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marzo 22, 2017

Daughter of the Pirate King (#1) by Tricia Levenseller - Review

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Daughter of the Pirate King (#1)
by  Tricia Levenseller


Is not everyday that we are able to read a YA with pirates as main characters, which is a shame cus - has The Pirate of the Caribbean movie franchising shows - we all love them. It seems that recently they are again picking the interest of writes: we saw a bit of the pirates' world in a Darker Shades of Magic trilogy, by V.E. Schwab,  with Lila and Alucard (ADSOM REVIEWS HERE --> #1, #2, #3); or a bit of naval adventure in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but finally in Daughter of the Pirate King we have old-dirty-scam pirates, mermaids, damoiselles not so much in distress and more than one bottle of rum!

Alosa - daughter of the Pirate king - was sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient map, that leads to Isle De Canta; there's only one problem, the map is hidden on another pirates ship. To retrieve the map Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search the ship.
What she didn't expect was for her captor's first mate, Riden, to be so clever and unfairly attractive. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few trick up her sleeve, and a simple pirate can not stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Tricia Levenseller did find a way to make pirates in fashion again! She didn't make them impossibly beautiful or unbelievable, but she gave to ruthness a new shine. They are sweaty, with golden teeth, saggy, smelly pirates; well some might smell better than the others but still, you get the idea. They are believable, and that's key in a book, if you can picture the characters as physical identity, that means that the writer was able to conjure a convincing/concrete world.
The plot is simple but beautifully crafted, all the main actions take place on the ship so there is little world building, but I'm sure we will get to know more of it in the next books. The characters are well rounded, there is not too much psychological depth to them but they emerge well from the pages. Our heroine Alosa is a bad-ass, funny, sassy, with a little too much self-confidence for my liking, but still I enjoyed reading about her, I liked her alot.

"Lass, you've the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake"

The writing is good and so is the pacing. I flow through the book - I read it in one stand - and I can't wait to get my hands on the second book: Daughter of the Siren Queen, which is coming out february 2018. I can not wait for it!

4/5 STARS
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marzo 20, 2017

TEA TIME: Beauty and the Beast - Retellings

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IT'S TEA TIME !


The disney real-action movie just came out, as a retelling itself, I'd like to honor it and go through all the Beauty and the Beast retellings I've read so far. Since is quite a popular story, there are a lot of books inspired by this classic fairytale but I've gathered down below just the one I've read. 
In no particular order - without any further do, let's jump right in!

- A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas -


Sarah J. Maas is probably one of the  best master when it comes to Adult Fantasy. In A Court of Thorns and Roses series she took the starting point from the Beauty and the Beast and created a richly imagines fairy tale. We don't have a beast but shape-shifters faeries.

Plot:
When nineteen-year.old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land sh only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamil- one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled the world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But and ancient wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin - and his world - forever.

The story is sprinkled with beautiful themes and sensuality. The world building is inventive and even though you don't get the full picture in the first book, the horizont gets wider and more detailed in the second. The writing is good, and above all the characters development throughout the series is amazing.
I  gave a 4/5 starts at this first installment in the series, and a 5/5 star at the second (A court of Mist and Fury), which was just perfect!

- Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge -


Rosamund Hodge is well known for her classic stories retellings, her style and characters dosen't do for me but they are loved by plenty, so it's worth a look to in which side you fall.


The story is about Nyx, who since birth has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom - all becouse of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth she is been training to kill him.
Without a choice Nyx, at sixteen, abandons everything to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the curse he put on her people.
But Igenex is not at all what Nyx expected.

Has I said at the beginnings I can't come to like her book, but that doesn't mean that they are not plenty of good they just don't get to me. I thought this book did mix to many myths and legends, and I ended up giving it 2/5 stars on Goodreads.

-Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer-


Scarlet (REVIEW-->HERE) is the second instalment in the Lunar Chronicles series, even if it's supposed to be a retelling of Little Red Hood, there are too many recalls to the Beauty and the Beast. It's impossible in my opinion to pick it up as a standalone, but the series it's really good so I suggest you, if you want to read it, to start of with Cinder (REVIEW-->HERE).

