they get is due to the fact that Cam Monaghan is a cutie pie and that there is a serious drought of gay couples on TV. And there's nothing fangirls like better than gay white guys. Am I wrong? Anyway, they have a super dysfunctional relationship because Mickey is so far in the closet that he literally beats Ian up at one point. Yeah. Not the healthiest couple. There is a lot of character development between season one and season four, which does make them significantly more palatable, but I have no patience for abuse.

Oooh! I just remembered that there is in fact one amazing super-couple on this show that everyone should (and I'm pretty sure does) love! Kev and V! 

They literally have the best relationship ever and I aspire to their love for one another. They are the epitome of soul mates, and kinky as fuck to boot! They're pretty much perfect, though they definitely have arguments and their relationship is put to the test on various occasions. 

On that note, Shameless is definitely a show you should be watching (have you downloaded the first episode yet? Go do it! Now! I'll be here when you get back!). If you watch Shameless or start watching it, talk to me about it on twitter or in the comments! If there's one thing I like more than talking about books, it's talking about TV.

Discussion Post (3) - Series Overload

I feel like this is a problem that we all face as readers: too many series. I find it really hard to dedicate a long period of time and energy to the same story, which makes reading an entire series a bit of a problem for me. I mean, I'm a girl who gets bored if she reads the same book for longer than four or five days, so I'm pretty much incapable of reading series books one after the other. I have to take (long) breaks between books, which leads me to forget what happened in the first book, which leads to my forgetting about the book that I wanted to read altogether. It's not a good cycle.

I just checked my Goodreads, and I have 57 series that I intend to finish, but am at least one book behind on(usually more). Aside from that, my "first in series" shelf on Goodreads is 475 books deep. Yeah. It's excessive. I really do want to finish these series, but I get caught up in everything else that's out there. I'm easily distracted, okay. I 

That's not to say that I don't enjoy series. I do. I like reading a story that is expansive enough to fill up multiple books and keep me longing for more at the end of every book. For instance, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a great series. It is exciting and never repetitive, and each book builds on the last. It keeps my interest from page one until the very end, and that's exactly what I look for in a series. I also love that there are new elements to each book, with the addition of the new titular character (Scarlett and Cress, thus far). The same goes for George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series - it's dense and heavy and truly epic. It certainly wouldn't work if it was condensed into one long (long) book.

In all honesty, I think my main problem with series is that there are just so many books out there that I want to read! I get impatient and antsy because I just want to read everything, even though I know that it's not possible. There are so many standalones that want to be read. So many series to be read. By me. Immediately. So many books, so little time. Which reminds me of that short-lived Mary Kate and Ashley TV show from 2001. This is where a random number generator comes in mighty handy - I yield all choice in which book to read next and just let the computer decide for me!

Do you have series fatigue? Do you love series, or are you frustrated that every other book seems to be part of a series? Are you an impatient reader like me?

TTT - Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Each week a new topic is given and weeks topic is:

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year

I've had a rough year of reading thus far. I've come across a handful of gems, but for the most part the books I've read haven't elicited much emotion or attachment from me, which made this list pretty difficult to compile. Considering I've only handed out five 5-star ratings, and one of those was a re-read of the first Harry Potter book, the books on this list are definitely not all amazing, but they are all books that I really enjoyed. 

I would include Cress by Marissa Meyer, which is what I'm currently reading, but I feel like it would be cheating to include a book I haven't finished yet...

Inheritance by Malinda Lo

This was actually the first book I read this year, and it was a bit of a let-down after Lo's awesome Adaptation. My main complaint with this book is that I just didn't like one of the love interests. I did love the unexpected conclusion (and all of the interactions between Reese and Amber). That said, it's still a duology I'd recommend without hesitation and I really enjoyed reading it.

Parasite by Mira Grant

Parasite's premise is everything I look for in sci-fi: female protagonist, big corporations doing evil deeds, conspiracy theories, and lovely, confusing science. It helps that the characterization was on point, and the plot was fast moving and not too contrived. I don't read a lot of sci-fi, but this is a book to check out regardless.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

I tried to read this book about two years ago, but couldn't stick with it at the time. This go around, however, it was exactly what I needed. I loved this book. I'm so excited to get my grubby little paws on the next book (and all of Valente's other titles). Guess who's going to be doing a lot of library requesting this summer? 

Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey

Jacqueline Carey has been my favourite author since the first time I read Kushiel's Dart when I was about fourteen. I'm not typically a big fan of urban fantasy because in general I find it to be rather repetitive, misogynistic, and not particularly creative, but I was pleasantly surprised by Carey's take on the genre. I love that feminism plays such a huge role in all of Carey's books, and this was no exception. I loved that it wasn't super romance-heavy.

Y by Marjorie Celona

This book was hauntingly beautiful. Set in my hometown, it isn't particularly well-known, but it was on my TBR and when I spotted it while browsing the shelves at the library I knew I had to grab it. It was a really quick read, but much deeper than most of the other books I've read this year. It tells the story of a newborn baby who was abandoned at the YMCA and the young woman who left her there. This book left me pretty much speechless.

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez

I have no idea how this book came to be on my radar, but I'm so glad it did. The main character, Frenchie, is refreshing and lively and altogether different. It takes place over a short period of time, but it feels much bigger than it is. I'm pretty sure I read this in a span of about four hours, because I was completely captivated by Frenchie's life and wanted to know more.

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

I've admitted before that I absolutely hated the beginning of this book. I came very close to setting it aside after just a few pages because it was painful to read. But I'm SO FREAKING GLAD I didn't. This is one of the most memorable books I've read this year, and I don't think I'll ever forget it. It's very different from everything else that's out there. It starts off quite cliched, but once you hit the halfway point you realise that this book isn't what you were expecting. The relationships in this book are wonderful, and I loved the character growth shown by Ava. She's practically a different person by the end of the book, but it's all completely believable. Just read it, okay?

Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart

Another title that isn't what I normally gravitate towards, but which really impressed me. I really loved the French-ness of this book, if that makes any sense whatsoever. While not a particularly sophisticated novel, Nine Coaches Waiting is a testament that not all trashy romances are bad. The romance itself was probably my least favourite part, but it really wasn't the most important thing going on. It was creepy and thrilling and had me up until four in the morning because I just couldn't put it down until I'd found out what happened.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

This one was a no-brainer. Though I was a bit thrown by the beginning of this book, it was absolutely brilliant. I never thought I'd learn so much about airplanes... Aviation aside, Code Name Verity broke my heart into a million teeny tiny pieces and I will never recover from it. Ever. Kiss me Hardy.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

This. Freaking. Book. Dreams of Gods & Monsters popped into my head immediately when I read the topic for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. It was by far the best book I've read thus far this year. I've never read a better conclusion to a trilogy, and I doubt I ever will. Laini Taylor, give me more please?? And I'm not talking about Night of Cake & Puppets (which I have yet to read). MORE.

Have you read any of these wonderful books? What are the best books you've read since January? Lemme know, my lovelies!

Review - Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Series: Standalone

Published by Running Press Kids on May 28 2013

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Pages: 272

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Frenchie Garcia can’t come to grips with the death of Andy Cooper. Her friends didn’t know she had a crush him. And they don’t know she was the last person with him before he committed suicide. But Frenchie’s biggest concern is how she blindly helped him die that night. 

Frenchie’s already insane obsession with death and Emily Dickinson won’t help her understand the role she played during Andy’s “one night of adventure.” But when she meets Colin, she may have found the perfect opportunity to recreate that night. While exploring the emotional depth of loss and transition to adulthood, Sanchez’s sharp humor and clever observations bring forth a richly developed voice.

My decision to read this book was pretty shallow, I’ll admit: I was drawn to the simple, gorgeous cover and couldn’t look away. It was just SO BEAUTIFUL. It totally captivated me.

The thing about books with lovely covers is that sometimes the inside of the book is so very disappointing. DEATH, DICKINSON, AND THE DEMENTED LIFE OF FRENCHIE GARCIA was anything but disappointing. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it, and I am so happy to have read this book.

I actually read the book aloud for the first four chapters (it helps when I’m having trouble concentrating, okay) and couldn’t stop. I think I read the first five or six chapters late into the night, and then proceeded to finish the rest of the book promptly the next morning. It’s not a particularly long book, at just under 300 pages, and it flies by. I almost wanted it to be longer, just so that I could spend more time in Frenchie’s head.

