Review: Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Eldest

Author: Christopher Paolini

Publication Date: March 23rd, 2007

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Adventure

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Synopsis:

Darkness falls ...Despair abounds ...Evil reigns ...Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of the Dragon Rider. It is the journey of a lifetime, filled with awe-inspiring new places and people, each day a fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and Eragon isn't sure whom he can trust. Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle back home in Carvahall - one that puts Eragon in even graver danger. Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life .

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book even more so than the first one. In the second installment in the Inheritance Cycle we get to see so much character growth! Eragon is pretty much forced to grow up quickly with all the pressure on him of being the only rider to oppose Galbatorix. But he does so amazingly well. Facing every challenge head on, and never backing down, even when it means risking his life, extreme pain, or extreme illness. Even when all seems futile, and it seems impossible to press on, nothing stands in the way of Eragon and Saphira's goals. Eragon and Saphira are each other's pillars. They support each other, lend strength when needed and even tell them when they think they are making the wrong choices. The bond they share is ultimate.


So in this book Eragon travels to Ellesmera, where the elves live. There he receives training from the most unexpected character! During his training he grows immensely. He becomes quite a changed person. But all for the better of course! His training was hard and un-relenting. Continuing  on despite his crippling injury inflicted on him by Durza the shade commands the utmost respect. It is a good thing he trains so hard because there is an impending battle between the Varden and Galbatorix and Eragon and Saphira will be the Varden's key weapons. Without them they would all surely die. Will Eragon be able to reach his full strength with the barrier of his wound in the way? Will it be in time for the battle that is ever approaching?


Another reason I really enjoyed this book was because it did not solely focus on Eragon. We got to read a lot about Roran and his journeys and experiences in Carvahall after Eragon left. Which are tremendous, exciting, and scary. Roran is also placed in a position where many depend on him. The entire town in fact. And Galbatorix's servants are not about to let the town go free when they could know Eragon's whereabouts. How will the town defend itself? Is Roran brave enough to face his enemies whilst protecting his entire village? We also get to read a lot about the Varden, and they new leader. The Varden being the major rebels of Galbatorix's ruling. But they find themselves with very depleted resources, the dwarves can no long feed them as well as their own. How will Nasuada, who has just taken role of leader take care of all these people? While preparing for a war?


All this and more happens in Eldest. The story has lots of really great twists and surprises that left me completely shocked. I love when a book can surprise me like that! This book is an epic fantasy that all lovers of the genre should read. It is a long one, but it's well worth the time it takes to read. I'm actually excited that the books in the series get longer as they go. I can't wait to read more about Eragon and Saphira and all the others! This is a world I can so easily immerse myself in and get lost in. The world is beautifully depicted and all the characters are so hard not to love. If you're up for a longer read, and you like fantasy, you should read this series:)

Review: The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

The Drowned Cities
(Ship Breaker #2)

Author: Paolo Bacigalupi

Publication Date: May 1st, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Dystopia

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Synopsis:

Soldier boys emerged from the darkness. Guns gleamed dully. Bullet bandoliers and scars draped their bare chests. Ugly brands scored their faces. She knew why these soldier boys had come. She knew what they sought, and she knew, too, that if they found it, her best friend would surely die. In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man--a bioengineered war beast named Tool--who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to a place where freedom might finally be possible.

My Thoughts: I'm feeling kind of bad because this is the second book in the Ship Breaker series and I didn't read the first one. Even though I read them out of order, because I will be reading the first book, I have to say I really enjoyed The Drowned Cities. There were a few things that confused me, but I think I'll understand those things a bit better after I read Ship Breakers. I don't think it makes that much of a difference in terms of the story line since there is only one character in common, so I'm told. This was my first time reading a book by Paolo Bacigalupi and I have to say, he's a pretty darn amazing writer! As for the cover, it probably wouldn't catch my eye right away but after a read through the synopsis, I had to read it.

The Drowned Cities revolves around a few different characters, showing each of their struggles and thoughts. There is Tool, a half-man, who just wants to escape and be free, not taking orders from anyone. Mahlia, a cast off, left by her father to die in the Drowned Cities with her mother. Mouse, a "war maggot", whose family was killed by the soldier boys. Then there is Ocho, one of the soldier boys, but he isn't like the rest, he seems to still have feelings and compassion. All anyone wants is to stay alive and be free, but in the warring world, it's easier said than done. There are very few adults left, so all that is left for recruiting is the children. Giving boys guns isn't exactly the best thing to do. Some of them can get a little trigger happy and ammo is scarce. Can they get their freedom?

One of the nice things about The Drowned Cities is that there was no romance. At least none that I was able to see. It's somewhat of a nice change. We have a kick butt female character who's not drooling over some boy for once. Very refreshing. And Mahlia is pretty kick butt. She is first and foremost a survivor, everything she does is something she feels will ensure her survival. She only has one hand, and yet she still takes off into the jungle to save her friend because while she wants to survive, she is very loyal to Mouse.

Tool,  the half-man is a very interesting character. If you've never read one of these books before, you've probably been wondering what exactly a half-man is. Well, he's a bio engineered beast, whose instinct is to kill. He is human, jackal, bloodhound and tiger, all of their best traits. Super human strength and speed, he can decimate a group of soldiers in no time. He is deadly, and yet he helps Mahlia.

Overall, The Drowned Cities is an action packed story that I had a hard time putting down. You think I would be tired of dystopian worlds after how many I've read recently, but this was really good. I would suggest reading Ship Breaker first because it might give a little more information on the world. I never really figured out why everyone is fighting, so maybe it explains a bit more. I also want more background on Tool, to figure out why he's the way he is. Either way, this was definitely a great story that I really enjoyed and I would highly recommend it!

Thank you HBG Canada for the review copy.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (17)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting.

Slated  

by Teri Terry

Expected Publication: May 3rd, 2012 (UK), April 4th, 2013 (US/Can)

Synopsis: Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

 Slated sounds really interesting. I think it would be really terrible to have your mind wiped. I'm not sure what to expect from this book, but it does sound promising. Also, that cover is a bit creepy, but I like it! Luckily, it comes out tomorrow, so there isn't much of a wait!

What are you waiting on this week?

Random Reads (5)

Random Reads is monthly meme hosted by I'm Loving Books.

Each month you get a random number generator to pick one of your reads for the month. I'll be using my Goodreads to-read list and random.org to pick my book. The only way I won't read the book it gives me is if I get one of the books off of the Top 100 Novels list, since that is another challenge that I'm working through seperately.

For more information on Random Reads, check out the original post here.

In April I got Luna by Julie Anne Peters for my random read. I enjoyed it, but won't be doing a review on it. It was very enlightening and I felt terrible for Liam/Luna. It is a great story about finding yourself and acceptance. Both accepting and embracing yourself and others. Anyways, for the month of May, my new Random Read is:





Swoon by Nina Malkin. Sounds interesting so it should be good to get another TBR list book checked off!

What is your Random Read this month?

Teaser Tuesday (9)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by  MizB at Should be Reading.

To Participate you:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS

-Share the Title and Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR if the like your  teaser :)

This week's teaser comes from:

Eldest by Christpher Paolini

'While you spend your time locked in here conducting experiments that no one understands - endangering your well-being in the process - your country totters on the brink of war. A myriad issues await your decision, and you stand here blowing smoke and playing with quicksilver?'

Yeah, I am still on the same book as last week. I apologize I don't have a new book to tease with, but it's still a new teaser! Two of my kids birthdays have been in the past few days, so it's been crazy busy here! But I am really liking this book, even more so than the first one :).