Review: Queen Of Hearts by Colleen Oakes (Queen Of Hearts Saga #1)

Queen Of Hearts by Colleen Oakes (Queen Of Hearts Saga #1)

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Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Fairy Tale

Score: 3.5 stars

Page Count: 306

Book #1 of the Queen Of Hearts Saga

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: May 3, 2016

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinah's furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.

Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

Review:

PROS:

1. First off, can we just appreciate the cover art? Like, oh my goodness. I was pretty much sold on this book when I first heard about its release because of the fact that it's a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, more specifically, a retelling of the Queen Of Hearts. I'm becoming more of a fan of Alice every day and now that there are so many Wonderland retellings coming out within the next year, I really wanted to start by reading this book. Here's the review:

2. I thought the characters were so interesting and they were all dark and whimsical just like you'd expect. I liked the characters because they reminded me a lot of the Tim Burton representations. Dinah aka the future Queen Of Hearts, is more or less the hero of this story. She's a teenager getting ready to take her father's throne one day in order to be a better ruler than he ever was. She was very determined to stay out of her father's way but was also set on challenging him whenever she thought it was worth it. She was also very loyal to her friends which was a nice element to the villain we've come to know her as. This retelling did a great job as portraying Dinah in more a hero sense.

Her father was very abusive and you can't help but hate the guy's guts. He was quick to put Dinah in her place using fear and physical abuse as a way to do that. Charles was easily my favorite character in the book, a familiar character that you already know and love. He was innocent and Dinah would do anything in order to protect him from the world and her own father.

3. I liked the world of the book, though I wish there was a little more detail about it since I thought it had a lot of potential. It was definitely dark and had a gothic feel and a place I'd be both excited to visit and terrified to venture through. It seemed like a world in which only nightmares lived and that was greatly expressed with the Black Towers and the areas surrounding the palace. There were also interesting creatures such as the Hornhooves and the general feel of the book was both scary and thrilling but also fun and full of wonder and whimsy. 

4. Lastly, I enjoyed it overall. It was a promising start to this series and having read the first pages of the next book in the series, I'm intrigued on what will happen next to the Queen Of Hearts. It's a book I'd recommend to anyone looking for a darker read on a playful subject and of course, to fans of Alice In Wonderland if you want to explore this retelling of Dinah.

The reason I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because it was a bit slow. It didn't pick up the pace for me until about 3/4 of the way into the book and I did find myself getting a little bored in some parts of the book. The ending was a nice one, though it also wasn't something I found amazing. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters but I still enjoyed their story. 

So, I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! Is there a retelling you can't wait to read? What fairytale would you like to read a retelling of? Let me know in the comments! Read on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Review: A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

Rating: PG

Genre: Fantasy

Score: ❤❤❤❤

Stand Alone

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Disney Press

Published: October 13, 2015

Told in alternating chapters from both Anna's and Hans' perspectives, A Frozen Heart takes a sophisticated look at events of Frozen, exploring the couple's backstories, motivations, and doomed relationship. 

Review:

PROS:

1. Coming from a lover of Disney and a girl obsessed with anything and everything Frozen, I couldn't not pick this book up for myself when I ran into it at the store back in October. No way. Long story short, I finally got around to reading it and I was so excited to read a story I know I already loved. I adore book-to-movie adaptations so it was new to have a book that was the reverse of that. Reading a movie in book form? Sign me up! Watching the movie and reading the book version were very different experiences with some similarities so I'm pumped to tell you about it. Here's the review:

2. The first big difference with reading the book was the fact that we get to see way more of the story told from Han's point of view. I loved that part of the book since in the movie, most of the story follows only Anna and Elsa. In Han's POV, we get to see the events that play out that allow Hans to visit Arendelle and also get an insight into his plan to steal the throne. We get to see the way he thinks as well as see his actions while he's in charge of Arendelle while Anna and Elsa are gone and the intentions that transpire as Hans comes up with a way to secure his spot on the throne. It's all very interesting and it gives him a lot of backstory that we don't see in the movie. 