On that note, can we just talk about Frenchie Garcia for a second? What a protagonist. She’s a truly complicated girl, and I was along for the ride from page one. She’s unlike any other protagonist I’ve encountered in my broad literary past. Frenchie shows signs of depression – pushing her friends away, lack of interest in any of her favourite hobbies or pastimes, the desire to spend all day in bed – but she is so much more than that. As her “unofficial third best friend” Robyn says, Frenchie can be a bit harsh. A bit “cold … prudish … uninviting … bitchy … snarky … evil ….” She doesn’t have many friends because, as Robyn attests, people are scared of her. And that doesn’t really bother Frenchie. She knows how people see her, and she’s okay with it for the most part. Frenchie is harbouring a secret that is eating away at her life: she was the last person to spend time with Andy Cooper before he committed suicide four months ago. But the most important thing about Frenchie is that she is so dynamic. She is moody and snarky and independent, but she is also needy and sad and so freaking lonely that it hurts even to think about. I get Frankie.

As Frenchie attempts to relive that fateful night with Andy (alongside new friend Colin), she learns a lot about both Andy and herself. It’s Frenchie’s self-discovery that really makes this book. It’s executed to perfection and I really felt for Frenchie every step of the way. She was a real person, which is pretty much the highest praise I can give a character. Another thing I really loved was her relationship with her best friend, Joel. Frenchie spends the book angry with Joel for his tendency to abandon her for whomever he happens to be dating at any given time. What I love about this is that Frenchie isn’t jealous because she has a thing for Joel – she’s jealous because he’s her best friend and he isn’t there for her when she needs him. She feels like his girlfriend is threatening their friendship. No one in this book is completely in the wrong, and Frenchie isn’t such a martyr herself. These are selfish teenagers who get so wrapped up in their personal dramas that they forget to check in on each other and make sure everyone else is doing okay. It sucks, but it’s normal. It’s natural for Joel to want to be happy with Lily, for his plans to change. It’s natural for Frenchie to long for stability in the upheaval she is experiencing. Everything makes total sense.

Another fabulous thing about DEATH, DICKINSON… is that there is minimal romance. I know what you’re thinking – almost all of the YA bloggers I know love themselves some romance. I’m not one of those people. I find it can be too contrived, and sometimes it just doesn’t seem necessary or important compared to everything else going on in the characters’ lives. In this case, there is a budding flirtation between Frenchie and Colin, but it really isn’t a priority. When Colin holds Frenchie’s hand it could be taken as romantic, but it could also be that he’s trying to show her that he’s there for her; he has her back. He respects that she may not be ready for or even thinking about getting into a relationship. She has bigger things going on in her life. Honestly, I didn’t really like Colin when he was first introduced, but goddamn did he grow on me. If I were to have a book crush, it would probably be on Colin. Just sayin’.

Last point: Diversity! Frenchie is (assumedly) Latina, though the only description I recall of her is that she has long black hair, and best friend Joel is described as half-black (and he has dreads! Swoon!). I loved that these characters were non-white, but that they were neither stereotypical nor was their existence wrapped up in their race or ethnicity. They were just people who happened not to be Caucasian. Yay!

Review - The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Series: Blood of Eden #3

Published by Harlequin Teen on April 15 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopia

Pages: 393

Rating: 2/5 stars

Vengeance will be hers. 

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.
Monster. 

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions - her creator Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost - the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.  

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, her triumph will be short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone. 

THE FINAL HUNT IS ON.

For the third and final book in a series in which the stakes are as high as they can possibly be, this book spends a lot of time on romance and not nearly enough on plot and action. The middle thirty percent of the book is literally just Allie and Zeke whining and arguing and kissing and whining some more. If I hadn’t already invested so much time and energy into this series, I would have DNF’ed it.

I might have enjoyed The Forever Song if Zeke was a stronger character. I might have liked it if I understood what made him so appealing to Allie. If I didn’t feel like he was holding her back. But that is not the case. I have disliked Zeke from his first appearance in The Immortal Rules, and my disapproval only increased in The Forever Song. Zeke is not the kind of love interest I want to see in a book about ruthless vampires who rule a dystopian society. He doesn’t fit in. His idealism is annoying instead of inspiring and I spent the first forty-odd percent of the book wishing he was dead. I think that this book would have been much stronger, particularly in Allie’s character development, if Zeke had in fact died at the end of The Eternity Cure. I would have loved to see Allie confront who she is as a vampire without Zeke around to guilt her into being a “good person”.

