Review: Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Lair Of Dreams (The Diviners #2)

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Rating: ⋆⋆⋆(3.5 though)

Published: 25th August (UK)

Official Synopsis: After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to "read" objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, "America's Sweetheart Seer." But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities...

Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?

Review:

I loved The Diviners and I've always sung its praises to anyone who will listen, so naturally I was over the moon to receive Lair of Dreams when Netgalley was offering it to the first 500 requesters. I've speculated for (literally) years about what might happen in Lair of Dreams, pinned my hopes on certain things happening, and quietly rooted for characters whilst they were in Libba Bray's capable hands. I absolutely adore Libba Bray's writing – every book since the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.

But here we meet our problem. If I were to give this book a rating based on how much I respect and admire its author, it would receive the full five stars. It's therefore awful for me to rate this book with three and a half stars when in my imagination before reading, I was sure it would be another five stars as I gave to The Diviners. And don't get me wrong, the writing is consistently beautiful, the characters (all eight narrators!) are fully fleshed and individual and unique. But my problem was that I think there was just too many of them.

In Lair of Dreams we have Ling Chang, Henry, Theta, Evie, Sam, Jericho, Mabel, and Memphis narrating the story as well as POVs of mysterious unnamed people. Eight narrators is quite a feat, most of all because I find it's often books with so many narrators that tend to drag. With the individual subplots, it's hard to form an overview in my mind of Lair of Dreams as a whole with any clarity. The action was few and far between (which is a shame because Bray is very gifted at action sequences in particular) and most frustrating to me was that in my opinion, none of the problems left over in The Diviners were even half solved like I had hoped they might be. More information is given but overall, nothing I'd been eagerly anticipated really comes to a head.

The other problem with having eight narrators is that I have an absolute favourite one – Jericho, who I love endlessly – and he got so little page time that he can probably barely be listed as one of the eight narrators. My favourite moments in Lair of Dreams usually involved him – particularly his interactions with Sam (Sam sat up. "I'm trying to understand all this–" "Don't strain," Jericho muttered). Jericho has a subplot which barely reached a crescendo, and is left for the next book to be explored. So halfway through this book, despite enjoying the lavish descriptions of the dream world and getting to know our new character Ling, I just wasn't feeling it. Luckily, the last quarter of Lair of Dreams saved it from being a total write-off to me, but I was still left feeling disheartened. I experienced none of the buzz and feeling of this is unlike anything I've ever read before that I experienced when I turned the last page of The Diviners. Which is a real shame, but having said that, it is not a bad book. It is just a weaker book compared to its predecessor, and I do think that many things could have been removed for the sake of pacing.

Now, out of fear of making this all doom and gloom, I have to say that I loved the world building and the subtleties included. It's very clear that an extensive, incredible amount of research has gone into the creation of Lair of Dreams, and it shows. The time era, New York City, and real historical tensions and problems of the time are expertly woven into our characters' lives. It's because of this, and because of how absolutely enchanting Libba Bray's writing style is, that I am so regretful of not being able to rate this book higher. The stakes were just not high enough to make Lair of Dreams as interesting as I feel it could have been.

I realise there is an immense pressure in the YA industry to get books out a fast as possible–and Lair of Dreams was already pushed back–but I do think that books on this scale and size should be given as long as they can possibly be given to develop. In fact, the word count was so big that I suspect small nudges to the events of The Diviners were sacrificed. Considering the length of time between the two books and how large The Diviners is, I'm sure many readers will not have the time to have a quick re-read before reading Lair of Dreams, and the narration does not do much–if anything–to help jog the reader's memory as I would expect of a sequel. The suspense was lacking, the threat wasn't all that scary (until towards the end), and only the setting, historical and current issues (such as racism and human trafficking), and the already-loved characters were keeping me on board.

Overall, this is series with astronomical potential which was sadly, in my opinion, not realised in this novel. Having said that, I hold bags of hope and faith for further books in The Diviners series to redeem it. And despite the cons to Lair of Dreams, I still maintain that anything Libba Bray ever writes is something I will be head over heels eager to read. There were points of absolute brilliance in the writing and witty dialogue, but on this occasion, as a whole, it did not hit the mark. However, I am confident there is plenty of time and room to salvage what was not achieved in this instalment.

