Review: The Apple Throne (United States of Asgard #3) by Tessa Gratton

Title: The Apple Throne (United States of Asgard #3)
Author: Tessa Gratton
Publication Date: 12 March 2015
Rating: 4 Stars

There is only one person in the whole world who remembers the famous prophet Astrid Glyn: the berserker Soren Bearstar.

Ever since Astrid agreed to give up her life, her name, and even her prophetic dreams to become Idun the Young, the almost-goddess who protects the apples of immortality in a secret mountain orchard, she’s been forgotten by everyone. Everyone except Soren.

For the last two years he’s faithfully visited her every three months. Then one day he doesn’t come. Though forbidden to leave the orchard, Astrid defies the gods by escaping with a bastard son of Thor to find Soren. But ancient creatures are moving in the mountains beneath the country. They are desperate to leave the shadows and Astrid’s quest might be the key they need.

Not-quite-a-goddess, but no longer only a girl, Astrid must choose a path that will save herself and the people she loves without unraveling the ancient magic that holds the entire nine worlds together.

Welcome to the final chapter of the United States of Asgard.- Summary from Goodreads

The best thing about the United States of Asgard series is the world. It's ancient ideals combined with the modern world creates such interesting culture that just seems right. Like Harry Potter, each new book in USoA provides new insight and reveals new aspects of the world which makes it come to life whenever you read it.

The Apple Throne is the last book in the series. Despite each book having a new narrator and complete story, the series must be read in order to be understood. This novel is told from Astrid's POV and picks up right after she becomes Idun, but after a while it skips forward until after the events of Strange Maid. She has trouble adjusting to her new life being both goddess and girl, mortal life and immortal name. On her quest to find Soren she is learning to reconcile the juxtapositions in her life. This is completely Astrid's story. She's very different from the previous Beserker and Valkyrie narrators, but she's probably my favorite out of all three. While the others are physically strong, Astrid is strong without being a fighter. She's a good person who's trying to do what's right for the world, the people she loves, and herself.

Like the previous books in the series, there a road trip, romance, and prophecy. In The Lost Son, I felt like the writing style felt distant, but I didn't notice it in this book. I think it had more to do with me getting used to Gratton's style rather than it changing. It has the same slow, meandering style that the rest of the series has, sometimes it flows, other times it drags. There are plenty of familiar faces in this book, but Astrid's two main companions are new to the series (although they were introduced in the novella Gold Runner which I have not read). Soren isn't in the book as much as I would like, but the scenes he did have were great.

Over all, The Apple Throne is a strong addition to the United States of Asgard series and provides a great conclusion for our characters. 
             -Christina

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: 28 April 2015
Rating: 4 Stars

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. - Summary from Goodreads

I have consistently heard two things about An Ember in the Ashes: (1) That it is great (2) That it is brutal. I agree with both of those statements, but before I read the book I worried about the second. In case anyone else worried about the brutality as well, here's my perspective of it. This semester I had just taken and World History I class where we learned about Rome and Sparta, both of which have elements that can be found in the novel. I also recently read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass which is the autobiography of an escaped slave. These two things made me look at the brutality in An Ember in the Ashes as being realistic, not surprising. Is it horrible? Yes. Is it over the top and unbelievable? Unfortunately, no.

While the book is brutal, there are scenes in it which make me smile. Those are the scenes that make the rest of the book worth it. I cared about Laia and Elias. I rooted for them, I hated what they had to go through, I loved the scenes when they were together. I shipped them, but at the same time I was unsure, like the characters, because their feelings were a confusing mess. I wouldn't say that there are any love triangles/squares in this novel, I think it is better described as a confusion of the heart.

Towards the end of the book I really didn't know what was going to happen or how everything was going to get fixed. There were plenty of times when I wondered, how is this going to be finished by the end? The answer is that not everything is tied up by the last page. It does not leave a cliff hanger, but many things set up at the beginning are not concluded in the end. This is just the beginning of a larger story and I would have felt cheated if there wasn't going to be a second book. I'll definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out.

An Ember in the Ashes shows that even amongst the brutality there is friendship, loyalty, love, and hope. That is what makes this novel worth reading.
        -Christina

The Perilous Sea (The Elemental Trilogy #2) by Sherry Thomas

Title: The Perilous Sea (The Elemental Trilogy #2)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: 16 September 2014
Rating: 4 Stars

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future. - Summary from Goodreads

Right from the first chapter The Perilous Sea I was sucked in and it was near impossible to put down. I’m serious, that first chapter is just evil! The chapters alternate between things that happen after summer when Iolanthe and Titus return to Eton and events that take place SEVEN WEEKS IN THE FUTURE! Guess which type the first chapter is. I’ll give you one guess…

This book spends a lot of time asking questions about the nature of prophecy. If you see it, is it written in stone? If you manipulate events to encourage the prophecy, are you making it happen? What if the Seer makes a mistake when interpreting the vision? Prophecy is a tricky thing, and Iolanthe and Titus are beginning to learn just how tricky. It causes drama in their relationship, but I like them better for dealing with it and working things out between them.

