{Review} Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Page Count: 453

Published On: November 8, 2016

Published By: Feiwel and Friends

Genre(s): YA, fantasy, retelling, romance

Source: personally purchased

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository 

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

~~~

Hey, guys!

I've been such a fan of Marissa Meyer for years, but this story did not live up to my hopes. I bought this book a long time ago, knowing that because it was Marissa Meyer that I would enjoy it. While the book was entertaining and interesting, I was just bored and sick of the main character by the end of it. 


Though this was a really fascinating retelling and back story to the Queen of Hearts, I felt like the amount of buildup toward her eventual end was really slow. Sometimes getting through this book felt like a dredge through a muddy pond. The book started out so nicely -- from the bizarre introduction to the world of Hearts to the immense amounts of baking that Cath partook in. However, once you got into the book it was as if the madness and bizarre-ness of the world of Wonderland were completely thrown out the window. Granted, a lot of the events that occurred were bizarre and the characters were wildly strange, but they just weren't what I would expect of the characters of Wonderland. I wish that it had been more consistent. 

The plot was also not the best. The majority of the plot was just Cath whining about what she didn't want to do. She didn't do much of anything. She was just obnoxiously whiney. I felt like she refused to stand up for herself when it meant the most, she constantly ignored the advice of others and did whatever she wanted even though it was obvious that she wasn't the best at making decisions. Actually, she never really made many decisions. Not the decisions that counted. She also was just really dumb and wouldn't support herself until she had the help of a dude. I felt like the book really lacked the feminism that Meyer had frequently shown in her other works.

When it comes to Marissa Meyer, I know that I can count on her to create a really dimensional and romantic relationship bloom from the most annoying characters. This was not the case in Heartless. While I really liked Jest's character. I wish the book had been a dual perspective between Jest and Cath (though I know why MM didn't use that technique). Their relationship was just a bit too annoying for me. She really just gave us the reasons to ship the two characters, I felt like it wasn't shown enough to actually make me connected to their relationship or feelings. Just not my cup of tea. 

Overall, the book was underwhelming and kind of boring. I didn't like the main character, the romance was bleh, and there should have been more feminism, stabbing, and more murder from the Jabberwocky. There was hardly any plot to make it worth it to me. Though I didn't like the bits that tend to make or break the book, I really did enjoy the magic, the side characters (Hatta, Cheshire, and more), the world of Chess, the Jabberwocky conflict, and the baking. I wish that I had loved this book, but I just didn't click with it. I know so many adore this book. I definitely would have loved it more in 2016 when it first came out. 

I have a review for Marissa Meyer's other series, The Lunar Chronicles. It's absolutely one of my favorite series. 

Happy reading!
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} The Forest Queen (Mechanica #0.5) by Betsy Cornwell

Page Count: 304

Published on: August 7, 2018

Published by: Clarion Books 

Genre(s): Fantasy, Retelling, YA
Source: Paperback - ARC provided by publisher

Age Rating: 12+ 
TW: domestic/physical abuse, elder abuse, rape, sexual harassment, suicide/suicidal thoughts

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Book Depository: {click here}

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

When sixteen-year-old Sylvie’s brother takes over management of their family’s vast estates, Sylvie feels powerless to stop his abuse of the local commoners. Her dearest friend asks her to run away to the woods with him, and soon a host of other villagers join them. Together, they form their own community and fight to right the wrongs perpetrated by the king and his noblemen.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      An advanced reading copy was sent to me for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you HMH/Clarion Books for sending me this fantastic book.

       In The Forest Queen, the main character, Sylvie, feels absolutely powerless when it comes to her older brother. After her brother becomes the Sheriff of their area and begins to take over management of their family estate, she becomes even more unhappy and afraid of his behavior. After John decides to marry her off to one of his friends, she has to make the decision to run away or be unhappy and fear for her life. She decides to run away with her best friend, Bird, to the woods. In the woods, she finds safety, hope, and community. Sylvie and Bird soon recruit other villagers to their ragtag group and together, they create a rebel group to insight change in Woodshire. 

      This book has quickly become a new favorite of mine. I absolutely adored every bit of this book. The characters were so well thought out, the world was lush and beautiful, the writing style was lyrical and descriptive, the pacing was perfect, and the topics and themes that were discussed in this novel were so well done. I really really loved how diverse and fun the people in this book were. It seemed that people with darker skin were in the more wealthy families, however, families also had no issue with inter-mingling so everyone had different traits from different ethnicities. Betsy Cornwell has created a literary masterpiece. 

