Sunday, February 23, 2014

Review: Rua by Miranda Kavi



Genre: Fantasy | Faeries


Synopsis:
When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets. The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes up to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window. He knows what she is.

Review:
I enjoyed this novel. It was not what I was expecting at all. I came across this book while looking for novel that explore the Fae mythology. This is not your typical Sidhe interpretation. But, I kind of liked that. 

Celeste was spunky and smart. She was cautious and strong. She worked to learn how to control her powers so she would be able to defend herself. 

Rylan played the part of the mysterious rogue. He was so sweet to Celeste, yet he was also serious about their situation. He was very intuitive, and I really appreciated that about his character. 

The characters were relatable and the plot flowed smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rua. 

 
Rating: 4 out of 5 owls
Trailer:








Review: Fathomless by Jackson Pearce



Genre: Fairy Tales | Mermaids


Synopsis:
Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant--until Celia meets Lo. 

Lo doesn't know who she is, or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea--a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid--all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy names Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection, Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for the Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her...and steal his soul. 

Review:
Jackson Pearce amazed me once again with her unique story-telling. She has such an amazing talent for capturing the essence of fairy tales and making them something new. Fathomless is a retelling of the famous story The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. I loved the combination of the mermaids and the three sisters, who remind me of the Fates in Greek mythology. 

Normally I don't care for the double perspective, but Jackson made it work. It worked in Sisters Red and it worked in Fathomless. I loved her descriptions of the ocean. She made it so ark and mysterious. Even the mermaids reflected the vast darkness of the deep water. This was not your typical Disney fairy tale. These mermaids are mindless creatures that kill for the hope of stealing a human's soul to become an angel. Once becoming a mermaid these girls lose all touch with their humanity and memories. It is only by returning to the shore that they can begin to regain their past lives. 

Celia was the typical third sister that doesn't feel as if she good enough in comparison to her sisters. She feels out of place and lonely. The narrative between Celia and Lo has multiple layers of complexity that really add dimension to the plot. I especially liked the subtle ties from the previous books. I can really see how the stories are beginning to intertwine. 

My only complaint is that there was almost too much angst. It started from the first page and didn't end. I didn't feel like that angst was fully resolved by the end; however, this is a continuing series so I expect that I will have that in the next installment. 

Overall, Fathomless rose to my expectations. I love this series. Jackson definitely delivered once again.

Rating: 4 out of 5 owls

Reviews: Sisters Red | Sweetly
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