Review of Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

My Rating: * * * * * 5/5 stars

Summary: Discover the truth of Norta's bloody past in these two revealing prequels to #1 New York Times bestseller Red Queen.

Queen Song

Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary—how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead for her in royal life.

Steel Scars

Captain Farley exchanges coded transmissions with the resistance as she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital. She was raised to be strong, but planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected—until she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation: Mare Barrow.

My Review: Cruel Crown is two novellas in one Steel Scars, and Queen Song are the two novellas included in Cruel Crown you get two for the price of one so to say =)  

Queen Song tells the story of Coriane who is Cal's mother (Cal is a main character in the Red Queen series of books).  It is not a very long story but the reader learns in detail about Coriane's early life and her relationship with her brother Julian who is also a main character in the Red Queen series of books. She is an interesting character who does not seem to have high self esteem; and yet she has an inner courage that I admired.  She is chosen to be queen (at Queenstrial) much to the disdain of her silver noble friends who do not see why she was chosen and not them since they consider her to be kind of a weakling and all that matters in their twisted world is strength and power over the red vermin. 

Coriane's main enemy is Maven's mother Elara who does not think Coriane has what it takes to be a good queen so she sets out on a mission to destroy the mind of the young  girl with her abilities so she can take her place and become queen herself.  As a reader I enjoyed this short novella and it really gave me more insight into the mind of Cal and why he had a right to hate Elara (his half brother's mother) as much as he seemed to in the Red Queen Series. There was mention of Coriane's name in the main books in this series; but having an in depth look at her life and the sad ending it had really helped my enjoyment and my understanding of the Red Queen Series.  If I hadn't had this look into Coriane's world and thought processes I wouldn't have given Cal as much of a chance as a character to develop throughout the main full size books.  

If you want to read more Aveyard and have read the Red Queen series I would recommend this book! It gives you a great background to work with as a reader and leads to a better understanding of the battle that rages between Cal and Maven for power and the history behind it.

Steel Scars is the backstory of Farley and how she was raised in a kind of army like fashion by her Father.  The two have a very rough relationship as can be seen in the main books and knowing Farley's backstory helped me connect to her as a character; it also lead me to be easier on her when she did things in the main books that may seem heartless to others but are easier to understand because I knew how she was raised.

I did not enjoy the way every few pages how communications between different people in the revolution was formatted.  It was hard on my eyes; and the language used was not always understandable to me and I'd have to reread it to even get the gist of what was happening; and I hate having to reread to understand something.  I think the author should make things clear enough in the beginning so that is not necessary; for me I have tons of books I want to read as well as usually the running commentary of my two year old of whatever she is engaged in at the moment and having to reread something I consider to be a big waste of my time as a blogger and reader.  Some of the language used in the ''army communications" was interesting to learn but I don't think there should have been so many paragraphs of them a few would have sufficed if the author just wanted to highlight how they looked or how the people in the revolutionary group communicated with each other.

Farley grew up in the revolution and especially after she lost her mother her dad became more of just a superior to her than a Father.  You can tell she is committed to their cause and is willing to risk everything to accomplish the goals of her father and his superiors.  She so badly wants his approval and his stamp of success on her life and efforts but he rarely gives her praise and is aloof and cold with her; so though you can tell he loves her, it is his own brand of affection...its his way or the highway most of the time.  I related to this and I think anyone could...the desire to please your parents and to want them to approve of what you do and to be proud of the life you've chosen.  I have definitely had similar feelings in my life and am sure most others have too.  This makes it easier to relate to Farley as a character; it gives her more depth than she might seem to have in the main three books in the Red Queen series.  It was also nice to know her backstory and see why she acted the way she did in certain situations (especially combat situations).

I would recommend this novella too; it gave me a better understanding of the rebel red group and their background and how they came to exist.  If you as a reader enjoyed the Red Queen series as a whole than you will enjoy this novella; I even wish it had been a little longer and without all the 'army communications' that were included.  I've been asked if you need to have read the entire series before you read these two novellas to really understand them and in my opinion no that is not necessary to understand these two stories; however I would recommend having read Red Queen (the first book in the Red Queen series).  It gives you a solid background of whats going on and how Mare's dystopian world works; as well as introducing you to most of the character's you will need to have some understanding and background of to really enjoy the two novellas that are included in Cruel Crown to the best of your abilities as a reader.  And yes I recommend buying Cruel Crown instead of getting Queen Song and Steel Scars individually...why pay two separate prices when you can get both in Cruel Crown; or in other words (again) you get two for the price of one =) .  Always a good deal!

