The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

When he was a baby, Rune washed up onshore in a boat. Some people thought he was a sacrifice to the gods and wanted to send him right back to the sea. Luckily for Rune, King Beowulf disagreed. He gave the boy to Amma, a wisewoman living on a farm, to raise as she saw fit.
Sixteen years later, Rune spends his summers laboring on the farm. He goes to the king's hall each winter for weapon's training. Many people still fear he will bring a curse on the kingdom. Then a terrible thing happens. On a lonely crag on the giants' mountain, someone awakens a dragon. It is time for Rune to find the warrior inside himself and prove to the doubters once and for all that he is a true hero.

MY REVIEW

I first got introduced to this series through my Medieval Literature class at school, and I've got to say, this series is a diamond in the rough. Not a lot of people know about it, and that makes me super sad. It's too good not to share!

For those of you who didn't read my review on Peaceweaver (which can be found here), the companion to this book, let me assure you that you do not have to read the long tale that is Beowulf before reading this one (I mean, you can... That would give you special bragging rights and such), and you don't have to know much about Norse mythology before either. Like I said in my Peaceweaver review, if you watched the movies Thor and Thor: The Dark World, you'll be fine.

Plus, you get to see this handsome devil. Oh Loki, how we love you.

On the surface, the main character, Rune, is just a normal farmhand who lives with his adoptive mother, Amma. From the get-go, however, you get to see what is not so "normal" about him. For one, he was found on the shore in a basket, sort of like Moses from the Bible. In the basket with him was an amulet with runes carved on it (hence the name), and a sword that we believe was his fathers'. In the winter he is set apart from the other boys in training, and instead is taught to use the sword and shield by Beowulf's finest instructor. So clearly there is something different about Rune, and in this book we get to figure out exactly what it is that sets him apart from the rest.

I really grew to love Rune as a character. He has a natural curiosity and courage that I just adore, along with some awkwardness because of who he is: Rune, the boy who showed up in a basket. He also has a lot of wisdom for a teen his age. He would surprise me by going against tradition and actually thinking about the situation, no matter what someone else said, to keep people safe. He's one of those people that you wish was a leader because they certainly have the brains and wisdom to do so, but the crown always goes to the town idiot.

Yeah, I'm talking about you, Joffrey.

All in all, if you're a fantasy nerd like me, you need to read this book. It's got action, it's got adventure, it's got wisdom, it's got mythology, and most importantly, it's got heart.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"Above a farm, a black shape rent the sky. Like a dark ribbon blowing in a breeze, it undulated through the air, then straightened and shot toward the farmhouse. Fire streaked from it. The thatched roof blazed in sudden flames, and two tiny figures raced from the door. The thing wheeled and turned, beating heavy wings and retching forth more fire. Both figures fell.
Rune's body turned to ice. It was the worst thing he could imagine. A dragon.
Someone had awoken a dragon."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Find out more about Rebecca Barnhouse and The Legacy of Beowulf series!:
http://www.rebeccabarnhouse.com/index.html

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon A Time....
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their next move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl...
Sixteen-year-old Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past and is reviled by her stepmother. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world's future. Because there is something unusual about Cinder, something that others would kill for.

MY REVIEW

If you don't already know, I am obsessed with fairy tales and very interested in steam punk. So, as you can imagine, I was very happy to see that this book was a blending of both!
The story takes Cinderella and puts her in futuristic China with robots and all of the futuristic technology that comes with that, along with ID chips (yikes!) and bionic limbs. Cyborgs are looked down upon in the society, but it's never really stated why. Maybe it's because they're somehow less human with iron limbs, but don't ask me.
The other thing that really reeled (get it? like a hook? hahaha.... well I thought it was funny...) me into the plot was the disease that is a very important part of the story. Letumosis is this terminal disease that you only get the symptoms of when you're in the second stage, and by then, there's nothing anyone can do but quarantine you until you die painfully. It starts out as bruise-like spots that spread all over your body, and then you get a fever and sweat, and after that, death.

Wow! That last paragraph was really depressing, wasn't it? Let's get on with this then.

This is lostie815 (on deviantart)'s depiction of Cinder, our main gal in this book

The Lunar people in this book are interesting as well. They come from (you guessed it) the moon, and have a very evil Queen named Levana. Queen Levana is the perfect example how something that is too perfect in looks can just look, well, wrong. Her face is perfectly symmetrical, her lips, face, and eyes perfectly shaped with no wrinkles, spots, or blemishes of any kind. However, all of it is an illusion which is seen through with a mirror. So, as you can imagine, the Queen hates mirrors. All other Lunars can do what the Queen can do, it's just that she has more power and can actually kill people if they have a mirror with them.
The main characters were really cool as well. I really connected with the awkward tomboy mechanic that was Cinder. Just like Cinderella, Cinder has two stepsisters, but like the Ever After movie with Drew Barrymore, Cinder has a stepsister that is nice to her, but the other one is as mean as her stepmother, Adri. Cinder has another friend in Iko, who is probably one of the funniest droids that I have ever read about. During one part, she actually puts on Adri's pearls and makeup, and then walks around like she's going to the ball. Many lols were had over this little character. :)

lostie815's depiction of Prince Kai, our knight in shining hoodie. :)