3. A lot of the book is, of course, identical to the scenes in the movie but there were some new scenes that were really fun to read, such as Anna and Kristoff's first meeting and getting prepared to go up the North Mountain and even what Anna was thinking and feeling while frozen as a statue. It was pretty interesting to read those new scenes as well as get more backstory on Kristoff, even though not much backstory is given but it was still nice to read. 

4. Reading the book was also fun because you already know what the characters look and sound like so imagining their journey is quite simple to do. even with the new scenes and material. One of my favorite things was getting a few questions answered in the book that the movie kind of skipped over. I won't say which questions were answered exactly but it did resolve some things, especially how Anna's childhood was really like with Elsa locked in her room most of her life.

The only things I didn't like about the book was that it felt a little more rushed in book form. It could be because of the dual POV's making the story feel that way since technically there are two stories playing out but it could also be because the story maybe just wasn't meant to be a written one. Some books are better suited for the screen and vice-versa but this one is a bit iffy for me. I did enjoy reading it rather than watching the movie for a change but I would honestly pick the movie over the book for this one. Now isn't that a first? 

I'm still a very big fan of Frozen and Disney and will forever be one, there's no quitting that. But I want to know what your favorite Disney movie is. So, what is your favorite and would you like to see that story in book form? Let me know in the comments!

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Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Winter by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Rating: PG

Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian, Romance, Retelling

Score: ❤❤❤❤❤ 

Page Count: 827

Book #4 in the Lunar Chronicles series

Publisher: Fiewel and Friends

Published: November 10, 2015

SPOILERS AHEAD!! DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PREVIOUS BOOKS!

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Reviews of The Lunar Chronicles:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #2)

Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Fairest by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3.5)

REVIEW:

PROS:

1. WINTER IS FINALLY HERE! PRAISE THE LORD ABOVE!!! Anyway, now that the fangirling is done, (kind of) I'm so excited to have finally picked this book up and read it in just a few days though still not fast enough! I freaking love this series so much and I was anxious to find out all what happens to the characters and how this series wraps up! Without further ado, here's my review on this AWESOME conclusion to the series:

2. I swear that the characters in these books just keep getting better and better with each installment as we follow their journeys through earth and on Luna. I want to talk for a second about my favorite character, Cinder. I love how strong she continues to grow as she becomes more determined to dethrone Queen Levana and take back her rightful place in the kingdom of Luna and become the ruler that she knows the people deserve. I love how Cinder doesn't try to portray herself as perfect, knowing perfectly well all that is at stake and fearing so much for her friends as their journey to take Levana down becomes more and more dangerous.

We do get to see a lot more of Scarlet in this book as well, which is nice because we barely got to see any of her in the third book. She's still not my favorite character but she is very feisty and headstrong and doesn't at all give up easily which is always a nice trait in a character.
Cress also becomes a little less naive as she helps everyone with their mission and I really loved that. Cress becomes a stronger character as well as a more daring one who doesn't shy away from danger as quickly as she normally does.

Our other characters, Thorne, Kai, Wolf and the loveable Iko are pretty much the same as always which is perfect. Thorne still can't take things seriously and makes jokes at the most inappropriate times, Kai is just . . . PERFECT. Be still my heart ❤❤❤❤ Wolf just wants to finally get his chance to fight back against Levana any way he can and Iko, I swear gets sassier and sassier throughout the book. Overall, THEY ARE MY BABIES!!

3. The story line and what everything leads up to in this book is just so much craziness and epic-ness that I honestly couldn't wrap my brain around all of what was happening. There were so many twists and turns, ups and downs, excitement, fighting, action, a typhoon of emotions that it still hasn't sunken in yet that the series is over. I was a bit nervous to think about how much could possibly happen in over eight hundred pages but I was hooked into the story the WHOLE time as the story played out and our characters had to face a lot more problems than just sneaking into the palace to get their hands on Levana. So much happened in the story that it's a bit hard to imagine just what runs through Marissa Meyer's mind while writing these books. Respect.  

4. Overall, if you haven't yet read the Lunar Chronicles series, DO IT! It has science fiction, epic fighting and war scenes, adventure across space, danger, excitement, a little bit of magic and romance and it's just all around an addicting read for everyone. If you're looking for a series that seriously has so much to offer, look no further because Cinder is here! Or, Winter. You get what I'm saying.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I have no doubt that it will keep you glued to the pages until the very end. I should know, I stayed up until two in the morning last night reading and I died on page 726. My body couldn't handle it!