Review of King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

My rating: * * * * *  5/5 stars

Summary: In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl's spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

My Review: In this third installment of the Red Queen Series we once again find ourselves brought into the world of Mare Barrow who has traded her freedom for the lives and freedom of her friends and family.  Mare is now trapped in a painful abusive world where her entire life and every breath is controlled by the one she hates most - Maven the mad boy king whose entire purpose in life seems to be controlling and possessing Mare. He seems to think of her more as a pet than a human being with thoughts and feelings of her own.  

Mare is abused not only by Maven but by the other Silver nobility who now surround her and by her personal guards whose job it is to enforce "the silence" on Mare so she has no way to use her lightning ability and thus has no form of escape.  This book is filled with the details of this next step in Mare's journey as she is tortured and under the thumb of those she hates the most for their treatment of reds and those called newbloods who have powers like Mare when they shouldn't because they are reds not silvers.  This story was completely engrossing to me it had equal parts inner dialogue of characters, action and adventure, engrossing characters that are believable as people yet also fantasy because of their unique abilities and the dystopian society in which they live. 

Aveyard outdid herself in this book for me I liked it as much or even more than Red Queen the first book in this series.  Mare seemed more human in this book; her reactions and relationships with people like Cal, or her sister and parents seemed more tangible and real than how her personality was portrayed in Glass Sword; in that book she seemed untouchable and more aloof not caring about who she hurt to get her own priorities accomplished.  In King's Cage Mare through her captivity seems to gain some of her humanity back and views herself more as a person with special abilities  rather than a demi god whose orders should be followed without question.  As you watch her personal struggle it is easy as a reader to connect with her and you feel as if you are right there with her as she fights to survive and hopefully escape Maven.

Maven himself in this book was a wonderful villain in his own right; his thoughts and actions were really interesting to see because he has such a damaged psyche because of the things his mother did to him in  his infancy and childhood. At some moments the reader can even catch a glimpse of the little good that is left in his flawed character that his mother tried so hard to eradicate. You get the sense that in his own twisted, cruel way he does love Mare; but that love eventually turns into a sick desire to own her and be in control of every aspect of her life; though you really can't call her captivity much of a life it is really more of just existing and her trying to stay alive until she can escape and get back to those she loves and wants to save.  I have to say even though Maven is the villain in this series he really is one of the most interesting and enthralling characters especially because the reader never knows what he might do next and that adds a sense of suspense to the book that really helps draw the reader into the story.

This book was very easy to read. I once again enjoyed the type of font Aveyard used because it was easy to read and didn't lead to a headache which is often my problem after hours of reading a book.  This is my new favorite book in this series so far;  I really thought Aveyard outdid herself in this one especially with the ending which for me was completely a surprise and unexpected. I love that feeling when after you read the last page in a book you physically have to stop for a minute because it rattled you and was not what you were expecting at all.  I like this because every story automatically having a happy ending can get quite boring and stale; I feel that with her ending in this book Aveyard really outdid herself.  

If you liked the first two books in this series you will love this one in my opinion and won't be able to put it down...I know I couldn't (I finished the entire book in two days).  So be sure to pick it up or download it; its worth the price; Aveyard is right now at least my favorite author so far this year. =) 

Review of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

* * * * 4/5 stars

Summary:The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they've always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Mare Barrow's blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

My Review: Glass Sword is the second book in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard.  In this book the reader is thrown head first back into the world of Mare Borrow who is a red civilian in the Silver kingdom where the Silvers (they are called red or silver based on the color of their blood) are the ruling masters over the reds in Mare's world.  Mare is in trouble because she has an ability that only the silver ruling class is supposed to be born with.  Mare and other reds with abilities like hers are called newbloods and are greatly feared by the Silvers who want to eradicate them from society because of the abilities they have and the fact that they are inspiring others like them and normal reds to revolt and try to take back the country that was once their own.  

