Tag: Fantasy

Book Review | Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (The Illuminae Files #1)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on October 20, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Format: ARC

Pages: 608

Source: BEA

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

 

REVIEW

I knew Illumiae would be a unique reading experience ever since I picked it up at Book Expo America (“BEA”) this past May. This brick of a book is 600 pages, yet flies by due to its experimental writing style. Illuminae is told through a series of hacked documents and presented to the reader as one large case file. From email logs, to video surveillance summaries, to government documents and more, Illuminae is experimental writing done right.

Book Review | Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (The Illuminae Files #1)
The cover of Illuminae is representative of what you’ll find inside!

The story chronicles Kady Grant and Ezra Mason, a young couple who breaks up on the same day their colony is attacked by a giant corporation. Kady and Ezra escape on spaceships, with Kady being on the Hypatia and Ezra on the Alexander. Illuminae chronicles this duo as they discover the reasons behind the attack and the fate that is in store for their community. What follows is a terrifying tale featuring a petrifying virus taking over the population and a human-like artificial intelligence program called AIDAN, which is controlling the fate of everyone aboard the spaceships.

I was immediately captivated with the story, though I did find it a bit difficult to understand everything that was going on at first because of the book’s set-up. While the world-building could have been stronger, the characters were instantaneously likable, and I was rooting for Kady and Ezra from page one. I was amazed with how connected I felt with the characters in Illuminae. Kady, in particular, is an impeccable heroine.

The breakthrough star of Illuminae, though, is AIDAN, the artificial intelligence on board the Alexander. While AIDIN may be just a machine, his words and feelings are so human that it was easy to forget he was created through computer code. AIDAN’s character is creepy and intriguing. His ability to know and see everything around him is disturbing, and his ability wipe out the entire community with one command is terrifying. AIDAN’s role in Illuminae stirs up a dialogue about what it means to be human, and the dangers of technology if we continue to let it dominate our lives.

Moreover, Illuminae’s design is done extremely well. As the story continues, page design plays a big role in the reading experience. The color of the pages, font, and word placement help to build anticipation, and I’m very impressed with the careful attention to detail. Some pages in the book are truly works of art, and it does not go unappreciated.

Finally, the ending of Illuminae is very well done. While it was a bit predictable, I still enjoyed it nonetheless. The story is completed while still setting up for book two. I can’t wait until the next installment in this trilogy comes out, though I’ll have to do so – it won’t be released until sometime in 2016. Until then, I highly recommend you pre-order Illuminae so you can experience this adventure as soon as the book hits shelves in October. Don’t be intimidated by the page count – you’ll fly through Illuminae with ease.

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Book Review | The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordon (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2) by Rick Riordon

Published by Disney Hyperion on January 1, 2006

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure

Format: Paperback

Source: Giveaway

Goodreads:★★★★


The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan’s amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a “half blood” whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan’s series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book’s drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

REVIEW

After completing The Lightning Thief, I decided to continue on with the Percy Jackson series right away and picked up The Sea of Monsters. If you’ve read my review of The Lightning Thief (LINK), you’ll know that my main issue with the book was how closely it paralleled my beloved Harry Potter. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the characters and the adventure, so I hoped the series would adopt more of its own voice as the story continued.

Unfortunately, The Sea of Monsters started off on the wrong foot. There was a syntax error in the first few pages, and a scene at the beginning that closely mirrored the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I couldn’t believe the similarities, but kept powering through, and I’m so glad I did!

The Sea of Monsters introduces readers to a new character named Tyson, who is a young cyclops. In Percy’s world, cyclopes are very dangerous and thus mistreated by half bloods. I absolutely loved the role Tyson plays in the story, and am impressed with Rick Riordon’s decision to include him. Percy’s journey with Tyson is so touching. It teachers readers about acceptance, and how someone who is a bit different is not necessarily bad. I think it’s amazing that children who read this book will get to see how important it is to be kind and understanding of everyone.

Moreover, The Sea of Monsters is a fast-paced and exciting read. This second book jumps right into the action from the start, and readers are along for the ride without hesitation. While I do wish there was a bit more set-up at the beginning, once I adjusted to the new storyline I was fully invested. Percy is such a great narrator, and his voice makes the book so much fun to read.

Finally, I loved the cliffhanger at the end of The Sea of Monsters. It was a bit predictable, but it was still exciting, and made me want to pick up the next book in the series right away. I was surprised at how short The Sea of Monsters was, but I enjoyed it a great deal, and it was a definite improvement over the first book in the series. I’m excited to continue on and see where Percy’s adventures take him and his friends next!

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When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordon (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan

Published by Disney Hyperion on July 1, 2005

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure

Pages: 375

Format: Paperback

Source: Giveaway

Goodreads: ★★★


Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends — one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena — Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

REVIEW

I was unfamiliar with Percy Jackson until last year, and was excited when I won a full set of the series in a giveaway. I don’t often read middle grade unless it is a reread, but I was interested to give this a try because it has such a huge fanbase. After reading the first book, I can definitely understand why this series is so loved, but I did have some issues with it.

First and foremost, I was beyond annoyed with the Harry Potter parallels in this story. Our protagonist Percy is a 12-year-old boy who has experienced strange occurrences throughout his childhood that he cannot explain. As it turns out, he’s a half-blood, which means he is the son of a human and a Greek god. Percy goes to Camp Half Blood in Long Island, New York (aka Hogwarts), where he learns more about his special powers and is trained to kill monsters.

Percy becomes part of a trio that goes out on an epic quest in order to prevent a war between the gods of Olympus. He is joined by Annabeth, a very bright young girl, and Grover, a satyr who is a bit of a doofus, but a great friend to Percy. Oh, and did I mention there is a security guard at Camp Half Blood named Argus? I mean, come on, this is truly inspired by Harry Potter, and with every detail that paralleled Harry’s story I wanted to throw the book across the room. I’m sure author Rick Riordon was influenced by Rowling’s work, but whether he intended the similarities or not, I couldn’t believe how replete they were throughout The Lightening Thief.

Moreover, another huge drawback in the story for me was the predictability. I understand this is a middle grade novel that I am reading as an adult, but I was easily able to figure out most of the action by the plethora of hints Riordon drops throughout the novel. With that being said, I was quite frustrated with the ending of the book because it did not flow logically from the story’s set-up. Instead, it felt like Riordon wanted to shock the readers, and he did so with an unexpected twist that was a bit disjointed. That definitely took away some credibility from the book.

Putting those issues aside, however, I really did enjoy The Lightning Thief. The writing style was very well done, and I really liked Percy as a first-person narrator. Percy was a very relatable character, as he was quite imperfect but still incredible at the same time. If I was reading this as a middle schooler, I’d definitely want to be friends with Percy and his gang.

In addition, I loved the road-trip adventure that Percy goes on in this book, and how he needs to fight a variety of monsters along the way. It was really fun how Riordon included Greek mythology in an American setting, and adapted the gods and monsters for the 21st Century. While it took me about 130 pages to really become invested in the world, once I was hooked I couldn’t put the book down and finished the remainder in one day. I’m really looking forward to continuing on in the series and seeing where Percy ends up next!

Thus, if you are looking for a fun, middle grade fantasy, I think Percy Jackson is a great place to start. I know that kids will really enjoy it, but adults who grew up with Harry Potter as I did will need to read this with a grain of salt. I’m hopeful that as the series continues the books will divulge from Harry Potter and take on its own unique identity.

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When you buy a book though the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.