Plot:
Cinder, the cyborg, mechanic, is trying to break out of prison - even though she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have informations as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

The series is beautiful and a fast read, don't get scared of by the massive volume, you will fly through the pages form an exciting adventure to another. I can't say al lot about Scarlet/Wolf's story without spoiling it too much, but to give a reason to the why I put it in the Beauty&Beast category, let's just say that wolf will become quite beastly over time.
I gave this book a 4/5 stars, highly recommend the series!

- Uprooted by Naomi Novik -


Uprooted get the whole Beauty&Beast feeling, but instead of an ugly beast we get a powerful, cruel wizard.

Plot:
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known as the Dragon , to keep the wood's powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.
When the next choosing comes, the Dragon chooses her to serve him.

The story is hugely imaginative, engrossing and vivid; the plot gets pretty twisted but works perfectly, the writing style is highly evocative, and the characters feel real. This is for sure one of the best fantasy novel inspired by folk and fairy tales. I handed up giving it a 4.5/5 stars, you are gonna love it!.

- The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi -


Star-Touched Queen (REVIEW--> HERE) presents itself like a fairy-tale retelling, based on stories like Beauty and the Beast and the greek myth of Hades and Persephone all mixed-up with indian legends. The writer was able to mix all this elements and created an imaginative tale.

Plot:
Maya, one of  Bharata Raja's daughter, has been cursed with a Horoscope that promise a marriage of death and destruction, making her an outcast in the court. Content to follow more scholarly pursuit, her world will be turn upside down when her father arranged a political marriage to peace the outside rebellions. She will soon find herself in Akaran, a land in between worlds, married to the Raja Amar - and in his mysterious palace there are many doors that must not be open and many voices not to follow.

All of the lucks in the characters development are mystified by the vibrant, elegant language, Roshani Chokshi use. She is clearly a skilled writer and her poetic vibe did combine wonderfully with the magic atmosphere of India's folk stories. 
I ended up giving this story a 3/5 stars.
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This were my Beauty&Beast read so far, do you have some other retelling of this story to recommend me?
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marzo 18, 2017

Frostblood (#1) by Elly Blake - Review

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Frostblood
by Elly Blake


Frostblood is the installment in Elly Blake's Frostbrood Saga - three book have been announced until now- and if you are a block of ice you should prepare to be melt down in this new YA fantasy book.

"You don't know the effect your words have on me, Lady Firebrand. It took year to build up this ice. You will melt it and then I will be broken."

There's a war going on earth between Fireblood and Frostblood, an old conflict created by greedy Gods, so Ruby - a fireblood stuck in the Frostblood's kingdom- has to hide her power from the cruel eye of the ruling class. But once discovered, her mum is killed and her village set on fire. 
Luck seems to turn her way when a mysterious rebel Frostblood, Arcus, demands her help to overthrow the bloody king. While busy saving the kingdom, the temperature between Ruby and Arcus is rising, let's just hope they don't catch fire!

If you read a lot of mainstream YA fantasy book, you probably have already read this story. In fact this book is full of chlichè, yet the writer did manage to hold my attention.
If I was reading a book of this genre for the first time, I would totally love it, but I've already read about society split in two groups, a heroine different from everyone else, whose destiny has already been carved in a prophecy and who by pure chance falls in love with - drum roll- the mysterious guy that is supposed to be the enemy. I mean if you have read Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, this is practically a false copy of it. 
Frostblood is unremarkable under many aspects, but somehow manage to still works. The dialogue are crafted enough to be funny, and the heroine is well rounded - even though I would have appreciated more psychological depths. For our male counterpart I can't say the same, he was quite flat, aiming for a Heatcliff 's model but never getting there.
The writing style is good, too stereotypical for this genre, but still able to hold the your attention making it a fast read. One of the most remarkable feature of this book is the cover, I'm digging this style!

In summary it was an ok start for the series, I'm hoping to see some real sparks in the next book of the series, Fireblood, coming out September 2017.

3/5 STARS

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marzo 17, 2017

TEA TIME: Beauty and the Beast (2017) - Animated Version vs Live-Action Movie

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The new Disney's movie adaptation of this old classic just came out, and oh boy, it was worth the wait, it's stunning!
This old classic gets a 20th century kick in - if you've been following Emma Watson's interviews you will known that she tried to give Belle's role a stronger, independent women appeal. As all the new Disney movies suggest, the princess is not waiting to be saved anymore, instead she is the one doing the saving. 
Let's have a look at the main changes made from the 1991 animated version to the new live-action one:
[CONTAINS SPOILER] 

1- The Prince.