As good as the first book was, its sequel surpasses it in awesomeness. We get to know some of the side characters better, like Cooper and Kashkari (whom Sarah loves). It has plenty of action and tension in the book and the story is just so good! But for some reason I can’t give it a 5-star rating, it wasn’t until after reading book two that I figure out why. I don’t have an emotional connection with the characters. Maybe it’s because the writing style feels distant to me. When I’m reading an emotional scene, I’m reading about what the characters are feeling, I don’t feel it myself. That is the only thing that makes this series less than perfect for me.

I love how The Elemental Trilogy references fairytales in the Crucible. The innocence and “and they all lived happily ever after” of the fairytales contrast the horrible reality of what the characters are dealing with in such a heartbreaking way. It’s such a small part of the series but I wanted to mention it.

The Perilous Sea contains all the action, drama, and adventure that you can hope for in a sequel. The ending is set up perfectly for book three and leaves you hanging from the side of a cliff (metaphorically speaking) and anxious for the conclusion to the trilogy.
     -Christina

Top 10 Fantasy & Classic Books We Want To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Sarah’s Top 5 “Want to Read” Fantasy’s

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

I’ve had this book since December but since I’ve only been reading books for the North Texas Teen Book Festival and my library’s book club I’ve had to put it off. After the ending of Crown of Midnight I’m just dying to know what happens next!

The Exiled Queen/The Gray Wolf Throne/The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #2-#4) by Cinda Williams Chima

I finally got around to reading the first book last year and really enjoyed it. Sadly other books kept getting in the way of me finishing the series (also the need for a shorter book.lol). After I finish my North Texas reading these will be some of the first books I’ll read.

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

I have been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it, I even got it in from the library last month. But like everything else on the list so far it’s being put on hold until March.

The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3) by Rae Carson

I can’t believe I had put off this series for so long, it is AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to see how it ends!

The Winner’s Crime (Winner’s Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski

Okay, so I know this isn’t out yet but I REALLY want to read it! I just reread the Winner’s Curse and can’t wait to find out what happens to these characters!!!

Christina’s Top 5 “Want To Read” Classic’s

Dracula by Bram Stoker

I love monster stories. I fell in love with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and went from there reading a bunch of YA monster books, and yet I still have not read Dracula. It is quite pathetic of me. So this is the highest on my list for this year.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I really enjoyed the movie but I could tell that there was so much that was left out. I would like to see the whole story as Dickens told it. I tried reading it once during the week before finals week, I made it 90 pages in before I decided I was an idiot and gave it up.

Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

I just want to know what they’re talking about in Northanger Abbey! I’m also interested in gothic literature in general and want more knowledge of it.

Sandition by Jane Austen and Another Lady

A friend of mine said it was good, so I am willing to risk reading a novel only half written by my beloved Miss Jane Austen.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

I need to read it. It is shameful that I haven’t yet.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1)
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publication Date: March 4,2014
Rating: 4 Stars

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart. - Summary from Goodreads

                It is difficult to identify The Winner’s Curse’s genre, it’s not clear what it is. It does take place in a world that is not our own, but there is no addition of magic or the supernatural, nor does it resemble a dystopian, it just is what it is. The world was well built and reminded me a bit of the Victorian era with all of its rules and ideas of propriety. Losing one’s reputation or honor is as bad as losing one’s life.  In this world it is expected that a woman either marries or joins the military by a certain age, while those rules of society seem contradictory it works for it and provides plenty of trouble because Kestral does not wish to do either anytime soon.

Kestral has made it onto my list of favorite characters. She is not a great fighter, but she is an amazing strategist and she proves multiple times in this book that the power of the mind can be just as deadly as a sword. It is so refreshing to have a heroine who not only has intelligence, but uses it on a regular basis.

Arin and Kestral’s relationship is not insta-love, which I appreciate, it is more like mutual affection and friendship which both characters would both rather do without. I didn’t really connect with Arin and part of me couldn’t get behind the romance, but the romance comes second to the story so it’s not really a big deal. The romance is another way to build up tension and drama, and it does it well.

                Oh my goodness, this book has plenty of drama! Don’t worry, it is the good sort of drama. The sort of drama that has you reading as fast as you can just so you can find out what is going to happen next. I could just feel Kestral and Arin’s turmoil as they did things that they could never take back even if they wanted to. And that ending! I’m so excited to see where the next book goes. I actually believe that the next book is going to be even better than its predecessor. 

                -Christina