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--
The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer Available February 2, 2016

Review: Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine (Of Metal and Wishes #1)

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine (Of Metal and Wishes #1)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Retelling, Steampunk, Romance, Horror

Score: ❤❤❤

Page Count: 317

Book #1 of the Of Metal and Wishes series

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Published: August 5, 2014

 There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her... for a very long time.
As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her... and she might go down with it.

Review: 

PROS:

1. When I first saw this book, I was immediately drawn to its cover. I thought it looked very mysterious and if you know anything about me, I love a good mystery! Once I heard, however, that it was in fact a retelling of The Phantom Of The Opera I pretty much went straight to Amazon and ordered a copy as fast as my little fingers could fill out the info. I haven't read the classic but I have a friend (follow on her Instagram) who loves anything and everything Phantom related so she might have rubbed off a little Phantom love on me. I enjoyed this book enough to satisfy me so here's my review: 

2. Characters: I thought the characters in this book were interesting enough to get me invested in the story. I didn't like the fact that I didn't get really any background on them since they don't talk about themselves AT ALL but I did like what I got. Wen is a very smart girl living in a not-so-safe environment after her mother passes away and she and her father are forced to live in the slaughterhouse they work in.  She's very skilled at what she does which is helping her father treat patients who get injured in the factory. She is a bit naive though which got a little annoying but at the same time, I wanted to know what happened to Wen as the story continues. The mysterious 'Ghost' is yet another interesting one to follow. I'm not going to tell you who or what the 'Ghost' is but I will tell you that the story of this mysterious being is a bit of a sad, lonely one which peeked my interest a little more.  The other characters such as Melik, Jima, Sinan and Wen's father as well as other side characters were all fun to follow, though again, there was little background to any of them.

3. World: Going into this book, I didn't actually know that it was going to have a bit of a steampunk feel to it which I loved. Obviously because it's steampunk, it had clockwork, cool inventions and the story plays out in a factory. I thought it gave the book a bit more of a 'gothic' feel to it which I would say makes for a great Halloween read or just something to pick up on a rainy day. The descriptions of things were great and you could really visualize what things looked like such as the factory itself, the town Wen visits and even the injuries which plague some of the patients which can get really grotesque so if you have a weak stomach, watch out. The writing wasn't anything to write home about BUT it was still a beautifully told story and was what I was in the mood for. 

4. Storyline: The story plays out beautifully and at first, I wasn't sure how it was going to go. I only know the basics of the original Phantom Of The Opera story based off the Broadway production I watched a few months ago so I didn't exactly know how this retelling was going to unfold but I was delightfully satisfied in the end. It was a bit predictable and some revelations I wasn't surprised by since I suspected it pretty early on but it was still fun to read. I like that even though this retelling sticks pretty close to the original story, the author put her own little twist to it which made it a bit more modern in a sense and a little more interesting to those who might not the story by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Overall, I liked this one.

CONS:

1. Wen: Even though I liked this book, I did have some problems I personally had with it. I didn't like that Wen was described as being a smart and pretty girl and yet being portrayed as more of a 'victim' to the men who work in the factory. Almost every single guy she made contact with either wanted to touch her in some way or victimize her which honestly got a little annoying and gross. I didn't like that that aspect was used to make the reader sympathize with Wen and even with the workers. Just no.

2. Romance: I usually don't have that big of a problem when it comes to romance in a book but this time however, I just didn't really like it in the end. The romance was slow-burning and sweet which I liked at first but then turned more desperate if you will. I get that this book has a love triangle the involves another character loving Wen from afar but I didn't like how this character turned from admirer to all-out obsessed with her. Stalker! It just made me a little uncomfortable and a little weirded out. Is weirded even a word? Anyway, the romance was just a little too sappy for my taste.

Overall, I enjoyed this book enough to want to continue on with its sequel which was released back in August. I'm excited to see where the story goes though it might be a little while before I decide to continue with the story. Would I recommend this book? I would say to honestly read it for yourself. This is definitely a book that really depends on the reader.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email. Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!