Review: Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Title: Dreamology

Author: Lucy Keating

Published: 12 April 2016
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *****

My Review:

I absolutely adored this story! From the moment I started the first chapter and felt the quirkiness of Alice's voice, I was knew this book was going to be warm magical read..

I originally picked it up because the description sound very unique and original and I thought whole premise of two people growing up together and falling in love in their dreams, only to suddenly find out that not only was the other person real but also seeming nothing like their dream self incredibly intriguing and I was eager to see where this would lead.

What it lead to was a uniquely original and captivating story that was a delicious melding of quirky, funny and sweet. I loved where Ms Keating took this story and the vivid, colourful characters she created to deliver it. I loved the main character Alice, sweet yet lonely with her best friend Sophie, her bull dog Jerry and her dreamboy Max. I loved Oliver with this irrepressible humour and attitude, celeste, 'the girlfriend' yet the all around nice person and max, the boy who despite his feelings about his dream girl Alice, has a whole other world that Alice is not a part of.

Ms Keating bubbly writing style, with seemingly random yet perfectly placed scientific facts and fragments of Alice's dreams peppered through the story line perfectly balances some of the more serious themes in this book such as abandonment and death. She has created a story with characters the reader can emotionally connect to and live the story with them. We see the story through the eyes of Alice, and Ms Keating had me feeling the wonder, the adventure, the heart break and the hard truths right along with Alice.

I loved the fact that I had no idea where the story was going to lead, that I loved every moment of the journey and was immensely satisfied with the place the story finished.

This was definitely one of my most enjoyable reads of 2016 and I give this book 5 stars!

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia |  Amazon

A debut novel with the vibrantly unconventional romance of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the sweetness and heart of Jenny Han

For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Every night since they were kids, they've met in their dreams, traveled the world, and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist in real life.

Then Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, and there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped—especially when their dreams start to bleed troublingly into their waking hours. Soon, Alice and Max question not just their relationship, but their own sanity. The pair realize that the only way to fix things might be to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?

Whimsical, romantic, heartbreaking, and utterly original, Lucy Keating’s debut novel will win readers’ hearts, and is perfect for fans of Jennifer E. Smith and Stephanie Perkins.


   

     

Review: Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

Title: Ten Thousand Skies Above You

Author: Claudia Gray

Published: 3 November 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Harper Collins Australia in return for an honest Review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *****

My Review:

Oh my goodness!  This book was so worth the wait! I do believe that this is even better that book 1.

In A Thousand pieces of you, we were introduced to Marguerite Caine, her parents and inventors of the Firebird technology and their grad students Paul and Theo looking for a man she believed to be her father's killer and uncovering inter dimensional conspiracy.

In Ten Thousand skies Above you, we see the affects that that conspiracy has had on them all with Theo sick from his exposure to NightThief and Paul splintered and scattered through a number of different dimensions.  Once again it is up to Marguerite, the perfect traveller, to travel to the different dimensions to save her world's version of Paul and Theo

This story flows seamlessly.  Whether it is from one dimension to another or one idea or scene to another, each world we visit and each version of the characters we see brings us further into the story and as Marguerite gets closer and closer to her goal, she ( and the reader uncover more and more questions.

I loved reading and seeing the different worlds that Marguerite visits.  Each of them were completely distinct and the world building so complete that I couldn't help but be completely immersed in the story from beginning to end.  Even better we got to revisit some of the worlds from book which, revisit some previous characters and see the impact Marguerite's original visit had had.

All in all this book ahad everything I could want in it;  Romance, action, interdimensional travel.  I was completely entranced from beginning to end and could not get enough.

I need book 3 now!

I give this book a definite 5 stars! :-)

 

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by Claudia Gray

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

Publication Date: 3 November, 2015

Pre-Order:Booktopia  | Book Depository | Amazon

Review: The White Rose (The Lone City #2) by Amy Ewing

Title: The White Rose

Author: Amy Ewing

Published: 6 October 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:

I absolutely loved the second instalment of the Lone City series, The White Rose.

Picking up immediately where The Jewel left off , immediately we are thrown in to the deep end of action as Rose attempts to escape the Jewel and save her best friend and the boy she loves.

I loved the development of the story in this book.  I listened to an audio version of the jewel over the course of a week or two but I read The White Rose in a matter of hours devouring each new development of the story as a whole.  We find out a lot more about the history of the lone island, more about what the auguries are and where they cam from as well as finding out more about what Lucien intends for Violet but all the extra information is almost  perfectly mixed in with the action which moves the story at enjoyable pace.

Along with this, Ms Ewing really envelopes the reader into the world of the jewel and its outer rings and one cannot help but be drawn in and pulled along as layer upon layer of the story is laid.

I also loved the character development in this book, we get to revisit and find out more of Lucien, Garnet, Raven and other characters we have previously only seen in passing and their stories are just as riveting as Violet's.

Just like book one, this book finishes on an impossible cliff hanger with a shocking turn of events that will leave readers breathless and desperately waiting to read book Three.

I immensely enjoyed this book and am one of those who cannot wait for more!

I give this book 4 stars!

 

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

The White Rose (The Lone City #2) by Amy Ewing

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia |  Amazon

 

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

    

     

Review: Mirrored by Alex Flinn

Title: Mirrored

Author: Alex Flinn

Published: 15th September 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss in echange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ** 1/2  

My Review:

I will start by saying I really, really wanted to like this

I am sorry to say though, I struggled with virtually everything about this book. I struggled with the writing, with the characters, with the setting.  Normally I like my fairy tale retellings however I think that may have been part of the problem - there was more retelling than re-showing.

