Sophie Reads YA

Stacking the Shelves: May 21st 2016

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#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan

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The Sword of Summer
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1
Author: Rick Riordan
Published October 6th 2015 by Puffin

Goodreads Synopsis
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he's never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .
Goodreads

Review

I ordered this book way back in October, when it came out, and for some reason it's been gathering dust on my shelf ever since. Rick Riordan is one of my favourite authors, and I adore his Percy Jackson series, especially since it is really faithful to the source material, and I'm a classics student. I did a module on the Vikings last semester, and became really interested in the Norse mythology, especially the whole idea of Ragnarok.

The Sword of Summer is about Magnus Chase (yes, that surname is familiar, he's Annabeth's cousin!) who after living on the streets for the past 2 years following the death of his mother, dies, in battle with a mythical Norse giant. Just your everyday occurrence. Because his death was heroic, and in battle, he was chosen by Samirah, a Valkyrie, to got to Valhalla and join the ranks of those training for the final battle. To top it all off, he's not just a mortal who committed a heroic action, but also is the son of the god Frey, and has to reclaim the legendary Sword of Summer before it triggers the start of Ragnarok - the end of the world.

The characters were this amazing! I loved Magnus! I had seen a lot of people saying he was extremely similar to Percy, as if they had the same voice, but I didn't find that. Rather, I thought he was his own person. He was dorky, and self-depreciating, and more mature, having had to deal with his grief and having grown up on the streets. Yes, there may have been similarities between Percy and Magnus, but the differences were more than enough for me.

Samirah (also called Sam) was a breath of fresh air. She had that sort of air about her that Annabeth had in the earlier PJO books, where she just wouldn't put up with any of Percy's crap. In this case, Sam is punished for picking Magnus to join the ranks in Valhalla, and she joins forces with him to recover the Sword to show that her decision was valid. Also, she was a diverse character, but not in your face diverse, added for the sake of diverstiy alone. She was Muslim, and wore a magical hijab that she'd fashioned from the material all Valkyries are given as a sort of invisibility cloak. She was also a descendent of Ahmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rāšid ibn Hammād, who, if you know anything about Vikings and whatnot, wrote one of the earliest accounts of the Rus people (eastern Vikings living around the region of the Volga). I had to study his work last semester for my exams, and I loved how this was incorporated into the story.

The other characters, Blitz and Hearth, had been caring for Magnus when he was on the streets, and turn out to be from the Norse world too (a giant and a dwarf). We see all the characters have their own plot lines that all converge from time to time, and everything single part seemed necessary to the story.

We even get a little cameo from Annabeth, and the way her's and Magnus' relationship develops, I'm think she may be around more in the future too (hopefully with Percy this time.)

The plot line was a usual faced paced as you would expect from Riordan, and I can't wait to get my hands on book 2, The Hammer of Thor. If you've enjoyed any of Rick's books in the past, check this out, you won't regret it.

Dates Read:
May 4-5, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

Lily Anderson

Waiting on Wednesday: The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson

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2016 Debut Author Challenge

ARC Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson

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The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You
Series: None
Author: Lily Anderson
Published May 17th 2016 by St. Martin's Griffin

Goodreads Synopsis
Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Dr. Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing--down to number four.

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books--well, maybe not comic books--but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.

The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on--and they might not pick the same side.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

I first read this book way back in January, after I finished my exams, and devoured the whole thing in less than a day. Afterwards, life seemed to get in the way, and I kept putting off writing my review that I realised I needed to reread the book in order to remember what happened. After rereading only the first few chapters, everything came back to me, and I remembered just why I loved the book in the first place.

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You is a retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The main characters are all students at Messina Academy for the Gifted, also known as the Mess, and spend the majority of the day in classes most college students couldn't cope with. As their senior year begins, they face the dreaded class lists, published every week, showing who has the best results, and who doesn't. Trixie and Ben have been ranked third and fourth for most of their school career, and keep jumping each other from time to time. Trixie can't stand Ben, and would love nothing more than to be him, once and for all. For Ben, it's a whole other matter; yes, he would like to be third, but his feelings towards Trixie are completely different. They have to spend time together once their best friends become a couple, and it's tense, to say the least.

However, that's the least of their problems. Soon, the class list is tampered with, and when Trixie's best friend is accused of doing so, she is expelled. Ben and Trixie have to join forces to discover who the real culprit is, and even though they're now in the lead, statistically, they put their friendships above everything else.

First things first, I don't like Shakespeare, and have never read, seen, heard, etc., this play. I know, an English person not liking Shakespeare :0 No matter how much I like books, I'm not exactly a fan of classics, except Jane Austen. However, adaptations of Shakespeare - such as 10 Things I Hate About You, She's the Man, etc. - are right up my street, as was this book. I adored the book so much, I couldn't put it down, and when I discovered it was Anderson's debut, I was immensely impressed in her writing style.

The main characters, Trixie and Ben, were fantastic, in their own ways. They were geeky, but still extremely approachable. They spend a lot of time at the local comic book store, and the book was full of fandom references, enough to appeal to just about everyone. Their relationship was difficult since they'd been in first grade, but since then, Ben had been trying to make up for it, but Trixie stood her ground. Over the course of the book, we see Ben time and time again attempt to become friends, and more, with Trixie, and she's completely oblivious. Everyone else knows what's happening, but she can't see anything past her hatred. I adored their relationship. We really see them get over their past, and their feelings develop, even as their dealing with the real problem of friends being expelled, and friendships breaking up.

If you haven't been able to tell I loved this book, well, I did! It's the perfect kind of contemporary retelling for me, and I just wish I'd had it in my life earlier. The writing style was so compelling that I was hooked from page 1, and my only problem was that it ended - I could have read so much more! I'd recommend you pick this up, even if you're not a fan of Shakespeare, because you don't need to be for this retelling. A perfect YA Debut!

Dates Read:
January 29, 2016

Rating
5 Stars

May

Stacking the Shelves: May 14th 2016

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#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey

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Love, Lies and Spies
Series: None
Author: Cindy Anstey
Published April 19th 2016 by Swoon Reads

Goodreads Synopsis
Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.
Goodreads

Review
You'll probably know this about me already, but I'm just about to finish my history and ancient history degree. Anything to do with history, and I'm bound to want it. The regency era is one of my favourite eras of history to read about, especially when it is reminiscent of Jane Austen, who is my hero. This book had been on my radar for a while, and when I got a discount voucher for BD on my birthday, I decided to treat myself with a preorder.

Love, Lies and Spies takes place in 1813, right as the Napoleonic Wars are raging. England is fraught with worry about French spies infiltrating Society, and Spencer is charged with discovering a smuggling ring, with ties to the French. As he's closing in on the target, he meets Juliana Telford, seemingly dangling off the side of a cliff. After rescuing her, he seems to fall into her company at every turn, and they decide to join forces to help his friend, Lord Bobbington, woo the lofty Vivian Pyebald.

As Juliana, Vivian, and cousin Carrie journey to London for their presentation at Court, and entrance into their first Season, Juliana and Spencer spend a lot of time together. Juliana knows she has no intention of husband-hunting, she just wants the experience of a London Season before she returns home to care for her father. Spencer feels similarly, he has no intention of finding a bride, yet, as his War Office work takes precedence. However, no one seems to have told their hearts that, as they both fall for each other gradually, and all at once, at the same time.

All of the characters were so entertaining to read. Juliana and Spencer's PoVs were perfect, and I adored how we got to see how they both felt, as they realised it themselves. Even the secondary characters were interesting. My favourites were Lord Bobbington and Carrie, both endearing people in their own rights, but the way they cared for their friends and family made them stronger personas. The entire Pyebald family were awful, and if you've ever read/seen Pride and Prejudice, you'll definitely see links between Mr Pyebald and the wicked Mr Wickham.

If I had to compare this book and these characters to an Austen novel, I'd pick Emma. The friendship between Juliana and Spencer was reminiscent of Emma's and Mr Knightley, as was Emma's family situation. Spencer did have a touch of Mr Darcy in him, though, as was wasn't as forthcoming and outgoing to begin with. To me, nothing can please me more than a book set in this era, that reminds me of the brilliance that is Jane. Anstey's writing style was, to me, an updated version of Austen, and considering this is her debut novel, I'm dying to read more from her.

Dates Read:

May 1-2, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

Evelyn Skye

Waiting on Wednesday: The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is:

The Crown's Game
Series: None
Author: Evelyn Skye
Published May 17th 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads Summary
Sixteen-year-old Vika Andreyev can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Eighteen-year-old Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters, and with the Ottoman Empire and other enemies threatening Russia, the Tsar wants an enchanter by his side.

Two enchanters in the same generation, however, are a rarity. And a problem. There is only so much magic in Russia, and it cannot be diluted. So the Crown’s Game was invented, a duel of magical skill. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected advisor. The defeated is sentenced to death.

The Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Of course, they both want to win. Until now, Vika's magic has been confined to her tiny island home, and she’s eager to showcase her skill in the capital city of St. Petersburg. It also doesn't hurt that the competition allows her to express her mischievous streak. Nikolai, on the other hand, is a study in seriousness. As an orphan with not a drop of noble blood in his veins, becoming the Imperial Enchanter is an opportunity he could, until now, only dream of. But when Vika and Nikolai begin to fall for each other, the stakes change.

And then, the stakes change again, as secrets from both their pasts threaten to upset the balance of the Tsar’s—and the Russian Empire’s—power.

The Game is so much more complicated than it looks.

Goodreads

Why I'm waiting:

This book just sounds amazing! Since I first heard about it on twitter, I was desperate to get my hands on a copy, and am so glad there's only a few more weeks left to wait.