Mare and Cal (a silver prince who was betrayed by his brother Mare's ex-forced fiancee) are running for their lives while also working with a revolutionary group to find other newbloods and rescue them before the new mad king Maven (Cal's half brother who betrayed him ) can get to them and kill them in his pursuit to get Mare back as a prisoner who he and only he can have complete control of.  This book was well written by Aveyard and there is a lot of inner dialogue with the characters feelings about what they have to do just to survive and stay away from Maven.  A lot of it is very emotional like how they feel when they have to kill other silvers or reds who are on the side of the mad king who is pursuing them.  In the beginning it was interesting to hear what they were feeling and how they dealt with different almost impossible situations where they had to kill or be killed. But sometimes as a reader I felt like the inner dialogues got really almost repetitive and I would have to push through boredom to keep reading and finish the chapter; more action or delving into the plot more would've been more enjoyable to me as a reader thats why this book did not receive five stars from me.  

Overall though the book though not as good as the first one (Red Queen) in the series was enjoyable and I finished it in one day.  If you enjoyed Red Queen then I would definitely recommend jumping into this book and enjoying the ride.  Aveyard truly is a good writer; and I will happily read more of her books in the near future if she writes them.    

Review for The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

* * * * * 5/5 stars

Summary: Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. There, before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play 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 everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays the only certainty is betrayal.

This sweeping story of palace intrigue, class hierarchy, and deception will keep readers hurtling along, desperate to find out Mare’s fate. Her honesty and determination, quick wit, and no-holds-barred attitude will surely make readers fall in love with her.

My Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is the first book in a YA series about a teenager who lives in a society where the color of your blood determines what status you will hold in life. Reds are considered inferior and are not considered equal to those in their society who have silver blood. Silvers are considered to be the masters almost demi-gods to the reds and have all the power in this dystopian society.  The main characters name is Mare - the book starts following her as she goes about normal activities for her like stealing food and other things her family needs to survive in the small red working town where they live.  

Startling events happen that end up landing Mare in a whole lot of trouble and she finds herself spirited away by the ruling Silver royal family who decide to enmesh her into their family so they can hide the startling truth about an ability she has that reds are NOT supposed to have.  The book follows her journey in this new dangerous world and introduces many new startling characters who will become the backbone of this series and who I as a reader was really able to relate to on many different emotional levels as well as being very well written...it is not a book that is easy to put down and I read through it in just a few days.

Aveyard is a new author to me and I love her writing style. The books font is also larger so it made it easy on the eyes and something that I really enjoyed reading.  The situations and characters really drew me into the story often hours passed and I didn't realize how much time had passed because the writing really had me engrossed completely in the story and with the characters; I even cried a few times which is very rare for me as a reader to be touched so profoundly.  This series so far for me has been my favorite 3 books (4 with the digital novellas which I also read) that I've come into contact with so far this year.

I would recommend this book to ANY of my reading colleagues in my opinion even  if you don't always read books that are labeled YA or Fantasy or dystopian world like settings you should still pick up this book it has something for everyone and if you don't, in my opinion you will regret it.  I absolutely love this author and her writing style.

The Countess by Rebecca Johns

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Summary: Johns's creepily enticing second novel (after Icebergs) travels to 1611 Hungary as Countess Erzsébet Báthory--aka the Blood Countess--is being walled into a castle tower as punishment for the murder of dozens of women and girls. She begins writing her life story as an exposé of the many betrayals that have brought about this--as she sees it--outrageous and unjust imprisonment. The steady, calm tone of Erzsébet's narration lulls the reader along so that the first hints of madness in her girlhood engender doubt and discomfort rather than horror, and as her lack of remorse and grandiose sense of entitlement are unveiled, a matter-of-fact self-portrait of a murderer emerges. This is a carefully researched story, gothic in tone and grimly atmospheric, with subtly handled psychology and an initially unassuming tone. Unlike most serial killer stories, this rewards patience and close reading. 

Review: The Countess by Rebecca Johns is about the life and times of Erzsebet Bathory who I will refer to as Elizabeth Bathory as it would be in English.  Elizabeth grew up in a noble house in the land of Hungary at an early age she was engaged to Ferenc Nadasdy and would one day be his wife which would make her a countess.  Elizabeth seemed to have what one would call a normal childhood but their were signs in her early life that she might have a nature that was psychopathic.

This book focuses on her early life and her middle years as its main context; including some of her young adult years and when she was in her forties/fifties which would have been considered her later years in this time in history.