The first thing I struggled with was the modern setting. The idea itself was quite good but I felt like the setting itself didn't quite work and story lost some of its authenticity as a result.

The story itself didn't grab me.  I know (obviously) the story of Snow White and that wasn't the problem.  It just seemed that other than the modern setting, there was nothing all that new or fresh in the tale nor did I feel that the author really made it her own. Even with the one twist the author threw in, I still didn't feel it. I had to make myself move through it rather than being pulled through by the story itself and at times I had to stop myself from putting it down altogether

I also found a lack of sincerity behind the words which made it hard to connect with the story and the characters, and at times it felt a little trite and kind of preachy. The characters themselves seemed quite one dimensional which made it hard to feel any genuine emotion for them and at times some of their actions and they things they said did not really ring true for me.

Some books are so good that you just don't want them to end but when I finished this one, sadly all I felt was relief that I could finally move on to something else.

I haven't read anything else by Alex Flinn. It might be that if I had,  I might have felt some more connection to Kendra and to the tale itself.  It might also be that the target audience was for someone younger than me. At any rate, in the end I found the story a little disappointing.

For that reason I feel I am unable to give it more than 2 1/2 stars :-(
 

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Mirrored by Alex Flinn

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia

A modern, multi-generational tale of Kendra, the witch from "Snow White," who trains Violet, an ugly, lonely, and heartbroken girl in the 1980s who transforms herself into "the fairest one of all" but still cannot win Greg's heart, and Celine, Greg's daughter with Violet's high school rival, Jennifer.

     

Review: Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Title: Ash & Bramble

Author: Sarah Prineas

Published: 15th September 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****   

My Review:

This book was an unexpected surprise. I knew it was a fairy tale retelling and I thought it sounded interesting but to be honest I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.

The things whilst it is technically a fairy tale retelling rather than actually retell, it turned the original tale on its head asking what if Cinderella didn't actually want to marry the prince? What if the prescribed happily ever after was not actually happily ever after the characters wanted? And what if story got in the way of people living their lives the way they want to.

These are some of the questions that are posed during this tale in which Pin, a seamstress in the Godmother's fortress decides that she doesn't want wants been prescribed for her future and attempts to escape picking up a shoemaker "Shoe" along the way but after being recaptured, the Godmother sets in motion Pin's story but Pin and Shoe are determined to write their own ending.

I loved the premise behind this story and they way it all unfolded. I loved that characters weren't always what they were supposed to be and the tale didn't go the way it was supposed to which meant I got to follow a whole new journey. The writing, which split between Shoe and pin's perspectives, is well crafted, flowed along nicely and was well paced. I found myself connected to the story the whole way through.

This is a fun fresh tale for fans of series such as the Inkspell series by Cornelia Funke.

I very much enjoyed this story and give it 4 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Ash and Bramble  by Sarah Prineas

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia

When the glass slipper just doesn’t fit…

The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story.

Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.

Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after.

Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.

     

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1)

Author: Victoria Aveyard
Published: 10 February, 2015 by Harper Teen
Source:  HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *****

My Review:

I am truly being spoiled in my choice of book to read so far this year. It is only February and I am already giving 5 stars to my third book of the year.

Red queen is an absolutely amazing read. From the first page to the last, it had me completely hooked. Mare Barrow is, by her own appraisal, no one special, an under educated pick pocket, just another red destined to be conscripted on her 18th birthday and used in a never ending war. However a chance encounter leading to an unexpected chain of events completely changes everything and suddenly Mare is no longer 'just a red'.

I didn't always like Mare and I didn't always agree with choices she makes in the book but either way she made a compelling main character to read about as did the other characters around her. Ms Aveyard writes vivid characters who come to life off the page, so even if I didn't always like Mare, I could still feel a long with her and have my heart clutch in fear waiting to find out what would happen to her.


Ms Aveyard's writing in general, keeps you glued to each page with a well paced action packed, hold your breath and pray roller coaster ride to the end story filled with surprise after surprise, twist after turn, some of them expected, some of them not but all of them making this the amazing story it is.

And the world building...this story is set in a world where the colour of your blood determines your lit in life and this world is fleshed out immaculately by Ms Aveyard, from the poorest section of the stilts to the opulence of the summer palace, we are given a very real picture of life in this world and this enhances the story all the more.

I read the last 1/2 of this book on the way home on the train and when I looked up from reading the last page, I realised I was almost at my stop and I didn't remember any of the hour long train ride or stopping at any of the stops on the way that's how entranced by the story.

I will most definitely be reading the rest of this series and already cannot wait for book 2

In case you were wondering, I give this book 5 stars!

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood—those with red and those with silver. Mare and her family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural abilities make them nearly gods. Mare steals what she can to help her family survive, but when her best friend is conscripted into the army she gambles everything to win his freedom. A twist of fate leads her to the royal palace itself, where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers a power of her own—an ability she didn't know she had. Except . . . her blood is Red.

To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks her new position to aid the Scarlet Guard—the leaders of a Red rebellion. Her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, pitting prince against prince—and Mare against her own heart.

From debut author Victoria Aveyard comes a lush, vivid fantasy series where loyalty and desire can tear you apart and the only certainty is betrayal.

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

Teaser Tuesday #83: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My current read is Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard  and my three lines are from location 2347 of 5417

Fear curls through me like a poison, until I'm scared from head to toe. But not for myself. Not anymore.

Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon  

A thrilling new fantasy trilogy for fans of DIVERGENT and THE HUNGER GAMES.

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The poverty-stricken Reds are commoners, living in the shadow of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from the Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Then Mare finds herself working at the Silver palace, in the midst of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!