Lauren Reviews Serpentine by Cindy Pon

Serpentine by Cindy Pon
Published: September 2015 by Month9Books 
Source: eARC
Rating: 5 Stars

Serpentine is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.
 
When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self - even as she falls in love for the first time. 

I adored this book. I adore mythology. I adore Chinese mythology even more because I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING. Instead of just summarizing a book without spoilers speckled with my opinions, for this review, I'm going for short and sweet. 

The author captured the essence of the ancient Chinese Kingdom of Xia so gracefully that I truly felt as if I was there. Historical fiction was my first genre love and this book was just begging for me to pick it up. The world building, the details pertaining to mortals, demons, even the immortals... I could imagine everything so clearly in my mind. The bravery of the main character was inspiring. If I went through the changes she did, were faced with the same challenges... I'm not sure I'd measure up. The plot was seamless, as was the author's writing. I devoured this book in hours and you will too. 

Lauren Reviews Minotaur by Phillip W. Simpson

Minotaur by Phillip W. Simpson
Published: September 2015 by Month9Books
Source: eARC
Rating: 5 Stars

“Where shall I start?” asked Minotaur.
Ovid made an expansive gesture with both hands. “Where else but the beginning of course.”
Minotaur nodded his huge head. “Yes,” he said. “Yes,” his eyes already glazing over with the weight of thousand year old memories. And then he began.

So begins the story of Asterion, later known as Minotaur, the supposed half bull creature of Greek legend. Recorded by the famous Roman poet, Ovid, Asterion tells of his boyhood in Crete under the cruel hand of his stepfather Minos, his adventures with his friend, Theseus, and his growing love for the beautiful Phaedra. And of course what really happened in the labyrinth. 

This is the true story of the minotaur. Ovid, a scholar who has written a huge volume of myths/legends, travels to the site of the minotaur's labyrinth. His tour guide Asterion, who is known as the minotaur, leads Ovid up the mountain and to the crumbling labyrinth.

Eventually Asterion decides to tell Ovid that he is the infamous minotaur, still alive and living close to the labyrinth. At first Ovid is just humoring Asterion, allowing Asterion to tell his story... this is when the book really starts for me. Asterion weaves the threads that bind story of his life together simply, yet with a heavy heart. The hardships he faced during his childhood... how he was ridiculed and looked down upon because of his appearance, how his father despised him because he was the bastard son of a god. The love of his life and how she was stolen from him. And then the most impressive twist of the story... the minotaur's time in the labyrinth. We all know the story. Asterion tells the true version, which of course is much less gory and extremely compelling. I felt so many emotions during Asterion's life story. But it was Asterion's perseverance that really resonated with me. I don't think I could have kept my own and not turned into the monster everyone thought I was if I was treated as he was.

This was a very thought-provoking read and I absolutely adore mythology, so basically the author wrote this for me. :) So thanks, Phillip.

Daisy's Review of Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title/Author: Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, January 24th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned - to her old life, her family, her friends - before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back - this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's..."

Oh. My. Gosh. WOW!

Really, that is my first reaction upon finishing this book. And I cannot think of a better way for a book to leave me feeling. I mean, I fell in love with the cover before I even knew what the book would be about (LOOK AT THE PRETTY!!) and when I came to understand that it was a YA mythology I went all crazy-eyed and just felt the urge to HAVE IT. So to say that I was beyond ecstatic when I received the e-ARC is putting it mildly.

And this book did not disappoint in the least. I'd heard people rave about it before I had the chance to read it myself and you know what? THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton was SO amazing! I fell in love with the beautiful writing at the first page. Seriously, evidence is my tweeting of 'I'm only 12 pages in, but I already know I'm going to love it'. And it was so, SO good! It made my little bookloving heart very happy.

I really liked Nikki. I know she made a really stupid decision when she joined Cole in the Everneath, but really, I could get where she was coming from. I mean, she was really insecure about her relationship with Jack. And while from the first moment I read about it, I couldn't believe sweet, awesome Jack would ever do something like that, I can see how she would. And I liked that she wanted to make it right with her loved ones when she Returned and wasn't all accusatory towards them and only blamed herself. And maybe Cole. But that's totally justified.

And let's just say it: Jack is amazing. Seriously, that boy! He made me swoon and smile and cry... And I loved him. He was everything a boyfriend should be and I loved the moments he and Nikki were together. I loved how they awkwardly sat next to each other for hours and hours in class and didn't speak. I loved how he tried to get her to talk to him again and their history together.

Then there's Cole, the 'villain' in this story. I know he's the bad guy, but I really liked him as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% Team Jack, but there's something about Cole that's got me not hating him even though he does some really bad things.

I loved it all: the story, the characters, the minor as well as the main characters, the writing, the romance, THE BOY, the mythology... I wish I had more words to do justice to the amazingness that is this book. I would have read this all in one go if my boyfriend hadn't insisted I needed sleep (which let's face it, he was right about).

It will be a long wait for the second book...

My rating: 5+ stars