Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

5 Stars

Spoilers ahead if you have not read the first book. 

I avoided reading Days of blood and starlight for more than a month, although I read the first and second chapter of DOB&S - I felt as if I already knew how the book was going to play out. The first book was outright amazing, except the ending left me confused about Karou’s (heroine) character. The little twist at the end was least to say: baffling. 

Apparently, if you have read the first book, Karou was actually resurrected and is really another person named Madrigal who is a Chimera. I wasn’t entirely confused…I was misled. Was Karou the character who I’ve learned so much about throughout the first book, or was she Madrigal – a character who I was unfamiliar with, until she was hurled at me in the last couple of chapters? It was irritating. 

The plot twist included Akiva (her forbidden love interest) who had misfortunately done something terrible and betrayed Karou. I felt at that time as if it was just a reason to bring about a complication in their romance, so it would not be tedious. 

I was far from right about my predications about the second book. I had thought Karou would show a great distaste to Akiva for thirty pages, and then be all over him. I had thought there will be angst between Akiva and Karou for an excruciating 500 pages, similar to several YA books. I was very surprisingly incorrect. The book was solely focused on character building, world building and most significantly the plot. Truthfully, there was only fifty pages of Karou and Akiva together, and there was barely much romance…more like tension (good tension). 

Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

 5 Stars         

“Is he scared of the dark?”                              “Like all monsters. Because it reminds him of what he truly is.”

I still recall the last mythology book I read, sadly. I prefer not to. I mean who would not want to erase the boring journey of Hades searching for his right wife? (If you have not guessed, I’m talking about The Goddess Test)

Cruel Beauty was able to substantiate to me that (Greek) mythology can be interesting in YA fiction, if handled correctly. 

It composed of everything I pursue for in a book:unpredictable Mystery, Imperfect heroine, both fascinating setting plus backstory. And lastly, a story partly based on BEAUTY & THE BEAST. You know, you have not completely stopped being a kid, when you continue to think of Beauty & the Beast as one of the greatest love stories. 

Quick summary of Cruel Beauty: 

Nyx Triskelion, never feels as if she belongs. Maybe, it’s because she’s motherless. Or her father pays more attention to her twin sister. Or perhaps, it could simply be the fact her father betrothed her to an evil ruler of the kingdom for a bargain. Nyx begins to train as young as nine to defeat Ignifex, in order to free herself and release her kingdom from Ignifex‘s curse, that has entrapped and left them isolated from the rest of the world for nine-hundred years. As she puts her plan to action, she realizes not everything is black and white as it seems, and killing Ignifex proves to be more difficult than she imagined. 

Review: The Pianst by Władysław Szpilman

               5 Stars                  

I loved The Pianist for a number of reasons but the supreme reason goes to Władysław Szpilman's storytelling. Szpilman writes down the struggles he had endured to survive, when Warsaw was under occupation by the Nazis. Władysław voice never grows bitter, plus, his emotions never twist to abhorrence, and it’s why, I find myself respecting him so admirably. His story was in no means out of hatred or disgust. His intention was not to spit political statements about WWII. As mentioned on the title, it was solely based on his extraordinary true story to survive when the whole of Europe went into chaos. Not to forget, it was about his determination to live long enough, in the hopes to achieve his dream.

Wladyslaw Szpilman was a polish Jew born in Warsaw. He had three siblings and two loving parents. He was a talented musician growing up; he studied in Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland and then attended the prestigious Academy of Arts in Berlin, before Hitler was in power. He then worked at a polish radio performing Jazz and classical music. But at 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland and developed a new general government, which established a ghetto in Warsaw, specifically for Jews. Life for Władysław turned into a daily torture. Hunger and illness sweeped every corner of the streets in the ghetto. Senseless hate by the Nazis and unjustified death leads Szpilman to escape, rather than await his death. However survival behind the walls of the Warsaw ghetto - proves to be as difficult as a rapid death.