Review: UPROOTED by Naomi Novik

Title: Uprooted

Author: Naomi Novik
Standalone
Publisher: Del Ray

Publication Date: May 19, 2015

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Agnieszka loves her valley home in a quiet village. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep the Wood's dark forces at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his assistance: Every ten years, one young woman must be handed over to serve him without questions.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn't, and her dearest friend in the world. Ad there is no way to save her.

But when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

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"You're bound to the valley, all of you; born and bred here... It has a hold on you."

I still don't know what led me to believe Uprooted to be only a Rapunzel-inspired retelling. The synopsis doesn't even give a hint to that, but it could be how my brain connects 'tower' with 'Rapunzel' hah. Either way, my expectations were completely blown away in the best way possible! Think Into the Woods meets Studio Ghibli with hints of D-Gray Man's dark imagery. Uprooted was incredibly enchanting and imaginative. The narration had that classic lyrical fairy tale vibe, and I felt compelled to keep reading until the end.

Review: THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller

Title: The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller
Standalone
Publisher: Ecco

Publication Date: August 28, 2012

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Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful—irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

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"I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me."

I have never read Homer's Iliad or The Odyssey, but not because I didn't want to. It's been on my to-be-read list for eons now. Any Greek mythology knowledge I have comes from movies like '300', 'Percy Jackson' and 'Hercules' (*sings* Who put the 'Glad' in 'Gladiator'? Herc-u-les!). Basically, I know very little! And despite having an interest in mythology and historical fiction, I've read very few of the genre. This book was recommended to me by my trusty Fizzle Reads book pushers, and I'm kicking myself for not diving right in. The Song of Achilles was both lyrical and enchanting—I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Review: CINDER by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
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Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. 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 her world's future.

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"She was a cyborg, and she would never go to the ball."

I have an undying love for fairy tales and this was my first retellings book. Needless to say, I la-la-LOVED all the Cinderella parallels. It blew my expectations right out the water to be honest. I didn't expect such a complex story or an equally complex yet wonderful group of characters. Cinder quickly became one of my top fave heroines of all time! She's sarcastic, intelligent and brave. She's a take-action kind of character that I always love to read about. She's just so bad-ass and awesome :D