Apart from computerized, beastly Dan Stevenson  appearance, in this movie we finally get a bit of the Prince's back story. At the beginnings, we see the young prince having a lavish ball in the castle. We are shown as he throws the beggar women, seeking refuge, out of the castle, at which point she turns into the enchantress and places the curse on the castle.
Later on, we learn about the Prince/Beast 's past and how his mother died when he was a kid, leaving him alone with his cruel father, who raised him as the mirror image of himself.

2-Belle's dad.


In the animated version Belle's father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), was an inventor. Instead in the live-action movie, is presented as a skilled artist. While the role of the inventor is taken up by Belle, when she comes up with a laundry machine that saves her time and work, so she is free to read as much as she wants.

3- Escaping.

As we said Belle is not a passive heroine, so at the first chance she tries to escape the castle. After being dressed up in a ridiculous outfit by Garderobe, she decided to use the fabric to make a rope to climb out of the tower. But her plan foiled when Mrs. Potts sees her and convinces her to go to dinner.

4 - Trembling castle.


One of the feature I loved the most was how the castle was directly involved in the curse. Apart from been divided in the Ovest/Belle's wing - light and rich - and the Est/Beast's wing - gothic and gloomy-, it also starts to crumble every time a rose petal falls.

5- Enchanted Book.

The Beast has an enchanted book that allows him to travel. One of the cruel jokes the enchantress plays on the beast is also giving him a book that can take him anywhere he wants. Though he doesn't utilize it much, since his beastly appearance will be rejected by others. He will use it to take Belle to Paris, where she discovers something about her past.

6- Belle's mom death.

In the movie, the Beast uses his enchanted book to bring Belle to Paris, where she visits her childhood home and learns that her mum died from the Bubonic plague.

7- Gaston is really evil.


After Maurice rejects the idea of Gaston marrying his daughter, Gaston decides to tie Maurice to a tree and let him be eaten by wolves, in the hope that Belle will need a man to take care of her after the loss of her father. Maurice is saved by Agathe, the spinster, that at the end of the movie reveals herself as the enchantress.

8- There's a new character!

We are introduced to a new character: Cadenza. Played by Stanley Tucci, who turns into a piano when the castle is cursed. He is married to Garderobe, played by Audra Mcdonald.

9- Le Fou is gay.

We learn that Le Fou (Josh Gad) is gay. Not really surprising -with all the subtle reference in the animated version-, but he is the first disney character to be officially and openly gay. This fact made it to the headlines all around the world. A theater in Alabama decided not to show the movie in its establishment because of the scene, which I find behind any sense of reason since the only explicit "gay" scene regards Le Fou dancing with a man who enjoy dressing in drags, at the end of the movie. 

10- Mrs Potts and Cogsworth are married to villagers.


We learn that all memory of the castle and its inhabitants were forgotten by the villagers. When the curse is lifted, we find out that both Mrs Pott (Emma Thompson) and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen) are merries to people we already met from the the village.

This were the main difference I spotted, did you find some other important changes?

TRAILER:

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marzo 15, 2017

The Enemy Within by Scott Burn - Review

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The Enemy Within
By Scott Burn



I've been craving some YA, sci-fi adventure for a while, so when I got my hands on The Enemy Within I was prepared for an extra terrestrial trip!
The 5th Wave meets I am number 4 in Scott Burn debut novel, while bringing a new spin on the human/alien conflict.

Max always felt he was different, he was never able to fit right in, but since the visions came he feels totally estranged. He keeps on seeing a burning city, pain and suffering overtaking his mind. He can't understand what he is experiencing and it's getting stronger with time. Thinking he is going crazy he attempts suicide, failing and as a consequence handing up in a mental institution. But sooner he will discover that his hallucinations weren't just in his head. 
While stuck in the mental hospital, three others are searching for Max. They , as Max, don't really fit in with humans but are something more. Each of them has a special ability, that will come in handy when a military organization comes after them.

