Its time for The Terrible Girls Review again. Every month, we from the Terrible Girls, ( whom I met on GoodReads) do a feature together to share our love for Terrible, I mean to say, great books we read.
The Terrible Girls are:
Christen @ Goldilox and the Three Weres
Mariya @ Mystifying Paranormal Reviews
Jamie and Cat @ Addicted 2 Heroines
Miss Vain @ Miss Vain's Paranormal Fantasy
Vanesmate and HeatherJay @ Paranormal Itch
Samina @ Escapism from Reality
Laura @ Little Read Riding Hood
Emmy @ Sinfully Delicious Books
Jenese @ Reader's Confession
In the last couple of months have done a buddy review of a Monster Calls with Heatherjay from Paranormal Itch. Click here to read it. I teamed up with Laura from Little Read Riding Hood to do a buddy read and review the new book Masque of Red Death by Bethany Griffins and reviews The Loss of SunLight by Lia Black with Emmy from Sinfully Delicious Book Reviews. This week I get to review the highly anticipated, new YA Trilogy by Sarah J. Mass, Throne of Glass. This week I got together with Jenese from Reader's Confessions to do a buddy read and a review.
This is how it went:
Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Mass
Series: Throne of Glass
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Releases : 2ndth August, 2012
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars.
Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.
In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.
Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?
Samina – So, Jenese did you get off to a slow start or were you straight in? How did your feelings/ attitudes change as you read thought the book?
Jenese - When I started I wasn't so sure. There were so many weird names being throw out there. I was sort of hesitant at first, the first chaper had so many names that I thought I would be confused. Once I got past that hump, it was much easier.
Samina - You know what? I haven't got a clue either. I was pronouncing Chaol with a 'ch' like in 'chat' and I hated the name. But now you've made it sound better. Celaena I suppose will be 'C' + Elena. Perhaps we should ask the author on what it should be. As she was my favourite character, I will just call her 'Celena' in my mind.Tell me who was your favourite character and why?
Jenese -I love a badass heroine and she's a trained assassin. You can't get more badass then that.
Samina- I loved her bad-assness (is that even a word?) too. She was so a true assassin, and yet she was very girly. I loved how she liked her fussed about pretty dresses. even if she had been through so much hardship she still had that spark of life in her. Perhaps it was the very fact that she is an assassin and she lives a dangerous life she has learnt to live life to it's fullest. The one word to describe was was fun. she was a fun girl to hang out with. She had many feminie wiles and they worked so well on the 2 boys. It was funny how everyone thought her to be something but she supreized them all. Okay, moving on did you feel strongly towards anything?
Jenese – I didn't like Katlain from the beginning. She seemed like a total snob and as the story goes on, you realize that she has lots of deceptions going on in that castle.
Samina -Yeah, Katlain. I didn't like her either. She was such a spoiled brat but later revelations made me hate her slightly less. I just felt sorry for her. How did you find the writing and the narration?
Jenese - I was and am a little confused as to way this book was categorized by everyone as YA or young adult. The heroine is 18 years old, the men are in their 20s. I just think this might have been marketing wrong.
Samina – Yeah, I felt that too. I mean YA they categorize them as between 18 to 24 but it usually had a 15-16 year old protagonist. In all fairness it didn't feel like YA either. As I loved the heroine and there was no annoying traits found in YA books like confused and utterly clueless heroine. Well there may not have been sexual content but it did not feel like YA at all. Moreover the writing was simple and the pages flew by. It had this, I don't know how to describe it, a Lord of the Rings feelings, with castles and knights and pretty damsels in beautiful gowns. I did like the writing too and the narration a lot. It was easy to read.
Jenese - Do you think the ease of the writing and narration coupled with the heroine being 18 years old is why it was marketed for young adults?
Samina - Yeah, perhaps that's why. Easy writing and young heroine plus I'm told when the author wrote it she was a teenager too. What about the POV. First person narration have been hugely popular, especially in YA / UF books that I was surprised this wasn't. I felt it was refreshing that it was something different. I also liked how it gave third person POV's of the Chaol and Dorian, giving us great insight on what's going on in their heads.
Jenese - I like the fact that the POVs change. I wish they changed more often, but that's just me. I think it's because I liked the boys so much. :-P I really do like the flip flopping of POVs if written correctly. I will say that too much changing isn't great either.