      Sylvie, Mae Tuck, and Little Jane are such inspiring characters. Little Jane was such an inspiration throughout this book. She goes through so much turmoil and trouble and her growth as a character was so much fun to read about. I just absolutely adore her. I cannot say more without spoiling, but she is definitely a new favorite character. Sylvie! My girl! Oh my goodness I just loved her. She also goes through some intense and scary stuff, but her growth and the experiences she has really shape her positively. Her journey to fully understanding what her people went through under her brother's regime was really great to follow. Sylvie is a naturally wonderful and caring character and to see the abuse that her people were enduring was a hard blow to It was just so wonderful to follow. Mae Tuck is, honestly, a badass. She is also a new favorite character. I absolutely love how strong and accepting she is. She just held herself so well and she just tries to love everyone for who they are. 

     I also really enjoyed Bird and Sylvie's relationship. Their friendship is so lovely to read about and their blooming romance was so sweet. It was an intensely slow burn sort of romance, but I really enjoyed how their story wrapped up. Bird is such a lovely character. He wasn't as prevalent in the story for me (the strong and wonderful female characters had my focus), but I really enjoyed what he added to the story. 

    Overall, this story was freakin' fantastic. I had the best time reading it. The story was so addicting and I didn't want it to end. I'll definitely have to pick up Betsy's other books: Mechanica and Venturess. I read Mechanica when it first came out, but it's been a hot minute so I'll definitely have to eventually reread it. I highly recommend that you pick up The Forest Queen. It's an absolute gem. Please read it. If you enjoy the tale of Robin Hood, you'll love this book. 

My Review of Mechanica {click here}

I hope you enjoyed this review! Happy reading!

Olivia 

~Liv the Book Nerd~

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{Review} Language of Thorns (Grishaverse #0.5, #2.5, #2.6) by Leigh Bardugo

Page Count: 281

Published on: September 26, 2017

Published by: Imprint

Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Retellings, Anthology, Short Stories

Source: hardback -gift

Age Rating: YA

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     Back in December, my boyfriend's lovely family gifted me this book for Christmas. I was so excited to read the stories and be re-immersed into the Grisha world. This book totally lived up to the hype and my expectations. The stories were fantastic, the writing was A+ as always, the illustrations were stunning, and the book itself was just amazing. I love these stories so much. I couldn't find anything that I didn't like about this book. It was just straight-up awesome. Cue the excessive gushing and lack of critical analysis. 

     This book was just gorgeous! I'm so in love with the stories that Leigh Bardugo created for this world. Each story was so hauntingly beautiful and the language and imagery that they created were just so imaginative and stunning. I'm so pleased with both the physical look of the book and the actual content itself. The illustrations throughout the book were just so intricately done and the detail that went into their making is just astoundingly beautiful and perfectly reflected the stories and their spooky vibes. Each story was intricately crafted in a way that left you desperately wanting more, yet still satisfied with how their ending was summed up. 

      Each story in this Grisha anthology is inspired by common known and lesser known fairy tales, myths, and folklore. The five stories each represent the five areas/countries in the Grisha universe. The stories are such a fantastic representation of the Grisha world. Each story adds more to the world building and reveals a more in depth look at the history of the world.

Other Grisha Reviews:

• Shadow & Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo
• Siege & Storm (The Grisha Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo
• The Tailor (The Grisha Trilogy #1.5) by Leigh Bardugo
• Six of Crows (The Six of Crows Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review} Quests For Glory (The School For Good & Evil: The Camelot Years #1) by Soman Chainani

Page Count: 568

Published on: September 19, 2017

Published by: HarperCollins

Genre(s): Fantasy, Children's/Middle Grade, YA, Romance
Source: Hardback -personally purchased

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository 

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Twitter: @SomanChainani

Goodreads synopsis:

With every end comes a new beginning in the fourth installment of Soman Chainani’s New York Times bestselling School for Good and Evil series, Quests for Glory. Join Sophie, Agatha, Tedros, and the other students as they begin a new era in the Endless Woods—The Camelot Years—where Evers and Nevers alike must move beyond the bounds of school and into the biggest, boldest adventures of their lives.

The students at the School for Good and Evil thought they had found their final Ever After when they vanquished the malevolent School Master. Now, on their required fourth-year quests, the students face obstacles both dangerous and unpredictable, and the stakes are high: success brings eternal adoration, and failure means obscurity forever.

For their quests, Agatha and Tedros are trying to return Camelot to its former splendor as queen and king. For her quest, Dean Sophie seeks to mold Evil in her own image. But soon they all feel themselves growing more isolated and alone. When their classmates’ quests plunge into chaos, however, someone must lead the charge to save them...