The novel has simple premise, that we can find in a lot of YA books, but we get some twist and turns that are worth the reading. Even though it uses some eternal sci fi clichè, which I'm sick of seeing in movies and books, the writer is able to make the story interesting with some unexpected plot twists.
The characters are well outlined, the author was able to give them a good psychological depth. The protagonists of our story are really fun to read about - some exchanges were hilarious - and it was nice to see their relationships evolve. 
I loved the story and how everything played out, but what is bugging me was the world construction and the absence of descriptions. A lot was left out to the reader's imagination, there was too much blank space to fill in, making the scene and settings sometimes difficult to picture. It felt, at time, more like a script than a book, which was a shame since the story had a great potential. 

Apart from my little grumbles it's a good reading, quick and fun. You will certainly not regret it!

3.5/5 STARS 

Scott Burn official website--> HERE



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marzo 13, 2017

A Conjuring of Light (A Darker Shade of Magic 3#) by V.E. Schwab - Review

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A Conjuring of Light
by V.E. Schwab


Victoria Schwab nailed it down again! She became a certainty, in all her book the writing is: elegant, composed, confident, polished, just pure bliss. And in A Conjuring of Light - final instalment in the A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy (#1,#2) - she give her best, making it the perfect conclusion for the series. Victoria Schwab is not yet 30 and she feels - quoting the New York Times - like an old pro. But let's stop with my eulogy, and get straight to the book.

In A Gathering of Shadows we left Red London celebrating the end of the Element Games, but while festivity are taking place, darkness is casting a shadow over the Maresh Empire, making space for another London to rise. Are heroes will have fight, with every possible means, against a magic force that is moving to drain the world for its greed. 

Every character is so fleshed-out, you will except (wish) them to jump out of the pages and come to life. they  are well-rounded and they keep on evolving. We see Lila, who in the previous installment came out has hot-headed and more boastful than I could take, showing determination and strength. From the free of attachment kind of girl, she became someone who is ready to die for the people she care about. She is more mature without losing the boldness and fierceness, that made her the character we all love.

"Only you would mourn the vessel instead of the sailors"
"Well," she said matter-of-factly, "the ship certainly didn't do anything wrong. The people might have deserved it."

We also get a better spectrum of Rhy and Alucard relationship - secret from Alucard's past and some mind-blowing plot-twists will determine our crown prince's future. Rhy is also put under a different light in this book, he is gone past the rebellious fase, and he is starting to behave like a mighty king.
But the most extraordinary character of the book was Holland, so complex and mesmerising. We get a better look at his past and we get to understand him better. He reminded me of Vicious in more than one way, he surly shows that nothing is just black or white, that an object changes depending on the perspective you are are looking it from. 

"I keep wondering" he said softly, "if all of it is my fault. Where does it start, Tieren?" 
He looked up. "With Holland's choice, or with mine?"

There was a loose end in the plot with Lila, you will get what I'm talking about when you pick up the book - cus you will-, that I'm trying not to hope it was intentional. From what I notice in Schwab's book nothing, not even the smallest details, is put there by chance so this missed realisation is making me think of another waiting adventure. I'm trying not to hope for it, thinking at a possible new series in the ADSOM's universe is too much, it will break my heart if not.
I think that I could go on and on talking about how good this series was, but that will that you away precious time to read it!

5/5 STARS

To celebrate the final installment in Victoria Schwab's Trilogy, A Darker Shade of Magic, I'm doing a FREE GIVEAWAY : a paperback copy A Darker Shade of Magic. Read the rule to enter ----> HERE.



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marzo 09, 2017

A Monster Calls, starring Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones and Sigourney Weaver, directed by J.A Bayona - BOOK vs MOVIE

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A Monster Calls
by J.A. Bayona




"There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. 
Most people are somewhere in between"

I loved the book,(--->REVIEW HERE), Patrick Ness is one of my favorite writers and after waiting so long, I was finally able to watch the movie (we still need to wait until the 18th of May for the italian release).
The book/movie tells the story of Conor (Lewis MacDougall), a child whose mother (Rogue One heroine, Felicity Jones) is terminally ill; one night, he is visited by a giant tree-like monster (Liam Neeson). Anticiant, wild and relentless the monster will share three stories with him, and at the end of them Conor will have to tell him a fourth one, the Truth.

All the feelings and emotions I had while reading the book, did resurface. You will ached for Conrad, as he struggles to process his mum illness, the absence of his dad and the rejection of his peers. Lewis MacDougall was amazing in his role - such a young actor with beautiful expressions and good skills - he is able to guide you through Conrad's grief journey. MacDougall's angry big eyes are the mirror of the conflicts raging in Conrad's soul. 


