Review: The Light Tamer - Devyn Dawson

The Light Tamer
Devyn Dawson
Series: The Light Tamer, #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Ambivalent.
On Goodreads

Well, it was alright. I picked this up as a free e-book, and well, I got what I paid for. It was nothing special. What I can tell you about the book is that it certainly lives up to it's genres . . . it did well as a paranormal romance novel. It had all the key elements that are targeted these days: young adult girl who is a bit unlike other girls, falling for an incredibly attractive guy with insta-love sprayed all over their faces, a couple of comedic relief bits, and a high-strung plot. It even has an atrsy-looking cover with a pretty girl who I suppose represents the main character, and an abstract, matching title emblazoned below her neck.

As much as I'd like to bank on the total originality here, the book does have good elements. Like I said, it does it's job as a Paranormal Romance novel well. It gets you hooked with a relateable narrator, the writing's forthright and flowery when it needs to be, and all of the usual crap. I did, at least, like the fact that the paranormal aspect wasn't just vampires or angels or what has become the staple of the genre, but something new that I hadn't thought of. I just wish Dawson had taken a bit more time to clearly explain the mythology instead of having Jessie gawk at it and say 'Oh my God' every five seconds.

I liked the characters for the most part. Jessie's internal dialogues are spot on and her foul language in the face of any situation gets me through the weaker chapters.

'Sick and tired, sick and tired, sick and tired . . . I'm sick of the griping, and I'm tired of being the reasonable one. I wish both of them would grow up and quit pretending to outsiders everything's okay. Everything's not okay. Everything sucks. It sucks that my dad took the credit card and bought a flight to Greece. . . It sucks I think everything sucks.'

The supporting cast is the usual brand of funny and not very important at all but for main character venting and development, and lots of snarky one-liners.

But back to Jessie. Though I like some parts of her, I honestly can't stand the fact that she doesn't take anything in strides or ever really reacts impassively to any situation. 'Okay' is usually what she says after massive reveals are loaded onto her and her world should be coming down. And her development is reflective of this. For example, when she figures out she's a Light Tamer . . . magically she is just able to practice Light Tamer magic or whatever the hell is going on. Why? What? What? Apparently she used to do some magic when she was a kid? Why is this relevant?

She hardly questions anything, and she simply falls into the Light Tamer world without rough patches or hard-earned development. I'd like to see Jessie bitch about how difficult it is getting used to the new world is, or at least explain why everything is normal to her. Am I supposed to assume that this teenager, which the author seems to have taken great strides in making 'normal' is, in fact, totally passive to supernatural happenstance?

And the instalove. It says a lot about a person when that person falls instantly for another. But it's even worse when that person is telling you things about your life, and you just accept those things, trust that person, and randomly have the ability to do those things when all you have for trust are the tingles you feel when he touches you. I'm glad our strong female readers love to know that all they need to succeed is a pretty boy who seems smart and has no other characteristics.

Well, I think I've said enough.

What would you like to see happen in the Paranormal Romance genre?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: Gone - Michael Grant

Gone
Michael Grant
Series: Gone, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Wonderful Concept, Satisfying Execution
On Goodreads

I read this book about a year or two ago, and I think the concept is great. Gone takes place in a world where adults have mysteriously disappeared. Zap. Poof. They just up and vanished. It's like Lord of the Flies without the deserted island. There are just a bunch of fourteen (and younger) year olds running the show. If that's not strange enough, some of them are starting to develop these strange powers and abilities. They have to not only figure out what is going on and where people go when they turn fourteen, but also how to cope in this world and provide themselves with food and other necessities. 

There are a lot of elements of this book that I really like. For one, I think it did a good job of portraying how things would fall apart if there were no adults. The kids couldn't just go on living like normal, they had no one running places like electric companies and food stores, and of course in the panic the concept of working for money was nonexistent so everyone just took what they needed. Grant did a great job of protraying how a normal suburban area could transform into total chaos. In the later books, more and more challenges are thrown at the kids and they have to work towards finding solutions and they do pretty good jobs considering just a little while ago half of them and never made a bed in their lives. 

I also enjoyed the way the people broke up into groups. One girl took it upon herself to inhabit an old daycare center and take care of all the little children. There were also groups that broke out into fights, and there was a lot of tension between people. One of the best parts was the way the kids with mutated powers sort of split from the "normal" kids. The divide showed a very interesting aspect of human nature. 