~~~

Hey, guys!

    If you've followed my blog for a while, you'd know of my love for Soman Chainani's books. I've been such a huge fan of the School For Good & Evil series since mid-2015 and when I found out that Soman was releasing a new trilogy that takes place right after The Last Ever After....you guys have to know that I hardcore fangirled. This series is so fantastically written. I can't wait to tell you all what I think of Quests For Glory. Let's get into it! 

     I think that this book is a wonderful re-introduction to the characters. It's been a bit since I read The Last Ever After and a little bit less of a bit since I read the Handbook (if that makes any sense). The pacing was a bit slower compared to the original trilogy. I did enjoy this book, but it was harder to get back into this book. 

     We are once again intertwined in the lives of Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros. I really enjoyed how their stories continued in this book and how their characters have developed since the last battle in The Last Ever After. 

     I adore how Tedro's character has developed in this book. He goes through so much conflict and turmoil for a kid his age. He goes through an amazing amount of inner conflict and turmoil that I felt was just so realistic. His struggles really touched my heart and after reading this book, I really do love Tedros even more. I think he is much more dynamic and interesting compared to his behavior and character in the first three books. In QFG he's had to go through so many adult decisions and he's so much more responsible...or rather, he's desperately trying to be. His effort and genuine desire to do well for his people is so beautiful and commendable. I was worried that he would not live up to the expectations that one would hold for the new king of Camelot. He is a kid!!! I just desperately want him to heal and listen to his friends and family. He's just so caught up in his stuff and he's panicking and floundering...I just hope the situation improves for him. He's such a good kid.

     Agatha is my girl. I adore her so much. The struggles that she and Tedros face in this book, both romantically and through their adventures, was so great to read. I love the way their relationship is going...they're struggling. Hardcore. So many books make long-term relationships (especially in a fairy tale setting) seem easy and magical. I love that Soman has further developed this relationship and continued to make their relationship somewhat of a struggle bus. So many relationships are written in a way that makes it seem easy when in fact, maintaining a relationship is actual work. I just really enjoyed the struggle that these kids went through. 

     Their struggles and worries were so realistically frustrating. I genuinely worried for their mental health. Their lack of communication was so realistic for their ages. Teens and young adults are kind of stupid when it comes to relationships. We don't think things through..especially when we're stressed and worried about the relationship. I just adore how real their interactions were. 

    The political subplot and themes in this book were fantastic. I love how the world building was further developed through the use of political intrigue. I love love love the conflicts that this new villain caused. The struggle that Tedros and Camelot continued to face was so fascinating. I just love the conflict. 

     I'm so interested in seeing what is going to happen with the Quests. I was already intrigued by the whole concept, but wow-oh-wow is this going to be fun. The last few action bits the last few fights and battles were so rad. They were a magical and action-packed roller coaster of emotions. The focus on Good & Bad and Truth & Lies were absolutely riveting. It was extremely relevant to what this world is currently going through. 

     This book really made me think and wonder about the outcome. I truly did not know what would happen next. I could not pinpoint the outcome of any of the twists. No one was safe! I was literally freaking out about every death. Soman is taking every risk and he doesn't seem worried at all! I really did not expect the deaths that occurred. I'm still reeling... I did not want their deaths to be real. 

     Can we also appreciate the format of this book? I just adored the multiple perspectives! I'm so glad that we get to be in so many different characters heads. Nicola of the Woods Beyond is going to be a fantastic addition to the gang. I love love love her. AND HORT! HELLO! So much dynamic character growth! I adore that he's beginning to see the flaws in Sophie. She really has not grown as a person or learned from her mistakes (I hope she does!). I feel so much for Hort's character in this book. In my Goodreads reading updates I went on a small (spoiler-y) tangent about his character and about how I love him now (but let's face it before he was hot he was a sweetheart. Kinda gross, but he means well.)

