Kings or Pawns by JJ Sherwood - Blog Tour + Author Giveaway!

Kings or Pawns by JJ Sherwood. Silver Helm, 2015. Ebook. 383 pages.

**I received a copy of Kings or Pawns courtesy of the author, JJ Sherwood, in exchange for an honest review.**

First off, I am thrilled to be  apart of JJ Sherwood's book tour for her fantasy trilogy The Kings! Book two, Heroes of Thieves, was released this past June, but for this review I'm starting at book number one. This is a really exciting book and an equally exciting tour! Plus, I am even more excited to announce a giveaway that the author is hosting via Rafflecopter, which is available at the end of this review. 

Kings or Pawns was an exceptionally delightful read. From the very first pages, it easy to see that Sherwood clearly put her heart and soul into making this book be the absolute best it can be, and it completely shows. It's also clear that Sherwood not only loves and respects the high fantasy genre, but also spent an immense amount of time and effort into constructing her world, her characters, and the plot itself in order to make them wonderfully fleshed and full of life. Kings or Pawns reads like a classic fantasy story while also maintaining a very distinct, unique, and innovative take within fantasy. This world is fresh and her characters are entirely her own - no overused tropes in sight! (Thank goodness.)

The beginning took me a little while to get into, but I felt that there was potential, so I stuck with and it quickly paid off. It takes me a while to learn the characters and new worlds of a fantasy story, but Sherwood tackles this in a deft and enjoyable manner that created a captivating atmosphere.

There is an abundance of political intrigue and it is awesome. Now, I'll be honest and say that sometimes high political fantasy books can make me feel a bit bogged down and like I have to slog my way through a confusing political world with excess information - not so in Kings or Pawns! I sincerely enjoyed everything related to the politics and high class drama within this story.

Strong, engaging characters are also ever-present throughout Kings or Pawns. The point of view switches between a few different characters, and you know what? I didn't feel annoyed by any of the character's points of view. I loved them all. Each one was as engaging as the last and I am in awe of how well Sherwood constructed each character's distinct personality. I typically end up annoyed by point of view switches because I end up liking one more than the other (who doesn't?), but not this time! Each character had a very distinct voice that made it clear who was speaking and fit their own character.

To continue on with the subject of characters, let's talk about Jikun. Jikun is an incredible main character. He's someone that I have great respect for and seems like an honorable man, but he's not perfect by a long shot. He breaks the rules and follows his own path, which makes him well-rounded and an alluring character to follow. One minute he's a resolute general leading his army, the next he's paying for a prostitute to entertaining him - something that is highly illegal in this particular world, I might add. I was really impressed with how realistic and three-dimensional Jikun is, along with the rest of the characters as well.

We also have Navon, Jikun's co-general, who is similar in the fact that he's a powerful, respectable man, but he also breaks the rule by studying necromancy, an act punishable by death. And then there's Hairem, our newly appointed and inexperienced king who was thrust into the position as a result of his father's death. He struggles with the responsibility and power of being king, as well as with the political negotiations that come with such a position - i.e. figuring out how to deal with his council and not allow himself to be unheard and run over by other powerful political figures that don't want to listen to him. There are so many sides to each person that I felt constantly entertained, and as much as I would love to spend more time on each character, I think I'm going to leave them to you, dear readers, to discover.

And finally, one last thing (out of a great many things) that I loved about Kings or Pawns was the villains. These enemies are easily hated, but not necessarily purely evil - or, maybe they are? There is intrigue on all sides, and although I easily felt disdain towards the characters I was supposed to, I was also impressed and intrigued by their intelligence and sly deviousness, which I believe is the mark of a well-written villain.

Besides the somewhat-cliffhanger ending (which remains vague, no spoilers here!), I can definitely see where potential for further expansion of this world in upcoming books lies. There are a few characters that I would have liked to see a bit more of, but I have a strong feeling that they will show up more in later books. In fact, I have the second book lined up on my Kindle right now and I plan to dive in within the next week!

I highly recommend this for any fans of high fantasy or political thrillers - or, quite frankly, anyone who's looking for an exciting read! Because of all the reasons mentioned above, I will be giving Kings or Pawns four-and-a-half stars!