The characters in this book were well written but not always the most memorable. Like I said, I haven't read this book in a while and I can't really recall all the names. However, I do remember aspects of the characters like one boy who was more clever and quick thinking than his thickheaded enemy. The characters had general essences although they could have been more refines but I think for the audience the book was intended for, the effect was achieved with the characters and being more vague with their traits worked. 

The writing style of the book was very straightforward and simple, but definitely compelling. Overall, the book could have used a few tweaks in character development and connecting the storylines but it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend. 

- Noor

What would you do if all the adults in the world disappeared?
Let us know in the comments!

Cover Cosmetics: City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare

As you may have noticed from my Waiting on Wednesday post, I was extremely excited to FINALLY get to see the cover of City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. In honor of the cover reveal and less than 122 days to the release (I'M SO EXCITED I JUST CAN'T EVEN), I've actually created two looks inspired by the cover for this Cover Cosmetics!

The cover:

The makeup:

The top look is inspired by Clary. I used the light colors because of the way she appears in a white dress and the bright red for her hair. I also incorporated some of the (heavenly) fire at the bottom of the cover in the glitter on the outer lid.

The second look, by contrast, is Sebastian/Jonathan. While Clary almost appears pale as white, Sebastian is shadowed in purples and grays, with almost his whole face covered in shadow. I also added batwing eyeliner to mimic his wings (which I am SO interested to find out about...). I liked doing these two looks because I felt that it really symbolized the battle between good and evil that will be presented in City of Heavenly Fire. I can't wait for the release!

- Kiersten

Which look is your favorite?

Let us know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday: City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm waiting on City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare.

City of Heavenly Fire
Cassandra Clare
Series:  The Mortal Instruments, #6
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Waited on by: Kiersten
On Goodreads

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!


*Queue incessant fangirling and sobbing*. To say I'm waiting on City of Heavenly Fire is kind of an understatement... I'm actually kind of dying inside as I count down the days to May 27th (it's 124, by the way). The Mortal Instruments is one I love a lot, as my fellow bloggers at We Live and Breathe Books will agree, and I'm anxious to get my hands on CoHF and find out what happens! I'm so excited finally have the cover... IT'S SO PRETTY. I CAN'T. I was going to do a Cover Cosmetics look for it for this post, but school work happened. But don't fret! I'll be posting a look for the cover very soon!

Anyway, I really cannot wait for this release. The Mortal Instruments was my first fandom and it's something I really love. In fact, I'd even venture to say I wouldn't be as close with my WLABB bloggers if we all didn't love this series so much. Also, after many disappointing series conclusions I've read, I'm looking forward to reading one that will surely have sad moments but will be a perfect conclusion to the series!

- Kiersten

What are YOU waiting on?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: The Traveller - Garrett Addison

The Traveller
Garrett Addison
Series: N/A
Genre: Fiction, Adult
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Quite lovely
On Goodreads

Whoa. I'm so glad I stuck with this book. The first like 80-100 pages were so dry that I wasn't sure if I should go on, but Addison really turned the book around after that first dry stretch.

So when first reading the book, the main character, who is never named, seemed really regular. He was livin' an average life, travelling everywhere at the fancy of his boss (his boss is really effing annoying by the way), doing anything at the "anti-Christ's" every whim.

So as our man the Traveller gets called on another trip, his wife (on the first page, mind you) mystically proclaims that this trip will be different from all the rest. As you can imagine, my eyes were rolling before she even finished the sentence. In the beginning, I expected nothing more than a man's bitch-fest about his boss. Then, miraculously, the Traveller becomes a 3-D character. Gone is the shy, meager, annoyed guy who complained about his boss and tiredly went about his life, replaced by a man who was magically enthusiastic and a super maniac with his work.

So honestly the plot of the book was just alright, nothing there was overly special (although it gets a bit sinister and unbelievable at times, which is deeply contrasted with the mundane nature of the Traveller's life to begin with). But the reason I loved this book so much is the way it touched upon really sensitive and intimate topics in the Traveller's life without ever even telling us his name. It reminds me that life is mundane, and that stuff like crappy bosses and boring jobs happen in real life. Addison manages to bring about sensitive issues such as the struggle for power and the balance of work life and home life. The book renders intimate parts of the Traveller's life not so intimate, making this book seem so much more like real life than just fiction at times. The beauty of this book is really how well it captures the modern day, and I'd definitely recommend it.

The themes of revenge and power and just getting out of a boring rut are all hit upon so well by Addison - this is a fast read and one that you'll want to finish in one sitting. Thank you so much to the author for gifting me a copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review :)

- Amrutha

How do you battle the perils of mundane life?

Let us know in the comments!