    Overall, this book was absolutely delightful. It was frustrating, it was hopeful, it had such fantastic character development. I cannot wait for book 2 of The Camelot Years. This spinoff series is going to be great! 

My SFG&E Reviews: 

• The School For Good & Evil: [click here]
• A World Without Princes: [click here]
• The Last Ever After: [click here]
• The Ever Never Handbook [click here]

Happy reading!
Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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A Brightness Out Of the Blue by Jill Atkins

Page Count: 200

Published on: 2016

Published by: Raven Books (Ransom UK)

Genre(s): Realistic Fiction, Retelling, Fantasy?
Source: Sent from publisher

Age Rating: MG/YA

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Book Depository: {click here}

My Rating: 2 stars

Overall Opinion: Entertaining, but not that great

Goodreads synopsis: 

When you're at rock bottom ... life can't get any worse ... you don't see the point of carrying on ... someone walks into your world and makes all the difference. 

Ella is mourning her dead mother and suffering the cruelty of a new step-mother. But when Martha, an old lady, falls in the street and Ella helps her get home, she feels Martha's strange magical power. Soon her life begins to change for the better. 

A Brightness out of the Blue is a beautiful modern-day fairytale with a twist in the tale.

~~~

Hey, guys!

I was sent a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

      I was actually looking forward to this book. It was one of the books that Raven Books had offered to send me, along with a batch of their upcoming releases.I'm always intrigued by a good retelling, and the fact that it was a Cinderella retelling made me even more interested. Unfortunately, this book fell short and I wasn't too impressed.

      After the death of her beloved mother, Ella's father begins anew with a new and cruel woman. Ella runs away and tries to begin her life again, independently. When Martha, an older and mysterious lady, falls into Ella's life she knows it will never be the same. Her life begins to turn around and Ella's life becomes much more interesting. 

      This book was unfortunately really disappointingly predictable. It followed the Cinderella template religiously and there weren't any moments that really screamed to me "THIS BOOK" or wow'd me. It was just very cliche and boring for the majority. The characters were very two-dimensional and lacked substance or personality. The relationships between the various characters were lacking any kind of real feelings towards each other. Overall, the characters and the relationships between them needed to be fleshed out much more to make me feel for any of them. The main character Ella, especially, was very whine-y and I could not feel any kind of sympathy for her. She need a good whack with the strong protagonist stick. 

     This book read like a contemporary or realistic fiction book, but when the author added the touch of ambiguous magic without any kind of explanation, I got pretty annoyed. Magic is magic for a reason, but in this book it was just there without a reason. I'm not sure if the character is a witch or what, but I wanted answers at the end of the book. I'm still not sure if the book was supposed to be a modern day fantasy, a paranormal fantasy, or just an awkward take on magical realism. Either way, I'm not a fan of the execution of the book. 

     Overall, this book was fairly entertaining, but lacked the qualities that make a great retelling. When writing a retelling it is important (to me) to stick to the original story but totally make it your own through original characters, settings, and new plot points that are totally off the wall. There was a decent plot but it needed to be fleshed out and consistently written throughout. This would be a good novel for younger readers (ages 11-15) to start out with when being introduced to fairy tale retellings. It wouldn't be the best but it would be a good introduction to what can be done with the genre. I think that I would have enjoyed it much more when I was age 11 to 13. 

Other Retellings You Would Love:

• A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas (ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SERIES)
• Beauty & the Beast + Fae
• My Rating: ALL OF THE STARS
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Cinderella + assassins and political intrigue (loosely based)
• My Rating 4.75 stars
• Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
• dystopian after Oz - Dorothy is evil
• My Rating: 5 stars
• East by Edith Pattou
• Norwegian Beauty & the Beast retelling
• My Rating: 5 stars 
• The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm #1) by Michael Buckley
• Descendants of the Brothers Grimm. Solving mysteries in a town full of fairy tale characters 
• My Rating: 5 stars
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Dystopian fantasy retelling with moon people, cyborgs, political intrigue, and a fantastic cast of characters.
• My Rating: 5 stars

Happy reading!
Olivia 

~LivTheBookNerd~

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The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath & the Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh

Page Count: 416

Published on: April 26, 2016

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Books For Young Readers
Genre(s): Fantasy, Retelling, Romance, YA
Source: Print: Hardback

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @rahdieh

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.

Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.