One of the biggest complaints I have about this series is the conflation of humanity and morality. Throughout the series, Allie rebels against what is expected of her as a vampire, believing their lack of humanity to make them inherently evil. This is something that I think Kagawa tries to resolve, but it didn’t work for me. I think that there is a distinct difference between humanity and morality, and I don’t think that line is painted as vividly as it should be in these books. It is not being a vampire that makes someone a bad person – morality is in the choices we make after the fact. Yes, there are a lot of horrible vampires out there, but I can’t say I’d have a lot of sympathy for the humans considering their immediate judgement of anything that is not like them. Not to mention the fact that humans have shown over and over and over that we are just as capable of atrocities as anyone else – humans do absolutely horrible things, but that does not throw their humanity into question. So why is it that humanity is something to hold on to at any costs?

I’m particularly disappointed in this book because of how much I loved The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure. There was so much potential for this book to be incredible, and it let me down at every turn. One bit of praise I can give it is that Kagawa writes great (though sometimes repetitive) battle scenes. She is quick with the action, and the pacing isn’t too bad if you forget about the middle section of the book.

My final complaint I have is the lack of female characters in the series. I didn’t really pick up on this until I was reading The Forever Song, but I can’t help but notice that Allison is the only woman in the entire series who actually matters. She is the only one with character development, the only one with agency and opinions and personality. The only other women to grace the pages of The Forever Song are Caleb and Bethany’s adoptive mother, who is suspicious and standoffish towards Allie and Zeke the moment she finds out that they are no longer human, and a human woman who Allie nearly kills at the beginning of the book, whose only purpose is to appear as a reminder to Allie of the relationship between herself and her deceased mother. I truly wish that some of the fascinating characters in these books could have been women. It just seems strange for there to be no other women in Allie’s life.

Best of Jackal (the one bright spot in this dismal book):

“Hey, maybe we can tie him half in and half out of the sun, that’s always interesting. Did that to some undead bastard who pissed me off several years back. The light began at his feet and crawled up towar his face, and it took a very long time for him to finally kick it. By the end, he was screaming at me to cut off his head.”

“Next time we get a flat, you’re on your own. In fact, I think some lazy little fucks who won’t be named need to learn the basics of changing a tire.” 

“For all I know, he could be chasing squirrels to make a necklace from their little squirrel balls.” 

“Puppy, I am getting so tired of listening to you whine about this. This isn’t rocket science. If you don’t want to be a monster, don’t be a bloody monster! Be an uptight stick in the mud like Kanin. Be a self-righteous bleeding heart like Allison. Or you can stop agonizing about it and be a fucking monster, it’s actually a lot of fun.” 

“All the meatsacks are perfectly content on their happy little island, Sarren has given up world destruction to raise kittens, and the magic wish fairy will wave her wand and turn shit into gold.”

TTT - Books That Will Be in My Beach Bag This Summer

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Each week a new topic is given and weeks topic is:

Top Ten Books That Will Be in My Beach Bag This Summer

This is kind of a silly topic, particularly because I haven't actually been to the beach since I lived in Vancouver two years ago (WHAT? How has it been that long??). Anyway, these are the books I'm most excited to read this summer, whether they join me at the beach or not.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski 

I've been looking forward to this book for SO LONG. I have a feeling it may disappoint me simply because it's been put on this pedestal of longing for such a long time and there's no way it can live up to my expectations, but I'm still looking forward to reading it ASAP.

Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey

This sounds like a fun and funny summer read. I haven't read any reviews of it, but I'm hoping it's as good as it seems. I like mysteries for summer, and I enjoyed Fantaskey's Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side when I read it many many years ago.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

I've heard great things about this book and it's been on my radar for quite some time. I'm looking forward to experiencing it for myself. It'll actually be my first Jenny Han book!

Ruins by Dan Wells

I figure I might as well make this my summer of finishing trilogies. It began with The Forever Song, and will continue with Ruins. I don't really remember much about Partials, but I am looking forward to this one. I love the world Wells has created.

The Last Forever by Deb Caletti

I don't really have a reason for wanting to read this. It's Deb Caletti. Do I really need a reason aside from that? It's been quite a while since my last Deb Caletti read, and I think her books make great summer reads.

Split Second by Kasie West

I loved Pivot Point and the way it ended made it clear that I need to read the second book ASAP. I've heard pretty great things about this one.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

If I could only read one book all summer, it would be Cress. I'm obsessed with this series. It's SO GOOD and I want to learn all about Cress and how she fits into this fascinating world.

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

I loved Elizabeth Scott's books in high school, but I'm curious to see if they'll stand up against my now-quite-critical taste. I'm not confident that I'll love this one, but it should be interesting. It sounds like a fun summer read if nothing else.