Samina - Changing POV can be a great tool to give a well rounded overview of the story but too much and it gets distracting and annoying. Now, it's time for the all important boy talk. If given a chance whom would you chose between Prince Dorian or Chaol?
Jenese – I can't answer that. I really like them both. Since they are friends its easy to see similarities between the two. There is more than meets the eye with each of them. They both have reasons for being so indifferent in their lives.
Samina - I agree with there is more than there being more then what has been revealed so far. Dorian and Chaol probably both have secrets or I can feel more revelation coming in the future books. I have some ideas but I don't want to give away too much. Maas did a great job of making me change my loyalties. One scene I will be smitten over Dorian's charming ways and wit and the next moment I'm fawning over Chaol's gruff manner. You can see both the boys are in out of their depths with Celaena.What did you think of the plot? Interesting or predictable?How about the setting? Did you remind of of something?
Jenese – So at the beginning it reminded me a lot of Hunger Games. Obviously since she is competing again others, possible to the death. It showed several of the challenges and we get to know several of the other competitors as well. The book takes a turn though. It doesn't only become about the competition and Celaena but also about a mystery that she has stumbled upon and is now having to solve.
Samina - I can see how it reminded you of the Hunger Games. Hell, it reminded me of the Games too. The different contests and contestants gave me this feeling too but the setting was certainly not Dystopian. I found the plot engaging. It was clear that there would be a lot more coming. However I wish it gave me more insights about Celaena as an assassin. I was told that she was good but I didn't see much. Perhaps if I the prequels releases about shed some light on it.
I thought the author did a great job of keeping me on my toes while reading. I didn't see several of the events that occurred coming.
Jenese - The idea of a glass castle is interesting and very unique. The setting was told very well. She truly made me feel like I was there watching it all unfold.
Samina - The Glass Castle was interesting but it made me think of how on earth would you change clothes or use the loo.The myth and faery mythology added an interesting angle to the plot.
I can't wait for the next book. What about you? Would you read the next book?
Jenese - Yes I would, definitely.
Samina - I gave it solid 5 stars. Your overall impression of the book?
Jenese - 4 stars for me!
Do remember to stop by at Jenese’s blog at Reader's Confession for more views and reviews of the great books she reads.
The Terrible Girls are:
Christen @ Goldilox and the Three Weres
Mariya @ Mystifying Paranormal Reviews
Jamie and Cat @ Addicted 2 Heroines
Miss Vain @ Miss Vain's Paranormal Fantasy
Vanesmate and HeatherJay @ Paranormal Itch
Samina @ Escapism from Reality
Laura @ Little Read Riding Hood
Emmy @ Sinfully Delicious Books
Jenese @ Reader's Confession
In the last couple of months have done a buddy review of a Monster Calls with Heatherjay from Paranormal Itch. Click here to read it. I teamed up with Laura from Little Read Riding Hood to do a buddy read and review the new book Masque of Red Death by Bethany Griffins and reviews The Loss of SunLight by Lia Black with Emmy from Sinfully Delicious Book Reviews. This week I get to review the highly anticipated, new YA Trilogy by Sarah J. Mass, Throne of Glass. This week I got together with Jenese from Reader's Confessions to do a buddy read and a review.
This is how it went:
Author: Sarah J. Mass
Series: Throne of Glass
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Releases : 2ndth August, 2012
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars.
Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.
In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.
Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?
Samina – So, Jenese did you get off to a slow start or were you straight in? How did your feelings/ attitudes change as you read thought the book?
Jenese - When I started I wasn't so sure. There were so many weird names being throw out there. I was sort of hesitant at first, the first chaper had so many names that I thought I would be confused. Once I got past that hump, it was much easier.
Samina - You know what? I haven't got a clue either. I was pronouncing Chaol with a 'ch' like in 'chat' and I hated the name. But now you've made it sound better. Celaena I suppose will be 'C' + Elena. Perhaps we should ask the author on what it should be. As she was my favourite character, I will just call her 'Celena' in my mind.Tell me who was your favourite character and why?
Jenese -I love a badass heroine and she's a trained assassin. You can't get more badass then that.