Be sure to check out the Steps of Power website, which has the complete (and amazing) book tour, as well as much more book-related fun and information!

AND, most importantly, don't forget to enter the giveaway below for some signed copies and/or swag!*




a Rafflecopter giveaway
*This giveaway was created by the author; I am not associated with the prizes or its creation.

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A Vanishing Glow by Alexis Radcliffe
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Monthly Wrap-Up: July 2016

 Well, since it's August 5th already, I think it's about time for a July wrap-up! I'm still off from University until mid-September, so that means the aggressive job hunting is still on. I've been thinking of revamping some features on my blog, so hopefully I can get started on that and have more progress by the next monthly wrap, but only time will tell.

As far as reading goes, this month was fairly successful, though I did inadvertently procrastinate on some of my reading by instead working on Greek translations (yeah, I'm pretty exciting) - and I finished my first ever complete translation! (Granted, the play I translated was only about 30 pages, but you know... it's a start.) But I digress - let's move on to the books!

Quick Stats & Meme Round-Ups:
Books read: 11
Total Reviews posted: 8
July 2016 Top Ten Tuesdays:
          Top Ten Books I Enjoyed with Under 2000 Ratings on Goodreads
          Top Ten Books Set Outside the U.S.
          Top Ten Things Books have Made Me Want to Do/Learn About After Reading Them
July 2016 Waiting on Wednesdays: 
          A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
          The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart
          Everfair by Nisi Shawl
          Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

And on to the books of July!

**Titles of each book link to the review

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (ARC) - 5/5 stars
This one easily became one of my favorites books of the year. Assassins, complex characters, plot twists - it's all perfect.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - 5/5 stars
I'm not normally a huge fan of futuristic/space thrillers, but Illuminae is incredible. It's unique formatting worked amazingly well for the story, and I definitely recommend it - even if this genre isn't normally your thing, either.

The River of Doubt by Candice Millard - 5/5 stars + Favorites shelf
Not only did I learn a lot about Theodore Roosevelt, I also learned that the Amazon is filled with bugs, creatures, and people that all are designed to kill you! But in all seriousness, this was an exciting adventure story about Roosevelt's exploration of a previously uncharted Amazon river and I absolutely loved it.

Ithaca by Patrick Dillon (Review copy) - 3.5/5 stars
Whether you are a fan of The Odyssey or know nothing about it, Ithaca is a fun reimagining from the point of view of Telemachus. There is also a portion told from Odysseus' point of view in which he recounts his journey, so you get a brief yet thorough summary of Odysseus' travels if you have never read the original Odyssey or need a refresher.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner  - 3/5 stars

A thief goes on a long journey with a magus to unearth ancient treasure. I was very unsure how I felt about this one, as it's interesting and has a great ending, but is also fairly event-less. 

Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard (ARC) - 4/5 stars
Publication date: September 6th, 2016
If you're interested in finding out more about Winston Churchill and/or his daring capture as prisoner of war and subsequent escape, this is the book for you. Millard is one of my new favorite nonfiction authors, as the stories she tells read much like fiction and are full of intrigue.

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead - 2/5 stars
This book fell so flat for me. The first ~20% or so was decent, but as the story continued, I lost interest and the plot became more and more far-fetched. There were a lot of problems with this book that I plan to discuss in more detail in my review.

The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes by Wade Albert White (ARC) - 4/5 stars
Publication date: September 13th, 2016
This was such a fun middle-grade fantasy book and I can't wait to finish reviewing it!

In the Forest by Edna O'Brien - 4/5 stars
This was a very interesting book inspired by the true-story of the murder of a young mother and hers on by a mentally unstable man. It was written in constantly alternating POVs, which actually made the book much better than if it had been only one POV. It's not the easiest story to read, but I definitely recommend it.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict (ARC) - 3/5 stars
Publication date: October 18th, 2016
I was disappointed, and I'll explain in more detail in my upcoming review. Suffice to say, there was a lot of potential, but I'm not sure it fulfilled all of it.

Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami - 5/5 stars
Once again, Murakami continues to write incredible stories. Dance Dance Dance is now at the top of my favorite Murakami books - I loved this one!
And lastly...

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad - 2.5/5 stars
This was an older review that I rewrote as part of my slow project of updating my extremely old reviews that I wrote before I had a blog. It has a good premise for a space thriller, but didn't quite live up to expectations.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey - 5/5 stars + Favorites shelf
Kushiel's Dart is an incredibly complex and well-developed high fantasy book that I encourage any fantasy fan to read - though there is a fair amount of explicit content, so if you're not into that then this might not be fore.

The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale - 2.5/5 stars
This was a true crime thriller that didn't quite hold my interest, which was rather disappoint for me. 

The Outside Lands by Hannah Kohler - 4.5/5 stars
The Outside Lands is a compelling Vietnam War-era novel that follows the life of a brother and sister as they face the turbulent times of war. 

And a few of the ARCs I plan to read/finish/start reading in August:

The Secret Book of Kings by Yochi Brandes

Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick

Watching Edie by Camilla Way

Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi

Warp by Lev Grossman (reprint)

The Unbelievable FIB: Over the Underworld by Adam Shaughnessy

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

Well, that's it for July! How was your month of reading in July? Have you read any of these books? Feel free to share your thoughts and/or what you read this past month in the comments!

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The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. Greenwillow Books, 2005. Ebook. 280 pages.

I had a hard time with this one. On the one hand, the story itself is interesting and has complex characters that add great dimension, but on the other hand... it felt really dry.

The Thief begins with Gen, a thief, currently living his days as a prisoner in the King's prison when he is approached by a magus - the king's scholar. The Magus wants to enlist Gen's skills as a thief to unearth an ancient treasure, which Gen eventually agrees to. Thus, they embark on a long journey in an attempt to discover said treasure.

Gen was a fun character, albeit a stubborn one. I appreciated his wit and dry humor even when other characters did not; it made Gen feel like a real person with a distinct personality. Now, I sometimes become annoyed with overly stubborn characters in books, but I actually enjoyed Gen's actions and how he didn't suddenly become some willing and obedient participant in the Magus' plan, but instead maintained his own strong-willed nature and wasn't afraid to say whatever he thought.

Turner's writing style itself is wonderfully descriptive and clearly the work of a talented writer. She somehow makes a seemingly endless journey on horseback into something more important and beautiful to read. Despite the flowing language, The Thief still requires immense amounts of patience, as the plot appears fairly event-less throughout a good chunk of the book. Details are not overlooked, and although they do add some deeper dimension to the journey, overall they seem to merely make the book denser and harder to get through.

I don't want to say much about the ending other than the fact that it truly saved this book. If the ending had not been as good as it was, I would have more than likely put this book down and not even considered continuing the series. However, the endings shows great promise for the rest of the series and makes me realize that, as an author, Turner certainly knows what she's doing.

Overall, I'm giving The Thief three stars. I really wanted to like it, and part of me did. But I also felt like nothing happened and half the time I was slogging through it. As mentioned, I've heard that The Thief is not the best compared to the other books int he series, so I made give the second book a try. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys high fantasy 'journey' books with thoughtful characters and storytelling. If you're into fast-paced books with lots of actions, well, this might not be the best choice.

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You might also like:
Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Cleopatra's Shadows by Emily Holleman
"Krim du Shaw" by Talia Haven 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

Publication Date: March 7, 2017 
Berkley Books

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

From Goodreads:

Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar s imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child. 

As a boy, Nero s royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son s inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead. 

While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero s determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become an Emperor who became legendary. 

With impeccable research and captivating prose, "The Confessions of Young Nero" is the story of a boy s ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.

Am I talking about too many ancient historical fiction books lately? Well, even if I am, here's another one anyway! Margaret George is a superb writer, and I am immensely looking forward to this particular book. Most of the Roman Emperors led fairly, uh, interesting lives, and Nero is one of the more widely recognized emperors of the period. I'm excited to see what George does with what we know of Nero from various records and how she decides to mold this story.

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Book's I'd Buy Immediately if Given a Giftcard

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly book blog meme hosted by the lovely girls over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is the top ten books we would buy right away if given a fully-loaded giftcard.

