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Divine Rivals Book Review

Divine Rivals

Author: Rebecca Ross

Description: After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Review: Divine Rivals is a creative and original story, with good world-building and intriguing mysteries. The history behind the war’s origin, and all the mythological creatures bring nuance to the story. 

However the execution is lacking. If it’s not an obvious cliché, it’s cringy dialogue. The book is littered with such in between its good writing. The pacing of the romance is too rushed, barely any time spent on the actual “rivals” part of the “rivals to lovers” trope. There was barely any emphasis on grief or mourning, nor any actual development of the main characters feelings for each other in between their state or rivalry and their love. 

Overall it’s an enjoyable read, though unreliable in quality. 

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That’s the thing about being an adult standing beside your childhood race car bed. Time collapses, and instead of the version of you you’ve built from scratch, you’re all the hackneyed drafts that came before, all at once.

[Book Lovers by Emily Henry]

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Book Lovers Book Review

Book Lovers

Author: Emily Henry

Description: Nora is a cut-throat literary agent at the top of her game. Her whole life is books. Charlie is an editor with a gift for creating bestsellers. And he's Nora's work nemesis.

Nora has been through enough break-ups to know she's the woman men date before they find their happy-ever-after. That's why Nora's sister has persuaded her to swap her desk in the city for a month's holiday in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. It's a small town straight out of a romance novel, but instead of meeting sexy lumberjacks, handsome doctors or cute bartenders, Nora keeps bumping into...Charlie.

Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Review: With a magnificent start, Book Lovers manages to set the mood instantly. The writing is lighthearted and fun, albeit bordering on corny at times. There’s enough character depth and development to keep the reader interested. Although, it’s the way Emily Henry manages to portray a spectacular show of chemistry between the two main leads that is the true star of the novel. It’s palpable, almost electrifying. And it certainly makes up for any of the corniness.

However, in some of the more comedic aspects it falls a bit short. It’s underwhelming how instead of focusing on the female leads tasks, as it was promised in the first act, it keeps moving toward different encounters of the main couple. Which is not inherently bad, but there is a lack of balance. 

Nevertheless, Book Lovers was a very pleasant read, fulfilling it’s easy-going role in a couple of lazy afternoons. 

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Catriona Ward has this fun way of writing first-person where her narrators are so messed up as people that despite being in their heads you have no idea why they're doing what they're doing half the time. They'll describe their actions or emotions without a hint of thought process as if it should be obvious while I stare at the book in horror and confusion

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Star Splitter Book Review

Star Splitter

Author: Matthew J. Kirby

Description: Crash-landed on a desolate planet lightyears from Earth, sixteen-year-old Jessica Mathers must unravel the mystery of the destruction all around her--and the questionable intentions of a familiar stranger.

For Jessica Mathers, teleportation and planetary colonization in deep space aren't just hypotheticals--they're real. They're also the very real reason her scientist parents left her behind six years ago. Now she is about to be reunited with them, forced to leave behind everyone she knows and loves, to join their research assignment on Carver 1061c, a desolate, post-extinction planet almost 14 lightyears from Earth.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Review: Star Splitter is the book to read if you’re easing your way into the sci-fi genre.

Matthew J. Kirby’s writing is fantastic, bringing forth a level of vividness that reads like a movie — words blossoming into images on their own. It’s not convoluted scientific jargon, and neither is it dumbed-down explanations. It’s the sweet spot right between the two. Especially taken into account the visionary storyline and its genre, it’s utterly gratifying to read. The mere interpolation of the second point of view into the story, and how well executed the idea was, brings me awe and admiration for Kirby’s ingeniousness. 

However, though the book was filled with intriguing secondary plot-lines and strange incidents, not enough of them were expanded on. It’s a dreadful miss to leave so many hanging threads laying around, with no explanation nor pay-off. 

Additionally, though this is more of a personal preference, another downside was the small amount of spotlight given to Duncan. The character brought forth so much charm and dimension to contrast with Jessica. It made the dialogue entertaining, and it gave a different perspective to the events that neither Jessica could provide. It’s a shame the character was under-utilised. 

For all it’s worth, Star Splitter reads as a stand-alone, but I would be lying if I wasn’t desperate for a sequel. 

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“Every tree can be a gallow, and every man has a neck to hang.”

— Master Polydore Vigil

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Lud-in-the-Mist Book Review

Lud-in-the-Mist

Author: Hope Mirrlees

Description: Lud-in-the-Mist - a prosperous country town situated where two rivers meet: the Dawl and the Dapple. The latter, which has its source in the land of Faerie, is a great trial to Lud, which had long rejected anything 'other', preferring to believe only in what is known, what is solid. 