The rest of the cast did not disappoint. Felicity Jones (Lizzy) was marvellos, the relationship between mom and son was palpable. 
Sigourney Weaver is not kicking any aliens here, but she is playing Conrad's grandmother, Mrs. Clayton. She needs to help her daughter, Lizzy, with her treatments and also look after Conrad, that was pretty much left to himself until her arrival. As a character she was able to come across even better than in the book, her facial expression could have suffice, she made an outstanding performance.


The graphics were a bit of a let down - probably budget shortage -, but the photography and the settings were beautiful. Starting from the Conrad's house, homely and lived in, to his uptight Grandma's one, bent and sculpted into gloomy antique furniture.
Apart from the computer glitches, the whole movie was near perfection. It follows the book step by step, while giving it a more adult twist. I would highly recommend; on Rotten Tomatoes is scoring a 87%, which I think is pretty damn good!

EVEN! Both book and movie are amazing.

Trailer:

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marzo 08, 2017

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert L. Stevenson - Review

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The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
by Robert L. Stevenson



 It's quite weird how the story came to be: according to Osbourne's account, Stevenson wrote the first draft of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with remarkable speed. The main details of the story were given to him in a dream, and in three days the first draft of the novel was complete. But after reading it to his wife he set fire to it and started again (quite drastic, I would say). He then spent some months to polish the work we still read and enjoy nowadays.

Are we good because we want to be, or are we good because we just don't want to be punished?

Surely Stevenson did ask himself the same question while writing this iconic novel. The theme of the dual personality was a novelty in the 19th century, but still feels contemporary nowadays. He was able to portrait in Hyde, Jekyll's alter ego, the dark side of man which civilization has striven to submerge. In fact, as you probably already known, Jekyll and Hyde are the same person and the two entity can not be separated. From my reading, Hyde is just a mask that Jekyll puts on to dissociate himself from the terrible acts he commits, it's his way of freeing himself of the restrictions dictated by the society. With Hyde's identity he can vent all is violent and dark instinct, but Jekyll doesn't disappear he is always there. The problem comes when Jekyll becomes slowly more addicted to his other self. Neither can survive with or without the other, there is only one solution....

It's an exquisite novel, in contrast with most of the Gothic Romances of the time, here there is no love and frilly romance, just friendship and male partnership. I was glad of that, since the classic love-tales tend to be a bit boring after a while. 
I founded the writing style quite peculiar, at time convulsive as probably is character psychology, but at the same time simple and quick to read - less than 100 pages. As in the majority of the novels of the time the characters are still a bit empty shells, that stand more for a moral ideal than a complex individual. Still the story is pleasant and engaging.

4/5 STARS


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marzo 06, 2017

A Gathering Of Shadows (A Darker Shade of Magic #2) by V.E Schwab - Review

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A Gathering Of Shadows
by V.E. Schwab



"How do you know when the Sarows is coming?
(Is coming is coming is coming aboard)...


Here we are back with my favorite Fantasy writer of all time: Victoria Schwab and the fantastic characters of A Darker Shade of Magic.
In this second installment of the Trilogy (A Darker Shade of Magic #1), old and new characters are back in Schwab's multiverse, and you are probably gonna love them even more than the first time!
Kell - the Antari traveler, who likes to smuggle little trinkets in between worlds-; Lila - once a thief, now a pirate and maybe something more; Rhy - the charming Prince of Red London, freshly back from the dead-, Alucard - the cocky Captain of the Night Spire with a mysterious past-, and many more.

We left, in the first book, with Lila sailing off to unknown venture; and Kell back in Red London, having bond forever his existence with his brother, Rhy.
After the threat from the Dane twins is called off in White London, and Vitari, the pure magical force casted back with Holland's dying body into Black London, thing are finally starting to settle down in Red London. They city is buzzing with the preparations for the Element Games - an extravagant international competition of magic- that will draw back into port some old friends.
But while one London is engaged in the festivity, an ancient shadows has been woken in another. It just seems that if our protagonists don't go looking for troubles, this one follow them.