Also Known As by Robin Benway

I really liked Audrey, Wait! and I've heard great things about Robin Benway's new books, so hopefully they'll live up to the hype.

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Ugh, DUH. This one's a no-brainer.

I have a bunch of ARCs that I'm looking forward to as well, but decided not to include them in this list. What's on your list? Planning on spending your summer reading beachside? Sounds lovely, but unlikely for me! I

ARC Review - Nihal of the Land of the Wind by Licia Troisi

Nihal of the Land of the Wind by Licia Troisi

Series: Chronicles of the Overworld #1

Published by OpenRoad Media on May 27 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 230

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

An international bestseller from an extraordinary storyteller—get ready for Nihal and her world. 

Nihal lives in one of the many towers of the Land of the Wind. There is nobody like her in the Overworld: big violet eyes, pointed ears, and blue hair. She is an expert in swordplay and the leader of a handful of friends that includes Sennar the wizard. She has no parents; brought up by an armorer and a sorceress, Nihal seems to be from nowhere. 

Things suddenly change when the Tyrant takes charge. Nihal finds herself forced to take action when she is faced with the most difficult mission a girl her age could imagine. 

Fierce, strong, and armed with her black crystal sword, Nihal sets out to become a real warrior. Readers will be riveted as she forges her powerful path of resistance.

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Translated into English from Italian, Licia Troisi’s debut novel gets off to a grand start. The beginning of Nihal of the Land of the Wind isn’t particularly original, but it is immersive and does an excellent job of introducing the reader to both the extensive setting and many of the important characters. It isn’t until the second half of the novel that everything starts to fall apart.

As a child, Nihal is intrinsically likeable. The daughter of a renowned blacksmith, Nihal’s favourite hobby is playing at war with the other neighbourhood children (all boys, because apparently no other girls want to engage in pretend battles). She is free spirited and independent and tenacious. When she is bested in combat by a sorcerer (she forgot to stipulate that there be no magic in their fight), Nihal decides to learn magic in order to be the best warrior she can be. However, this is where Nihal’s likeable/sympathetic traits end. I spend most of the novel irritated by Nihal’s behaviour. She grows from a tenacious child to a ruthless and narrow-minded young woman, throwing her all into killing. Despite what the book seems to suggest, I never really felt like Nihal learned that her attitude towards war was a detriment to herself and everyone around her. She was incapable of helping anyone but herself, and it was dangerous.

The only character I really liked or sympathized with was Sennar, and even he was particularly memorable. I found his crush on Nihal very frustrating because I was so hoping to see a book in which a young girl and a young boy can be friends without developing romantic feelings for one another. On a similar note, I wish that Nihal hadn’t had a crush on Fen. It would have been much more interesting for her to simply admire him and aspire to be like him without that element.

The plot was quite predictable. I found it to have echoes of Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey’s popular ‘80s series, but it didn’t live up to the high bar that those two incredible women set. The writing, while not distractingly bad, wasn’t particularly interesting or notable in any way. The world building, on the other hand, was quite impressive. It was particularly well-integrated for the first book in a series. It was very vivid and for the most part was well thought out.

I don’t think that I’d actively recommend this as do think that the negatives outweigh the positives, but it depends on what the reader is looking for in the book. Unfortunately, I simply didn’t find it particularly memorable or original.

Weekly Wrap-Up (4)

• I dyed my hair! My hair is now dark brown, though it should fade into a more medium-toned brown over the next few days. I love it, though anything would be better than the not-quite-red, not-quite-blonde shade I've been dealing with for the past few months. Remind me not to attempt to go blonde again - my hair just has way too much red in it for it not to go super brassy on me.
• I watched a whole bunch of movies. And when I say a whole bunch, I mean it. I'm not a big movie watcher, but when I decide that I want to watch a movie, I watch all of the movies. As in, I've watched five or six in the past two days alone. Yeah. I watched: Magic Magic, After the Dark, Epic, Union Square, The Lifeguard, and something else but I can't remember what.

• On Monday I reviewed Salvage by Alexandra Duncan
• On Tuesday I listed some of the fantasy series' I'm most looking forward to reading
• On Wednesday I posted my very first TV Spotlight feature post, documenting my love-hate relationship with Teen Wolf
• On Thursday I reviewed the wonderful The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

• The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
• Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez

No purchases, but I did get one book from Netgalley. 

Netgalley

How was your week? Did you do anything fun? Read anything interesting? Receive any books you're SUPER excited for?