Nathaniel Chanticleer is a somewhat dreamy, slightly melancholy man, not one for making waves, who is deliberately ignoring a vital part of his own past; a secret he refuses even to acknowledge. But with the disappearance of his own daughter, and a long-overdue desire to protect his young son, he realises that something is changing in Lud - and something must be done. 

Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Review: Lud-in-the-Mist is a whimsical novel with colourful depictions of a fairyland and its effects on its more simpler neighbouring country, Dorimare. 

The writing is elaborate and sophisticated, though heavy in its descriptiveness. It has a beautiful synchronicity between its ethos and pathos, yet at the same time there’s a childish element to all of its characters – either by their given name, by their attitude or by their actions. If the genre and the writing style isn’t of ones taste it might be a quite tedious read, for the chapters are littered with non-consequentials and eloquent blabber. 

However, Hope Mirrless has a knack in portraying a picturesque scene. And the fantastical elements are this books thriving factor, for the plot takes a while to pick up its pace. 

In the end, it reads as a fanciful fairytale.

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“This is the beginning. Unfortunately, it’s also probably the end.”

— Nicky Wilholm (The Institute)

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The Institute Book Review

The Institute

Author: Stephen King

Description: Luke Ellis, a super-smart twelve-year-old with an exceptional gift, is the latest in a long line of kids abducted and taken to a secret government facility, hidden deep in the forest in Maine.

Here, kids with special talents - telekinesis and telepathy - like Luke's new friends Kalisha, Nick and Iris, are subjected to a series of experiments.

There seems to be no hope of escape. Until Luke teams up with an even younger boy whose powers of telepathy are off the scale.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Review: The publication of The Institute had completely slipped my radar. Not a whisper of its existence had reached my way before reading it. I can’t help but feel grateful, for the immersive experience of going into it blindly will be something I’ll remember for a long time. 

It’s hard to describe how captivating Stephen King’s writing is, and even more so being the first time I’ve had the pleasure to read his works. Though some wording were a bit superfluous, there is no denying he’s a master in his craft. The tense atmosphere in The Institute is woven beautifully into the build-up of each act, culminating into stomach-dropping or action filled scenes. It led me from goosebumps to tears. However, The Institute’s biggest flaw lies within the author’s writing, for the jumping between perspectives at the height of its climaxes threatened my itching fingers to skip ahead. 

Apart from its writing, The Institute has an enrapturing story. Though there’s some likeness to the TV-show Stranger Things, it’s much different under the surface. Its focus on the children’s experience, on unraveling the secrets behind the institute, was key for the successfully ensnaring storyline. How the supernatural element is treated was also quite fascinating. 

A marvellous read, especially for someone dipping their toes into King’s writing. 

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@academia-lucifer

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Breaking Dawn Book Review

Breaking Dawn

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Description: To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Rating: ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Review: The end to an era, yet not its highlight. Breaking Dawn brings to a close the infamous Twilight saga with a story so convoluted and unsatisfactory I have gained new fondness for the movie adaptations. 

Breaking Dawn is the longest of the original quadruplet and unnecessarily so. Too many pages could’ve been omitted and still reached the same conclusion. Additionally, Stephanie Meyer’s writing quality falters in its acceptable calibre. It can hold its own for quite a few pages and then suddenly it’s muddled by phrases one could easily find in a young teenager’s diary. There’s extensive emotion, yet many a time it reads superficial or corny or completely unserious. Some chapters are well executed and some make my mind scream in protest. The honeymoon phase read like a lovely rom-com and the birth was borderline traumatising. An underwhelming beginning and a surprisingly gratifying ending. And even with its ups and downs there were too many superfluous passages written, too many pages wasted. 

Additionally, it seemed the story’s hero was fated to be untouched, for any real problem her way had a very convenient solution. There’s a risk Bella won’t see her father or have a normal life once turned because of the newborn temperament? No problem! She’s not affected by such trivialities. The shifter werewolves are gonna attack because of her child? No worries, one of them imprints on the baby and thus is completely protected. Oh but wait, he imprinted on her child? Terrible! But all right once the child is suddenly under vampire threat. Ah, the Volturi come to attack? No problem, Bella evolves her power right before the battle to protect everyone on their side. These are just a few of the events Bella just breezes through with ease, but there are certainly more. The rules of the Twilight universe don’t seem to apply to her. Nothing can harm her, for the doting author of this franchise has her protected from any real consequence. It’s tacky, it’s boring and incredibly far-fetched every single time it happens. 

However, besides this and the questionable choices in the plot-line, I must confess that the honeymoon and the confrontation with the Volturi were quite entertaining. Even though the convenience of Bella’s powers and their sudden evolution, it was pretty absorbing to read her overpowering the Volturi’s army. The unexpected friendship between Edward and Seth was also a breath of fresh air. 

Though in the end, endearing and entertaining moments were not enough to uplift the entire novel. 

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The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Book Review

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Description: I turned off my brain. Who you were going to hunt was the kind of decision you had to make before you scented your prey. It was too late now to choose anything.

Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Review: Stephanie Meyer’s short novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner was a breath of fresh air in an embittered world. Its pacing starts off slow and it doesn’t really pick up until halfway through, though the sluggish start may be forgiven by its emotional ending. 

The novella gives depth to an undeserving book, almost unfairly inducing attachment to characters that will never return. It’s the perfect length for what it is and it doesn’t stray from its purpose.

The title says it all. 

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Eclipse Book Review

Eclipse

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Description: As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Review: My expectations of Eclipse upon deciding to read it were low. However, I did not foresee it being this bad. 

There’s just so much my patience can take when characters sour and grow petulant, and in Eclipse they all became insufferable. Not constantly, of course. Some characters much more than others, and some only in periods of time. Nonetheless, there was not a single character that stayed consistently likeable, especially the main trio. 

In addition to this, Meyer’s lexicon is truly questionable. Such as using words as coercion and forcing in moments were the words were uncalled for. And then later not using the appropriate words for problematic situations and/or conversations. Eclipse is built on this, every brick of its foundation representing the questionable beliefs and morals of its characters. 

Any few salvageable parts of Eclipse were decimated by the mountain of terrible writing and disgusting tries of concealing SA and grooming behind the thinly veiled excuse of its book genre. For instance, the fact that Jacob is not the first werewolf to imprint on a baby. Or the fact that Meyer’s bends the significance of the age of characters at her will to fit the narrative.

Besides this, the plot is severely lacking. There’s barley any pay-off for the already poor amount of build up, and in the end the insufferable love triangle overshadows the rest. There were just too many unforgivable acts occurring, too many moments where I screamed silently to cope with the absurd insanity, to see any redeeming qualities. 

Eclipse reads like a desperate attempt to “spice things up” and instead managed to make the whole book series much, much worse. 

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New Moon Book Review

New Moon

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Description: I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. 'Shoot,' I muttered when the paper sliced my finger. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. 'No!' Edward roared ...Dazed and disorientated, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm - and into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires. For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning ...

Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Review: Nonplussed I write this review, for I did not expect to enjoy New Moon as much as I did. 

Stephanie Meyer’s writing improved from previous instalments, giving New Moon an atmosphere and presence of autumnal serenity that neither Twilight nor Midnight Sun quite managed to produce. The flares of drama remain, though concentrated into a moodier setting, and the story grew exponentially more interesting, with its peak during the journey to Italy. Meyer’s ingenious shows when the passing of months occurred, though it vanishes again when the foundation of the infamous love triangle starts to form. 

Though New Moon is not flawless. Apart from the problematic aspects, there were quite a few things that were quite irksome and unpleasant. I personally thoroughly disliked Jacob’s overall behaviour once Alice returned, but also Bella’s obsession with age, Edward’s cruel departure and other details and mannerisms. However, it is true that there were quite a few moments of endearment; Bella and Jacob’s friendship pre-turning, her reunion with Alice, etc… None as interesting and immersing as the revelation of the Volturi and their scenes. 

In the end, the most important thing to remember is to take the book for what it is – that is, not too seriously. 

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Twilight Book Review

Twilight

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Description: Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.

Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Review: Twilight, though oversaturated by media and cinema, had unexpectedly still some things to offer. If passed its blandest and cringiest parts, there are some funny moments to be rescued. The book might be a bit over the top, but it’s quite well paced and it checks every box of an unrealistic teenage romance. Bella Swan is, after all, one of the original ”I’m not like other girls” girl. 

Twilight, just like Midnight Sun, reads as a soulmate-trope-coded book. The tale of two lovers meant for each other, except it’s in a Shakespearean tragedy and there are vampires to liven up the gloomy mood. Or so it seems Meyer’s was intending for it to read. 

In reality, it’s nuances are heavily relied on the mystifying vampiric element that today’s society has been so desensitised to. I believe this is the factor that removes any noteworthy or unique aspects to the story. Because of this, the story becomes regrettably duller, it becomes old. And unlike Shakespeare’s plays, Twilight is ephemeral. 

Maybe if I’d lived under a rock this book would’ve been more exciting. Alas, I don’t.

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“If we had happy endings, we'd all be under gravestones now”

– Rosalie Hale