"Delilah Bard had a way of finding trouble"

I couldn't be more happy with this fallup of the series, give me pirates and a magic tournament - that did call back HP memory - and I'm sold. And if you also look at the covers of this series, they are beautiful, even the internal graphics are superbs. Not to mention that as usual Schwab's writing skill looks effortless. Her writing is like breathing, natural and essential. In her book nothing is excessive or lacking, everything is always well balanced.
She is the true magician in this book, transforming words in vivid images and sensations. Her use of language is detailed and evocative, making the reader drown into Kell's and Lila's world. A World where all the different sub-plot, each with their different characters, are brought forward until they converge into one. This clue point, was the case of the Element Games, until the competition all the characters are split as we left them in the first book, but they are slowly drawn together chapter by chapter.
The characters are well-rounded, we get even more depths in them. Delilah Bard was the best Pirate/Thief  and much more that I ever read about. I can't get enough of her is the baddest badass of them all and she doesn't give a damn.
Let me also advise you that if you get to the end you will immediately need A Conjuring of Light. In fact the second book stop on a cliffhanger, leaving you leaning in like at the end of Soap-Opera's episode. 

5/5 STARS

 To celebrate the final installment in Victoria Schwab Trilogy, A Darker Shade of Magic, I'm doing a FREE GIVEAWAY : a paperback copy A Darker Shade of Magic. Read the rule to enter ----> HERE.

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marzo 04, 2017

Vicious ( Vicious #1) by V.E Schwab - Review

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Vicious
by V.E Schwab
"Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human"

In Vicious, we find our self in a comic-like world where super villains and superheroes can be easily mistaken for one another.

The story starts with Victor and Eli - two brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. They start a research on adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events that reveals the possibility, given the right conditions, that someone might develop extraordinary ability. But when their thesis moves from theoretical to practical, things go horribly wrong. 
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend, aided by a young girl who can rise the dead, and other odd characters that tag along the way. Meanwhile Eli is on the holy mission to eradicate, from earth, every other supernatural being. With both of them terribly powerful and driven by revenge, the battle between the two arch-nemeses is going to be epic!

"The paper called Eli a hero.

The word made Victor laugh. not just because it was absurd, but becouse it posed a question. If Eli really was a hero, and Victor meat to stop him, did that make him a villain?"

It's all about the ambition, the betrayals and jealousies, that brought together first, and broke apart after, our two protagonists. Eli and Victor both have a dark-side beyond their collected and calm appearance; showing that there is a fine line between good and bad guys.
Everything about this book draws you in: the characters, the plot, the excellent and effortless writing of Victoria Schwab. It's elegantly crafted, the book move fluidly from past to present, each chapter is perfectly linked to the next.

Victor is one of my favorite Villains of all times, I would highly recommend this book to any reader it's beautiful. Also it seems that a fallup novel will come out in 2018 under the title of  Vengeful, can't wait for that!.

5/5 STARS

To celebrate the final installment in Victoria Schwab Trilogy, A Darker Shade of Magic, I'm doing a FREE GIVEAWAY : a paperback copy A Darker Shade of Magic. Read the rule to enter ----> HERE.


Book official trailer:



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febbraio 27, 2017

A Darker Shade of Magic (1#) by V.E Schwab - Review

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A Darker Shade of Magic
by V.E Schwab


After reading Vicious I had to pick up her high-fantasy series and I was not desapointed. Victoria Schwab makes music not with mathe and notes, but with words and letters. creating a beautiful symphony that makes you look back at the classics and at the same time forward with original plot and atmosphere.

Schwab created a multi universe, where there are four London existing simultaneously. The boring, non-magical Grey London,ruled by one mad King---George III. Kell's Red London, where he was raised along side with Rhy, the heir to this flourishing magical empire. White London, a corrupted city where magic is power, and the one to willed it are draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London, dead, sealed off from the rest, where magic had took evil form and consumed the city and its people. 
The only people capable of travelling between on London to the other are the Antari. Kell is one of them, ambassador of the Maresh Empire, he carries the correspondence between the royals of each London.But mail is not the only thing he is carrying in between worlds. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, bring small object to willing to pay for a glimpse of the world they will never see. A small innocent hobby, until he smuggle something he shouldn't have. 
He will soon cross path with, Delilah Bard, who will rob him, than save him and in the end force Kell to bring her with him to another world for a proper adventure.

"I'm not going to die," she said. "Not till I've seen it."
"Seen what?"
Her smile widened. "Everything."