The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      My friend Julia bought this book for me when I graduated, and I'm so glad that she did. I was so excited to continue Shazi and Khalid's story. The Wrath and the Dawn made it to my Top 15 of 2015 blog post last year. I really loved the writing in The Wrath & the Dawn, and the story was really beautiful and addicting. Unfortunately, The Rose & the Dagger kind of fell flat for me. I really wanted to love this book as much as I loved The Wrath and the Dawn, but I really don't think it fulfilled my hopes like I had wished. 

      TR&tD follows Shazi and Khalid after the end fo TW&tD. I actually think the first and last parts of the book were the best parts. The middle was kind of slow for me, but then again I was quite busy with finals. Nonetheless, this book was a let down for me. TW&tD made up for the lacking plot with its fantastic characters, character development, and swoon-worthy romance. In this installment, the romance was lacking and the plot didn't really focus on Shazi and Khalid as much. This was kind of disappointing but made up for it with more in-depth information regarding Shazi's father and Tariq and his resentment towards Khalid. Although this information was interesting, it didn't hold my attention like Khalid and Shazi's relationship did in Wrath. One awesome aspect of this book that really drew me in was when Irsa was narrating. She is such a sweet and innocent girl and she was a joy to read about. 

      Ahdieh's writing is absolutely stunning. She has a way of writing that sucks you into her world and causes you to feel every emotion in the book. This book not only was gorgeously written, Ahdieh included a very dark and magical aspect to her characters that made my favorite characters even more badass. There were so many twists and turns that would literally make me gasp out loud. Some of these characters had a complete turn-around that I found to be either unrealistic or totally badass. 

      Overall, this had some very satisfying and unsatisfying moments, but I still loved it nonetheless. I really wanted more of Shazi and Khalid, but I didn't write the book, so it's not my call. A girl can dream! There were so many beautiful moments in this book that I wanted to me my life motto(s), but I really didn't have the time to tattoo them on my body while I was at work. 

My Review for The Wrath & the Dawn: {click here}


Happy reading and happy holidays!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~

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Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Page Count: 338

Published on: October 14, 2014

Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Genre(s): Fantasy, YA, Adventure, Fairy Tale Retelling, Science Fiction, Romance
Source: Print: Borrowed from Julia

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @RC_Lewis

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      This book has been considered to be another version of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, but there were so many original and unique elements to this book that made it so much different. This book was so fantastic, but I had one issue with it.

      This book follows Essie. Essie is a mechanic and a secret cage fighter. She works hard to make her living and keep the mines going. One day, a huge ship crashes not far from where Essie lives. She takes in the mysterious stranger and starts to help him with his ship. Essie's life is changed forever when the stranger turns her life upside down with his reckless decisions. 

      Essie was such a badass all throughout this book. I really enjoyed her character all throughout this book. Sometimes characters go through gaps where they get annoying or stupid, but Essie was a really solid character. I loved her personality! She was so strong-willed and she never backed down from a challenge, and once she accepted who she truly was, she never backed down from doing what was right. 

      Dane was super cute, but for a good portion of the book, I didn't really like him much. He was very reckless, but for a good reason. I mean, I understand is motives, but still. 

     I didn't really enjoy the romance. It felt very abrupt and forced to me. If the novel had been a bit longer and fleshed out, then maybe it would be pretty good, but I wasn't impressed with the romance until the cheesy bits at the end. 

     I really loved this retelling, there were aspects that I didn't even realize were foreshadowing for the main structural events regarding the original story. I guess I'm just kind of oblivious and I got really caught up in the events of the book, that I managed to neglect the crucial elements of the Snow White tale. This is basically a Star Wars and Snow White mash-up, which was totally amazing to read. I loved the little unique yet familiar...the mind control, the apple, the parental dynamic, the runaway, the starships...

      I also really loved the secondary characters. They had such interesting stories and I loved how complete their stories made the story. Even though this book was pretty short, I still came out knowing a bunch of characters that I adore.

Overall, I loved this book. I can't wait to read more of R.C. Lewis's work. I love her writing style. I need to get my hands on Spinning Starlight. I need that in my life. 😍

Other Retellings That You Would Love:

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer {5 stars}
• East by Edith Pattou {5 stars}
• The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor {4 stars}
• A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston {4.75 stars}
• A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas {3 stars}
• The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh {5 stars}
• Entwined by Heather Dixon {5 stars}
• Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige {5 stars}

I hope you all enjoyed this review!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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