This list was hard because I have such a mix of books that I've read and want to own, but also those that I haven't read but really want to buy and read. So I just picked some of my top ones from each category. 

1. Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell

Ancient Greece. The Trojan War. Fantasy/Speculative Fiction. Need I say more? 

2. The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

I need more fairy tales, damnit!

3. The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman

I've already read this one, but I loved a lot of the essays/speeches and would love to just have this around to pick up from time to time to read through. 

4. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber

Again, I've already this one, but I would love to own it because it's amazing and I love Faber's writing.

5. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

How is it possible that I love this trilogy so much and yet don't own a physical copy of the second book?

6. The Fox and the Star by Coralie Bickford-Smith

This is one of those that sounds so enchanting that I want it really bad, but I don't want to buy it unless I know it'll be as beautiful as it sounds, which is really quite silly. It's about a fox searching for his favorite star that went out and left him alone - ugh, I want it. The cover also leaves me feeling rather breathless. 

7. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

I'm counting this all as one since it's one series, but I would love to own the entire Sandman collection. Right now I only have the first one, and I would like to re-read them sometime.

8. Augustus by John Williams

Stoner was one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking books I've read in a while, so I really want to read some of his other works. Augustus sounds perfect for this.

9. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erickson

I am somewhat (extremely) daunted by the Malazan series, but since it's considered one of the top fantasy series of all time and it sounds pretty interesting, I want to try it. From what I've heard, it seems I'll either love it or hate it (we're shooting for 'love it' here). 

10. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Yep, that's right. Here I am anxiously awaiting the sixth book in the series and I don't even own a physical copy of the first book. This needs to change.



Bonus: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

 I am in love with the movie Coraline, and thus I need to read and own the book. Now.

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What are some books that you really want to own?

Patient H.M by Luke Dittrich

*Patient H.M. by Luke Dittrich will be release Tuesday, August 9th!

Patient H.M. by Luke Dittrich. Random House, 2016. Ebook. 496 pages.

*I received a copy of Patient H.M. courtesy of Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

H.M., the subject of this book, is one of the most important studies of neuroscience in the history of neuroscience. When he was a child, H.M. had a bad fall that is believed to have caused him to suffer from severe epilepsy. To combat this, he was given a new type of lobotomy that was meant to repair his brain and ease his suffering. The procedure was unsuccessful, and a result, H.M. began to suffer from amnesia and was thus unable to create new memories. The subject of Patient H.M. is fascinating, but unfortunately the writing itself was rather disappointing.

While the primary focus of this book was on Patient H.M., there was also quite a bit of attention given to Bill Scoville, Luke Dittrich's grandfather. Scoville initially performed H.M.'s surgery and ended up becoming a prominent figure in the neuroscience industry - though in a much more controversial manner, as his methods were not as widely and readily accepted. I found the information surrounding Scoville particularly interesting and well-written, and I really felt that the fact that Scoville's grandson - our author - added much to the story-telling. It created a connection that made this book more than just a research project - it was more personal than that.

It is obvious that Dittrich performed in-depth research while writing this book, and his authority certainly shows throughout his elegant writing. Though I am sure he is not quite as knowledgeable as an actual neuroscientist, I think it covers a lot of important areas of neuroscience in a thorough and understandable manner. His writing is mature and fact-filled, but also extremely readable.

Patient H.M. not only explores this fascinating and groundbreaking case, but it also focuses on histories of neuroscience and various procedures, the state of mental asylums, and other various observances within the history of neuroscience and mental health. While this information was all interesting in a general manner, it often made the book feel rather disjointed. If this book were a person telling the story, they would be a person that often falls into tangents and loses their train of thought, thus dragging out any story or conversation to a much longer length than it needed to been. Similarly, I also felt that some of the anecdotes were a bit unnecessary or simply to long-winded, In addition to these issues, many areas felt repetitive, as I distinctly remember thinking more than a few times, 'didn't I just read about this?'