The plot flows like a river, perfectly. Every word is chiseled to fit in a larger scheme, it's crafted perfection. Beautiful.
The world-building is genius. Simple and a complicated, the concept of four London is not nearly as confusing as I thought, everything explains it self while reading it. And while I usually find some plot-holes in this alternate reality kind of plot, This time I couldn't find any, it's totally bulletproof.
The characters, are close to perfection. And here I'm repeating myself , but I simply can't find any other words to describe it. Perfect, perfect and perfect!
Kell is mysterious, a darkish character without exaggeration; while Lila stuck me for her badassery, and her energetic personality despite being surrounded by violence and cruelty. A life-force. But what I loved even more where the interactions between them: no insta-love, no insta-friendship, everything is built on the evolution of needs and opportunity.

Victoria Schwab is for  sure one of the most talented fantasy writer I ever read (with  Leigh Bardugo, of course).

 5/5 STARS

To celebrate the final installment of her trilogy that come out this month I'm doing a FREE GIVEAWAY : a paperback copy A Darker Shade of Magic. Read the rule to enter ----> HERE.

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febbraio 27, 2017

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY - Enter to win a copy of A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab!

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The last and final book of A Darker Shade of Magic, A Conjuring of Lights, by V.E Schwab is just been released this month. If you have been following my reviews for a while you will know that she is one of my favorite author of all times.
The book for this Free Giveaway is the first installment in the series A Darker Shade of Magic in the english paperback edition (as in the picture). The Giveaway stands only for Europe (UK included). To enter you will need only 3 easy steps:

1- Follow the blog, click on the link SEGUI. 
2- Like the Blog Facebook Page.
3- Send a private message to the FB page with your name or if you don't have a facebook account send a mail to the blog page or leave a comment down below, letting me know that you wanna enter the giveaway. 


If you will be selected as the winner, you will get a text on facebook or in your e-mail asking for your chosen delivery address. The contest will close on the 31st of March 2017. If you have any question leave a comment below. GOOD LUCK!!


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febbraio 26, 2017

50 SHADES DARKER, starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan and Rita Ora, directed by James Foley - BOOK vs MOVIE

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Fifty Shades Darker
directed by James Foley




Fifty Shades is literary and movie phenomenon that still gathers a high attention from the audience. Either you've have read the books and loved/hated them or are just interested in seeing what the fuss is all about, the movies are picking up everyone interests. Just in the USA it gross out (to the 22.feb) almost twice the estimated budget of  $55.000.000, in Italy is been out for more than two weeks and when I went to the cinema, last Wednesday, the cinema room was almost full.

I read the books mostly under the suggestions of some of my good friends and the general attention that the series was getting. I really couldn't see and understand why people went crazy over it, I did find the book obnoxious and not even well written, I kept on wondering why other good erotic novels weren't able to gather such attention. Nevertheless nowadays it has become such a big topic that everyone knows at least summarily what the series is about.

Let me give you the general synopsis of this book: 
Fifty Shades Darker is the second installment in the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy, the novel was originally written as a Twilight fan fiction (it probably gets from there: the stalking, the obsession and weird fetish). The plot revolves around Literature student Anastasia Steele, whose life changes forever after she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey. Their relationship, in this second movie, moves from a purely sexual one to a sentimental one. While Christian wrestle with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her. 
The plot is really simple and seems to move through conventional steps and characters that function just has a background to the steamy sex scenes.


Having not liked the book I was hoping for the movie to be a bit better. But although Jamie Dornan delivers a more elaborate and sensible performance than in the first movie, this sequel as the books still has a weak plot line and dull characters' portraits. The settings and the actors' performance in general from Dakota Johnson to Bella Heathcote ("Victoria Winters" in Tim Burton's  Dark Shadows)  and the singer Rita Ora were worthwhile, but such a good cast was wasted over a lame story. 


What was suppose to be a dramatic-romance movie, had instead a soap-operish feeling. It made me laugh out loud in the most inappropriate moment, some scenes were so bad you couldn't help but genuinely laugh. It was the cheesiest, corniest, most awkward-comedic movie I ever watched.
Surely this series gained so much success also for the fact that it is so controversial, probably E.L James' favorite say is: good or bad, it doesn't matter if they talk about it!

I don't really feel like declaring a winner between the movie or the book, but I know the book in some ways makes up for the massive plot hole that we find in the movie. BOOK WINS!

MOVIE TRAILER:


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