"It was science and it was magic, a blend, like her, and it was more beautiful than anything."

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Review: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember In The Ashes

Goodreads | Link to Order | Sabaa Tahir's Twitter

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆(4.5, though)

Published: 4th June 2015 (UK)

Official Synopsis: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Side note: I talk a little about Blackcliff which is an enclosed academy where they train the elite soldiers called Masks (where Elias is nearing graduation.) The discipline for deserting is a public death, and if you're suspected of sympathising with Scholars (the oppressed) you could be investigated and then whipped or killed. Even looking at the Commandant wrong (or at all!) is punishable by whipping. It's a delightful place.

Review:

I cannot remember the last time a book caused me so much STRESS. I had a love-hate relationship with the level of stress throughout the novel and well, I think in the end love won, because the characters in An Ember In The Ashes are now up there with some of my favourites (Elias Veturius, be still my beating heart!) Also, the cover is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a long time, especially so in hardback.

That aside, An Ember In The Ashes is a truly, truly stunning debut novel. The world Tahir weaves is vibrant and painful and beautiful. At first, I was a little worried about noticing some familiar dystopian kind of tropes (dead parents, orphan on a mission, evil overlords, an underground resistance group), but I soon totally forgot about them as the story's originality worked its magic on me.

The pacing is unreal in its ferocity, and the alternating points of view of Elias and Laia were so individually beautiful that I never found myself favouring either point of view more – they were both brilliant, and different. Even better, they are two diverse leads in a book which has reached #2 on the New York Times Bestsellers List (congrats, Sabaa!) This is HUGE for me, and for so many others who have campaigned for diverse books.

Back to the book, I woke up the morning after finishing AEITA (after also having a nightmare that I was in Blackcliff, seriously) and I realised that what makes Blackcliff Academy so terrifying (aside from children being trained to be soulless murdering soldiers and a Commandant who carves out her slaves eyes) is that in other books, there is usually a weakness to an institution – an overlooked gap in the armour. Not in Blackcliff. You can either be killed trying to escape, or risk your life on a cliff path they don't bother to patrol because people literally die trying to go down it. So, as you can tell, the stakes are HUGE in AEITA, and I think the reason I was so unbelievably stressed reading the book is that Tahir weaves her words so beautifully that when reading, you feel as trapped as Elias and Laia. Like them, you can't comprehend a way out. One of the things I loved most is that no one is safe from harm, and if something bad can happen, it probably will, but how the characters adapted and dealt with situations was what made this book so completely wonderful.

The characters all shine individually – Helene being the only girl in Blackcliff Academy, who is fierce and vicious and a force to be reckoned with, Elias being conflicted between what he wants and what will keep him alive, and Laia, an initially timid girl being forced into bravery with dangerous missions. The Commandant honestly scared me to death, Elias's grandfather added a great dynamic. I liked Keenan but I'd like to see more of him in order to warm to him more. Izzi is a standout character who I will protect to my last breath, and Cook – I liked her, but my biggest question is why does she stammer when speaking about certain things? I am losing my mind trying to figure it out.

The culture and small details are what bring AEITA vibrantly to life – the festival and the sand dunes and the trials and the attention to detail with scents and sounds. By the end of this novel, and all of the shocking moments towards the end, I felt like I'd aged 10 years due to stress, but a book which is so dark eventually left me feeling strangely uplifted. I think it goes to show how deeply I was invested in the characters and their fates. I'm glad that Tahir gave us enough without satisfying every of our wants for the characters – a victory was, more often that not, double-edged. The Augurs were a fantastic, interesting addition, as was the believable interwoven magic and supernatural creatures.

Now I've sung the highest praises (because AEITA is a favourite book of mine now) a few of the criticisms (though I hate to use that word because they're not intended to be as strong as to be criticism) are probably that sometimes the constant action was eventually draining as a reader. I had to put the book down multiple times for a breather and then return to it. I think there is such thing as an overload of action, but thankfully soon after I thought this, the Moon Festival scene came along and gave a good reprieve. I appreciate this is necessary for such an intense, awful situation, but I would have liked a few additional quieter moments just to give my poor emotions a rest. I felt like I was constantly preparing for the Commandant to appear, which shows how terrifying she is. (I guess this could be a pro because I cared so much!)
Also, a certain character kind of gives a "this was my whole evil plan" explanation towards the end which was a little underwhelming to me (mostly because I had a whole theory about Darin being free the whole time and involved in a spoilery plot point, which ended up being a really long and detailed theory haha!)

But really, the criticism is a tiny part of my overall feelings towards An Ember In The Ashes. I couldn't recommend a book more, and I really can't wait to see the fandom grow because Sabaa Tahir deserves to be up their with the big names of YA. And especially after that ending, I can't wait for book 2! There's so much more I want to say but it's either spoilery or will take me 5 pages to analyse and fangirl over. Also, I would be 100% down for novellas about Laia's parents, or Elias's earlier Blackcliff days, or the Commandant.

"There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that's a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged but it's there. Don't let them take it from you."

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Spoiler free!)

(4 Stars)

Red Queen

Goodreads | Link to Pre-Order | Victoria's Twitter

Published: 12th February 2015 (UK)

Thank you to Orion on Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review purposes!

Official Synopsis: The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers. To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change. Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control. But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

Review:

I have to admit, the hype surrounding this book on social media is what initially attracted me to it, because on the surface, Red Queen may come across as having the typical YA dystopian tropes – girl who comes from poverty discovers that she is different and possesses unheard of power, there is rebellion and multiple handsome boys. Up until around halfway through the novel, this is what I expected. Until everything was turned upside down with an ending more shocking than any I've read recently. 

If I'm honest, the second half of the novel saved Red Queen. The first half, I felt, was not different enough in storyline to truly be set apart from other books that I've read. Having said that, it was not  at all bad, by any stretch of the imagination. The writing was strong and fast-paced, even if I felt like more emphasis should have made been on the characterisation of Mare. For the most part, I liked her, but when I look back on reading Red Queen, she doesn't strike me as a  particularly memorable protagonist – although I do appreciate that it is a planned trilogy, and there is plenty of time for character development. What I did love about Mare was her ability to make hard choices and follow through to the end, trusting that the choices she made were made for the greater good.

The plot was strong, the focus of the book never disappearing, and while the romantic aspect did take centre stage for a while, it was relevant to the plot and especially to some major scenes at the end. I did enjoy the romantic aspects, even if Mare did yo-yo a little in which of her interests she preferred, but that is not to say that the romance overshadowed the whole plot, because to me it definitely didn't. I had hoped that Mare might make a female friend, but unfortunately the only other key female character at the palace was despised by Mare, and vice versa, so I have my fingers crossed for more female friendships in the next books! 

In the interest of keeping this spoiler free, I'll wrap this up by saying that Red Queen is not what you might expect. It initially follows dystopian tropes, but the ending had me staring at the words whispering "No ... NO?!" and turning to my sister to tell her I couldn't read on because everything was going to go drastically wrong and I couldn't bear to read through it. I actually really loved the ending, I thought it was so original and emotional, it was the closest I came to connecting with Mare and really rooting for her.

Overall, I expect Red Queen to be a very popular release this year in YA and the ending might just make it a game changer! With an ending like that, there is endless potential for the second in the trilogy and I can't wait to read it. I do recommend this book, and advise people to stick with it, not to write it off as typical dystopia, and give the characters a chance because the payoff is so worth it. Again, THAT ENDING! Red Queen is a great debut novel and hopefully is the beginning of much success for Victoria Aveyard.

Also, I think a little Lucas appreciation is in order because he was one of my top favourite characters:

"That's why they gave her to me. Because I'm dangerous." 

But Lucas shakes his head. "Lady Titanos, they gave her to you because your posture is terrible and you eat like a dog." 

I really look forward to the next two books in the trilogy and can't wait for people to get their hands on Red Queen!

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