Overall, Patient H.M. is a fascinating story that is sure to enlighten anyone interested in any and all aspects of neuroscience, and I definitely recommend it to those who fit that description. It is due to the writing and somewhat disjointed nature of the book that has led me to give three stars, as it was these reasons that kept me from fully enjoying this book.

Get more reviews and bookish fun in your inbox and subscribe to Forever Lost in Literature!

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Dataclysm by Christian Rudder
Science of the Magical by Matt Kaplan
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale
Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (Spoiler-free!)

*Nevernight will be released on Tuesday, August 9th!*

(US cover here - I am in the U.S., but I just really love the UK/AUS cover)

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. Harper Voyager, 2016. Ebook. 448 pages.

*I received an ARC of Nevernight courtesy of Harper Voyager and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I have been wanting to post this review for what seems like ages now, but since I generally tend to post my review closer to the release date, I've  been waiting and waiting - but I am waiting no more!

Nevernight is truly a masterpiece of immense proportions. If you want a brief review: Go read this book. If you want a more expansive review, please do read on.

This was my first experience with Kristoff's writing, and I fell in love with it almost immediately.  By probably the fifth page or so, I could tell that he was one of those authors that writes with a wonderful flow and instead of merely using words to convey his story, he commands words to say what he wants - his storytelling becomes those words. That probably sounds completely ridiculous, but my point is that his prose is both effortless and powerful all in one and it really makes for a breathtaking (sometimes literally for the characters) reading experience.

Nevernight is essentially about a girl named Mia who hopes to join the ranks of some of the deadliest assassins in the land. There is a boatload of juicy intrigue, plots, and secrets. This a bloody, brutal book with fierce characters and competition and I loved every minute of it.

First, I adored whoever our narrator was. The dry wit and sense of humor were such welcome additions to this dark story. I also particularly loved the footnotes. They added a wonderful dimension to the story and provided detailed background information (or mere asides) that firmly enforced the world-building and truly brought the world of Nevernight alive around me. I don't often see footnotes in fiction books (with a few exceptions), and I really enjoyed the concept. It made it feel much more like I was reading something real and authentic.

For many of the chapters, there is a switch between the telling the story of the present day and telling the story of Mia's past and what got her to the present day. This was one of those rare occasions in which I liked the occasional switches between present day and experiences from Mia's past. Sometimes these can be overdone and a tad on the dry side, but learning about Mia's past was just as interesting and also helped with understanding her and her story. This brings me to Mia, a realistic, badass, and wonderfully developed character that I loved reading about. She's serious and tough, but also maintains her own distinct sense of humor and endearing personality. Along with Mia is Mister Kindly, her not-cat shadow that acts as her constant companion; I loved the relationship between the two characters, as well as the overall concept of what Mister Kindly is as well (keeping it vague because spoilers).

As far as secondary characters go, there is such an abundance of outstanding ones that I'm not going to go through and discuss each one individually here because I'm pretty sure none of you want to sit and read this review all day. Suffice to say, Nevernight is full of interesting, well-developed, and wonderfully molded characters that do nothing but add immense depth and entertainment to the story.

 I was so immersed in this novel that I ended up speeding through it faster than I've sped through a book of this size in a while. The ending was absolutely brutal and  beautiful and heartbreakingly perfect all in one. I sat in awe for quite a long time after finishing this book, and I still occasionally like to sit back and think about what a wonderful journey this book was.

I would like to quickly add that I was pretty confused for the first few pages, as I wasn't sure how long the parallel format storyline was going to continue (despite how wonderfully written it was), but once I got into the groove and things started happening, I was completely hooked and everything fell into place.

Side note: I've been on a very successful book buying ban this year (I've bought hardly any books - most have been ARCs or library books, though I do go to a lot of library sales... but they're so cheap I don't always count them), but I completely splurged and went for the red stained pages from Goldsboro - I'm so excited and it's gorgeous!

I think a star explanation is unnecessary - this is hands down a five-star book that earned itself a place on my favorites shelf. And I personally don't even want to compare this to Harry Potter because it's in a league all on its own - no comparisons or mash-ups necessary.

Get more reviews and bookish fun in your inbox and subscribe to Forever Lost in Literature!

You might also like:
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
And I Darken by Kiersten White
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab