DNF Review: The Swan Riders by Erin Bow

Release Date: September 20th, 2016
Read: September 11th- 26th, 2016
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Series: Prisoners of Peace, #2
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   Greta Stuart has become AI. New transmitters have silvered her fingerprints. New receptors have transformed her vision. And the whole of her memory has become one book in a vast library of instant knowledge. Greta is ready to rule the world.

   But the new technology is also killing her.

   Greta is only sixteen years old, but her new enhancements are burning through her mortal body at an alarming rate. Of course the leader of the AIs, an ancient and compelling artificial intelligence named Talis, has a plan. Greta can simply do what he’s done when the time comes, and take over the body of one of the Swan Riders, the utterly loyal humans who serve the AIs as part army, part cult.

   First though, Greta will have to find a way to stay sane inside her new self. Talis’s plan for that involves a road trip. Escorted by Swan Riders, Greta and Talis set out on a horseback journey across the strange and not-quite-deserted landscape of Saskatchewan. But there are other people interested in Greta, people who want to change the world…and the Swan Riders might not be as loyal as they appear…

Review:

   Piece by piece..
   I had received The Scorpion Rules from the publisher as a surprise, last year before it's release. Before I started it, I thought the premise to be a new and exciting idea. Then there was also the promise of it taking place in Canada, stories that take place in Canada don't happen quite often, so I was really excited to read it. In the end The Scorpion Rules ended up being a little too political for my taste. There are sometimes cases where the second book outshines the first, I had hoped that that would be the case with The Swan Riders. I can't always be right.
   I DNF'd The Swan Riders when I was perhaps 100 pages in, it took me 15 days to get to that point. Nothing about the story was grabbing my attention, and after 15 days I knew it was time to finally put  it down and pick something else up.
   I had gone into The Swan Riders hoping for a bit of a change, considering our main character was now an AI. It felt like the little times I got to see her embrace her new form, Talis would interrupt.
   This series has turned out to just not be for me, I'm glad that I tried to give the series another try, but I probably won't be picking up the rest of the series in the future.(If it does continue, with a third book.)

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"He was losing her. He was losing them all."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian, LGBTQ, Robots, Canada

Book Review: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Release Date: September 22nd, 2014
Read: September 4th-16th, 2015
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Series: Prisoners of Peace, #1
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   In the future, the UN has brought back an ancient way to keep the peace. The children of world leaders are held hostage—if a war begins, they pay with their lives.

   Greta is the Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy, a superpower formed of modern-day Canada. She is also a Child of Peace, a hostage held by the de facto ruler of the world, the great Artificial Intelligence, Talis. The hostages are Talis’s strategy to keep the peace: if her country enters a war, Greta dies.

   The system has worked for centuries. Parents don’t want to see their children murdered.

   Greta will be free if she can make it to her eighteenth birthday. Until then she is prepared to die with dignity, if necessary. But everything changes when Elián arrives at the Precepture. He’s a hostage from a new American alliance, and he defies the machines that control every part of their lives—and is severely punished for it. Greta is furious that Elián has disrupted their quiet, structured world. But slowly, his rebellion opens her eyes to the brutality of the rules they live under, and to the subtle resistance of her companions. And Greta discovers her own quiet power.

   Then Elián’s country declares war on Greta’s and invades the prefecture, taking the hostages hostage. Now the great Talis is furious, and coming himself to mete out punishment. Which surely means that Greta and Elián will be killed...unless Greta can think of a way to save them. 

Review:

 
   Why would I come back to you?
   The Scorpion Rules was a present from Simon & Schuster Canada, it was a surprise too! When the ARC along with the fancy honey candle came in the mail I didn't know what to expect because I hadn't heard of the novel before. So to GoodReads I went, and it looked really interesting! Especially since the story takes place in Canada, you don't see that often.
   When I first started reading The Scorpion Rules I thought that it would have a rebellion sort of twist to it. Unfortunately I was wrong and it was political twist. Where anything else would have been fine, I just can't do political, and because the book was completely surrounded in it. I just couldn't enjoy the book because of it.
   Where I didn't enjoy the novel, I did enjoy the character Greta. Strong, learning, willing to sacrifice for the better good. She I did enjoy.
   Even though Erin Bow is a Canadian Author, I probably won't be giving the sequel a chance.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

" All we are is dust in the wind"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy, War, Politics, Canada, LGBT

September Wrap Up 2015!

   Finally September is done! And with that I only have 9 more months of school then I graduate. Woohoooooo! Anyhow, besides that I purchased a whole ton of books this month, and I mean a lot.

Online orders, pre-orders, bookstores and used bookstores. I did a lot of book hunting!

Woah, look a selfie.

   I went to my first book signing in over a year, since YALLFest 2014 to be specific. It felt great, I hope we get visited more often in the future because I really missed the feeling of being at a signing! You can read more about the signing I went to here.
   I finally started Queen of Shadows and I'm dying because how awesome it is! I've been kind of out of it at school around my friends because of it! Oops!     OOH! Halloween is next month so I'm trying my best to pick a bookish costume, but knowing me it probably won't happen. But we'll see!
   Besides the signing and buying a ton of books nothing new has happened this month! I've gotten a update on my trip to San Francisco in March, so that's excited but like I said nothing new.

   That wraps up this month. Time for the bookish stats!

Books Reads:

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas
Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

Book Haul:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (UK Edition)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (UK Edition) 

Heir of Fire of Sarah J Maas (UK Edition)

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas (Hardcover)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (Hardcover)

The Morganville Vampires, Volume 2 by Rachel Caine (Paperback)

Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia (Paperback)

Beautiful Darkness by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia (Paperback)

Beautiful Chaos by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia (Paperback)

Beautiful Redemption by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia (Paperback)

The Kill Order by James Dasher (Hardcover)

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman (ARC)

Unspoken by C.C. Hunter (ARC)

The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen by Katherine Howe (ARC)

The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore (Hardcover)

Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong (Canadian Hardcover)

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin (ARC)

Sasquatch by Andrea Schicke Hirsch (Paperback)

Freaks of Nature by Wendy Brotherlin (Paperback)

Crow's Rest by Angelica R. Jackson (Paperback)

   A Big thank you to McNally Robinson, St. Marten's Griffin, Razorbill, and Spencer Hill Press for sending me some go these fabulous books!

Books Reviewed:

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
Paper Towns by John Green

October Books I'm Looking Forward To:

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (6th)

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis (6th)

Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith (6th)

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl (13th)

The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong (13th)

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin (20th)

The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa (27th)

Persuasion by Martina Boone (27th)

Unspoken by C.C Hunter (27th)

   That's it for this month! Thanks for sticking around!

ARC August Wrap Up!

   Unfortunately I didn't get all the books I had wanted read, read. I really didn't get any reading done this month, besides the few books I read while camping at the beginning of the month. I've never been good with keeping a reading schedule, and this month sure proves it.

 

   I read a whole 2 1/2 ARCs this month, Illuminae, Vengeance Road, and I'm currently reading Walk on Earth a Stranger. I had also planned to read Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto and The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow but I just never got to them, I'm sure I'll read Scorpion Rules next month before it releases!

 

   In all I think I actually did pretty well! Anyhow that concludes ARC August for me, I hope I'll do better next year!

 

   Stay tuned for my reviews of Illuminae and Walk on Earth a Stranger closer to their release dates!

 

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Release Date: October 20th, 2015
Publisher: Knof Books for Young Readers
Series: The Illuminae Files, #1

Description from GoodReads:

   This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

   This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

   The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

   But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

   Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Review to come closer to the publication date!

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Release Date: September 1st, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Series: N/A

Description from GoodReads:

   When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.


   
In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.

You can check my review here!

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Release Date: September 22nd, 2015

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Series: The Gold Seer Trilogy, #1

Description from GoodReads:

   Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.

   Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research.

Review to come closer the Publication date. 

 

   How did you do with ARC August? Let me know in the comments!

 

 



 

ARC August

   So ARC August was created by the fabulous Octavia and Shelly from Read. Sleep. Repeat! It was created to get a handle on all the ARCs bloggers and readers are behind on! Alongside friends, its supposed to be a fun experience! 

Rules:

-It may be a physical ARC or eARC but it MUST be an ARC

-Yes it can be an ARC that has already released; as long as it’s an ARC I’m not going to nit pick really.

-HAVE FUN WITH THIS! Feeling like you are being “forced” to read is the best way turn a fun event into a yucky obligation.

-Update post! I personally will do a post for each Saturday in August but that’s just me. You can update once a week, every other week or once for the whole darn event. This update can be in the form of a blog/tumblr post, vlog, link to your “ARC August 2015″ shelf or even an instagram pic! I want to make this as easy and low pressure as possible for you.

   I don't have a lot of ARCs I haven't actually read yet, but I thought I'd still participate with the ones that I have! 

My ARCs:

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Release Date: September 22nd, 2015

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Series: The Scorpion Rules, #1

Description from GoodReads:

   A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Preceptures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

   Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Prefecture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace, even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive. 

   Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Prefecture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages. 

   What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Release Date: October 20th, 2015

Publisher: Knof Books for Young Readers

Series: The Illuminae Files, #1

Description from GoodReads:

   This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

   This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

   The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

   But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

   Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto

Release Date: August 26th, 2014

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Series: The Ghost House Saga, #1

Description from GoodReads:

   After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

   Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

   To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

- Any other ARCs I receive this month for review

   It's not a bad list if I do say so myself. At the end of the month I'll update you with a post about my process and thoughts on these ARCs!


   How about you? Are you participating in ARC August? What ARCs do you plan on reading?