Elizabeth Bathory as she gained her majority and became mistress of the house and after discovering her husband enjoyed such pursuits; whipped, starved, and humiliated dozens or more of her servant girls thinking that it was her right because she was of noble blood.  Her husband sometimes helped her in these activities and enjoyed it himself.  This woman was responsible for many deaths before she was caught and would eventually face her own last days.

It was scary in a way to see a woman who so loved her family; but in the same moment could turn around and beat a young girl to death for a minor infraction.  Its scary that they did not catch her for years and even then she was only punished by being shut up away from everyone; she got this type of punishment only because she was of noble blood.

It was a book that was hard to put down and it was interesting to look inside what may have gone on in the mind of someone who was so psychopathic.  I would definitely say that it is not for young teens and should only be read by mature audiences.  The author is a brilliant writer and I'd like to read more of her books.

Ruthless (Scientology, My son David Miscavige and Me) by Ron Miscavige

Ruthless by Ron Miscavige

<3 <3 <3

Summary:The only book to examine the origins of Scientology's current leader, RUTHLESS tells the revealing story of David Miscavige's childhood and his path to the head seat of the Church of Scientology told through the eyes of his father. Ron Miscavige's personal, heartfelt story is a riveting insider's look at life within the world of Scientology.

Review: In Ruthless Ron Miscavige tells the story of his experiences within the church of Scientology from their beginnings with him as a young man to their end in which he and his wife left because his son had helped turn the church into a cult and was a leader who had abusive tendencies to those who were below him in rank.  Ron explains that at the beginning of his involvement with the church some methods that the church of Scientology uses helped his family personally in getting over a medical illness and changing how they thought about the world.  In the beginning he also liked the church's goal of providing humanitarian work to the less fortunate. 

However as time passed his son David left home at a young age to work for the church and steadily moved up in position until in the eighties he was the most powerful person in the church; and he began making changes that  made his Father Ron not even recognize the church he had worked for for most of his adult life.  

This book showed me how a good organization with understandable goals can be transformed into a cult like environment with no freedom depending on how much power the people give their leaders in the church. Ron watched as his son turned into someone he did not recognize as the loving boy he had raised.  The book details Ron's early childhood, how he raised his family, and eventually his son's rise to power; and how even in present times David Miscavige refuses to let his sisters be in contact with their Father because he left the church. I think things like this show that absolute power can corrupt absolutely.

If you want to learn more about scientology,  its good and bad points from an insider perspective, and .  

find out how its members today are being controlled and forced to give money without receiving anything in return; I would recommend this book.  The author is a good writer and I literally sat down and read the whole thing within a few hours; it is very engrossing overall. 

The Vatican Princess A novel of Lucrezia Borgia

The Vatican Princess 

A novel of Lucrezia Borgia

By: C.W. Gortner

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Summary:With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, a new era has dawned in Rome. Benefitting from their father’s elevation are the new pope’s illegitimate children—his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia—each of whom assumes an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family’s fortunes. But Rome is seductive and dangerous: Alliances shift at a moment’s notice as Italy’s ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay. As Lucrezia’s father faces challenges from all sides, the threat of a French invasion forces him to marry her off to a powerful adversary. But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile. Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.

Review: The Borgia's have always been a family that I love reading about; they lived in an amazing time period and although they said that family was everything to them they are accused of some horrendous acts mainly relating to bribery, incest, and poison.  Lucrezia might have been the most innocent party in this family; this book follows from her early teen years into her twentieth year.

The relationships that Lucrezia thought she had with her brother Ceasre and her Father Rodrigo Borgia (who was Pope Alexander VI) was seen through rose colored glasses.  But as she is used as a pawn in her families bid for power she begins to see and witness the truth of her families ruthless cruelty to those who betray them or do not support them.  

Through three marriages we watch as Lucrezia (her first marriage being at the age of fourteen) fights to have a life of her own and tries not to get mixed up in the debauchery that the Borgia family is famous for.  Controlled by her Father and brother's Lucrezia has to fight for every moment of happiness that she experiences in her life.  And when it finally becomes too much she will find a way to live a life of her own away from the family that betrayed her.

The way this story was written it was very easy to stay engaged in the novel; and to not want to put it down. The characters were very real and relatable and the plot line kept the reader excited because you never knew what would happen next in Lucrezia's toxic environment with a family of murderers.  

I would recommend this book to anyone thirteen and up who enjoys historical fiction or enjoys reading about Borgia family history in general. I loved every second of this book and I hope you will too =)