And of course, like all fairy tales, we have our Prince Charming, Kaito. I was expecting him to be like any other fairy tale prince (you know, blonde hair, blue eyes, really dumb at anything but the sword), but he was a lot more like Charming from Once Upon A Time. He does everything he can to rule the kingdom like a just prince, but he isn't just a ruler. He has so many layers to him that really take away from the 2D princes we're so used to seeing. I'm not going to tell you everything about him because then what's the fun in reading the book?
When I was finished with the book, I started reading the Q&A that was in the back, and that was when I realized: I may have a new favorite author.
No seriously, when they asked her questions about the book and stuff, she kept answering in ways that made me laugh! For example:

Q: Who's more attractive, a prince or a mechanic?
A: A mechanic. I like men with useful skills. Running a country? Psh. Fixing that weird sound in the engine? Yes, please!

Q: If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
A: An aspiring writer.

There's nothing more awesome than an author who likes to have fun. All of my favorite authors tend to have silly senses of humor (example: Rick Riordan), and from this Q&A, I could tell that I would like her if I happened to meet her.

All in all, if you like steam punk, romance, fairy tales, and funny moments, you are going to love this book. However, I would say that you should keep the second book Scarlet pretty close because you're going to need it. ;)

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"THUD.
Cinder jerked, her head smacking the underside of the table. She shoved back from the desk, her scowl landing first on a lifeless android that sat squat on her worktable and then on the man behind it. She was met with startled copper-brown eyes and black hair that hung past his ears and lips that every girl in the country had admired a thousand times.
Her scowl vanished.
His own surprise was short-lived, melting into an apology. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize anyone was back there."
Cinder barely heard him above the blankness in her mind. With her heartbeat gathering speed, her retina display scanned his features, so familiar from years spent watching him on the netscreens. He seemed taller in real life and a gray hooded sweatshirt was like none of the fine clothes he usually made appearances in, but still, it took only 2.6 seconds for Cinder's scanner to measure the points of his face and link his image to the net database. Another second and the display informed her of what she already knew; details scribbled across the bottom of her vision in a stream of green text.
PRINCE KAITO, CROWN PRINCE OF THE
EASTERN COMMONWEALTH
ID #0082719057
BORN 7 APR 108 T.E.
FF 88,987 MEDIA HITS, REVERSE CHRON
POSTED 14 AUG 126 T.E.: A PRESS
MEETING IS TO BE HOSTED BY CROWN PRINCE
KAI ON 15 AUG TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING
LETUMOSIS RESEARCH AND POSSIBLE LEADS
FOR AN ANTIDOTE-
Cinder launched up from her chair, nearly toppling over when she forgot about her missing limb. Steadying herself with both hands on the table, she managed an awkward bow. The retina display sank out of sight.
"Your Highness," she stammered, head lowered, glad that he couldn't see her empty ankle behind the tablecloth.
The prince flinched and cast a glance over his shoulder before hunching toward her. "Maybe, um..." - he pulled his fingers across his lips - "on the Highness stuff?""

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

To find out more about the author and books, visit this website here:
http://www.marissameyer.com/books/

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

SHE WON'T REST UNTIL SHE'S SENT EVERY WALKING CORPSE BACK TO ITS GRAVE.
FOREVER.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real.
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn  to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

This is apparel from threadless that I found! Cool, huh? :)

MY REVIEW

I actually found this series at Wal-Mart (I know, I know, how American of me. Har-de-har-har.), but they didn't have the first one. I waited until the next time I went to Barnes & Noble and this book was the first thing that I picked up.
I didn't regret my decision.
I'm obsessed with Alice in Wonderland in the first place, but when you make Alice a bada** and then put her against tons of zombies that she takes out with special powers, I simply can't resist loving it.
As you can imagine, this book has a lot of really fast-paced fighting, a little bit of romance, and a whole lot of scary imagery. I'm seriously surprised that I didn't have nightmares about this stuff.
One thing that I didn't expect is the fact that this book is set in the real world (more or less). I was thinking it was going to be a little bit like the original Alice in Wonderland where she went down a rabbit hole and was transported to a place completely different from the world she had come from, but instead she just ends up in the same world that she has always been in- it's just that she can actually see the zombies now.
I really got a kick out of how Gena Showalter put in little elements of the original story in order to keep tying it back into the classic. Ali has a friend named Kat, there's a rabbit cloud constantly reappearing, and then there's Cole, who I have a raising suspicion is the mad hatter. This really made me enjoy the book, and it kept reminding me that it was an adaptation.
All in all, I liked this book, and if you like strong, kick-a** female leads, you will too

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"We went airborne, flipping over, crashing into the road upside down, then flipping over again. The sound of crunching metal, shattering glass and pained screams filled my ears. I was thrown back and forth in my seat, my brain becoming a cherry slushie in my head as different impacts jarred me and stole my breath.
When we finally landed, I was so dazed, so fogged, I felt like I was still in motion. The screams had stopped, at least. All I heard was a slight ringing in my ears.
"Mom? Dad?" A pause. No response. "Em?" Again, nothing.
I frowned, looked around. My eyesight was hazy, something warm and wet in my lashes, but I could see well enough.
And what I saw utterly destroyed me."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Listen to Alice's iPod!:

Furious by Jeremy Riddle

How He Loves by Flyleaf

Fallen by John Waller

Monster by Skillet

Fading by Decyfer Down

Things Left Unsaid by Disciple

All In by Lifehouse

Beautiful Disaster by Jon McLaughlin

How to Save a Life by The Fray


P.S. So sorry that this was late, I had a lot of things to do on Friday and couldn't get it done on time. Cinder will be on time, however, so come back this Saturday for that.
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration! :)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

SOME RACE TO WIN. OTHERS RACE TO SURVIVE.
It happens at the start of every November: The Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

MY REVIEW

The reason that I chose to read this book was for three reasons: I loved Maggie Stiefvater's work (I had read the Shiver series before this one), I love the ocean, and I love animals (horses are just too cool!) When you put all of that together, add a little bit of island tradition, romance, mythology, and family drama, well, there you have The Scorpio Races.
Before diving into the book, however, I want to give you a brief look at the mythology that this book was based on.:
Capaill Uisce (pronounced copple ishka) is a water horse that comes from Irish and Scottish myth. The horse is usually descibed to be made out of sea water and eat meat, and they don't discriminate, let me tell you. The racers in The Scorpio Races have to be careful because one slip-up can cause you to lose life, limb, or both.
Well, enough about that, on to the review!

Ta-da! Oh...
Yes, I know, I'm a HUGE nerd for adding this in here but, you know what? I don't care! Sulu is too awesome not to share.
^OMGosh this rhymes^
Okay, now back to the review.
...
Why are you still reading this?
....
Get back to the review!
.....
Rebel. I like you. :)

One of the things that I loved first about the book was the island. I imagined it to be sort of like Ireland (even though I've never been there), with rolling green hills and water that splashes onto the rocks that line its beaches. True, Thisby is smaller than Ireland, but I couldn't get that image out of my mind. The island also has a sheer white cliff where the Scorpio Races take place, and I sort of imagined to look like the cliffs below, but smaller. Also, the entire book takes place on or near the ocean, and I think you can guess by my theme and blog name how much I love that. :)

I loved the main character, Puck (Kate) Connolly, not only for her I-don't-need-a-man charm, but for her overall rebellious and tomboy ways. Again and again Puck has to prove herself in this book, and where others may have quit, found some other way to fix their problem, she kept fighting.
She is the first girl to ever compete in the races, not because there was a rule that there would be no women there, but rather it was (quote unquote) "too dangerous" for them, and men just so happened to be the only ones who had ever wanted to race before. Not saying that this is sexism, just saying that it was tradition. By being in the races, she was breaking the tradition that was when the races first began. As you can imagine, the men who were racing weren't exactly happy about that.
Sean Kendrick was a good, strong character as well. A horse lover and trainer his entire life, he works for a horse trader and gets paid for every race that he wins from said employer. His father died in the races because, Sean said, he was scared, so when he goes on his capaill uisce Corr, he is fearless, taking him only as far away from the shore to keep Corr sane. In the beginning, you don't know much about him, but as you read on you begin to grasp at his personality. By the end of the book, you know him as well as you know Puck.

This is a picture of some fan-made November cakes that are sold during the Scorpio Races. The ingredients involve lots of orange, honey, frosting, and caramel, and they sounded SO sweet! The recipe is at the back of the book so that you can make them, but if you don't want to wait, Maggie Stiefvater posted a recipe on her blog: http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-name-is-maggie-im-perfectionist-and.html .

Another thing that I loved about this book was the relationship between the riders (mainly Sean and Puck) and their horses or capaill uisce. You could really tell just by reading how close Puck and her horse Dove are, and even Sean and his red capaill uisce Corr are closer than ever. Nothing needs to be said about their friendship, you just see it in the way that they talk to and act around their steeds. I think that this was a very important part of the story, and I'm glad that she took the care to add that in the book.
All in all, this book is a must read. You can probably tell how much I love it by how much I've typed above this, but I really think that you need to read this book. It'll make you gasp, it'll make you cry, and there are going to be some times that you are going to laugh and love the characters even more. And that, dear reader, is what makes a great story.

This is a painting of a capaill uisce.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"SEAN
It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.
Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown. I watch the ever-changing patterns in the sand as it's pummeled by countless hooves.
They run the horses on the beach, a pale road between the black water and the chalk cliffs. It is never safe, but it's never so dangerous as today, race day.
This time of year, I live and breathe the beach. My cheeks feel raw with the wind throwing sand against them. My thighs sting from the friction of the saddle. My arms ache from holding up two thousand pounds of horse. I have forgotten what it is like to be warm and what a full night's sleep feels like and what my name sounds like spoken instead of shouted across yards of sand.
I am so, so alive."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

"But I suppose the song that really embodied the book for me by the end was "An Toll Dubh" by Runrig. It plays with the tradition a bit, and it's a little hungry sounding, and it's got a lot of heart. I like to think that defines The Scorpio Races, too."
-Maggie Stiefvater