Samina- I loved her bad-assness (is that even a word?) too. She was so a true assassin, and yet she was very girly. I loved how she liked her fussed about pretty dresses. even if she had been through so much hardship she still had that spark of life in her. Perhaps it was the very fact that she is an assassin and she lives a dangerous life she has learnt to live life to it's fullest. The one word to describe was was fun. she was a fun girl to hang out with. She had many feminie wiles and they worked so well on the 2 boys. It was funny how everyone thought her to be something but she supreized them all. Okay, moving on did you feel strongly towards anything?
Jenese – I didn't like Katlain from the beginning. She seemed like a total snob and as the story goes on, you realize that she has lots of deceptions going on in that castle.
Samina -Yeah, Katlain. I didn't like her either. She was such a spoiled brat but later revelations made me hate her slightly less. I just felt sorry for her. How did you find the writing and the narration?
Jenese - I was and am a little confused as to way this book was categorized by everyone as YA or young adult. The heroine is 18 years old, the men are in their 20s. I just think this might have been marketing wrong.
Samina – Yeah, I felt that too. I mean YA they categorize them as between 18 to 24 but it usually had a 15-16 year old protagonist. In all fairness it didn't feel like YA either. As I loved the heroine and there was no annoying traits found in YA books like confused and utterly clueless heroine. Well there may not have been sexual content but it did not feel like YA at all. Moreover the writing was simple and the pages flew by. It had this, I don't know how to describe it, a Lord of the Rings feelings, with castles and knights and pretty damsels in beautiful gowns. I did like the writing too and the narration a lot. It was easy to read.
Jenese - Do you think the ease of the writing and narration coupled with the heroine being 18 years old is why it was marketed for young adults?
Samina - Yeah, perhaps that's why. Easy writing and young heroine plus I'm told when the author wrote it she was a teenager too. What about the POV. First person narration have been hugely popular, especially in YA / UF books that I was surprised this wasn't. I felt it was refreshing that it was something different. I also liked how it gave third person POV's of the Chaol and Dorian, giving us great insight on what's going on in their heads.
Jenese - I like the fact that the POVs change. I wish they changed more often, but that's just me. I think it's because I liked the boys so much. :-P I really do like the flip flopping of POVs if written correctly. I will say that too much changing isn't great either.
Samina - Changing POV can be a great tool to give a well rounded overview of the story but too much and it gets distracting and annoying. Now, it's time for the all important boy talk. If given a chance whom would you chose between Prince Dorian or Chaol?
Jenese – I can't answer that. I really like them both. Since they are friends its easy to see similarities between the two. There is more than meets the eye with each of them. They both have reasons for being so indifferent in their lives.
Samina - I agree with there is more than there being more then what has been revealed so far. Dorian and Chaol probably both have secrets or I can feel more revelation coming in the future books. I have some ideas but I don't want to give away too much. Maas did a great job of making me change my loyalties. One scene I will be smitten over Dorian's charming ways and wit and the next moment I'm fawning over Chaol's gruff manner. You can see both the boys are in out of their depths with Celaena.What did you think of the plot? Interesting or predictable?How about the setting? Did you remind of of something?
Jenese – So at the beginning it reminded me a lot of Hunger Games. Obviously since she is competing again others, possible to the death. It showed several of the challenges and we get to know several of the other competitors as well. The book takes a turn though. It doesn't only become about the competition and Celaena but also about a mystery that she has stumbled upon and is now having to solve.
Samina - I can see how it reminded you of the Hunger Games. Hell, it reminded me of the Games too. The different contests and contestants gave me this feeling too but the setting was certainly not Dystopian. I found the plot engaging. It was clear that there would be a lot more coming. However I wish it gave me more insights about Celaena as an assassin. I was told that she was good but I didn't see much. Perhaps if I the prequels releases about shed some light on it.
I thought the author did a great job of keeping me on my toes while reading. I didn't see several of the events that occurred coming.
Jenese - The idea of a glass castle is interesting and very unique. The setting was told very well. She truly made me feel like I was there watching it all unfold.
Samina - The Glass Castle was interesting but it made me think of how on earth would you change clothes or use the loo.The myth and faery mythology added an interesting angle to the plot.
I can't wait for the next book. What about you? Would you read the next book?
Jenese - Yes I would, definitely.
Samina - I gave it solid 5 stars. Your overall impression of the book?
Jenese - 4 stars for me!
Do remember to stop by at Jenese’s blog at Reader's Confession for more views and reviews of the great books she reads.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Have something to say?
I love comments on my blog. Leave a comment and I'd do my best to reply as quickly as possible.