Book Nerds Across America: melissa de la cruz

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Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Queen's Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz

Book Summary
Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia's deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he's the Guild's most dangerous member and the Queen's one and only assassin. He's also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow--to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.

Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts--to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she'll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.

When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they're forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they'll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they'll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen's Secret series.

Flo's Review
This has been on my TBR for awhile, so I was super excited to win a copy from Bookish First. I thought it would make a good travel companion, so it came along with me over the holidays.

Here's the thing...it was alright. Like, all of it. Was fine. But just fine.

The world and the world building I could tell was well thought out. But maybe almost too well thought out? I felt like I was constantly forgetting what place was where, and which people wanted what. I feel like if I was really focusing I could have gotten everything, but I wasn't in the mood to really focus. I just wanted to be entertained. Thankfully, and a strength of the book, is that even with me not fully understanding the political dynamics of the world, I could still enjoy the story.

The characters...were alright. Caledon is fine. Shadow is fine. They're fine together. But there was nothing about either one of them, or about them together, that really made them stand out for me.

Same with the story. It was interesting. It was fine. Again, well thought out, but it just didn't stand out for me.

Here's my question for you guys...do you think part of this could be because I'm having Fantasy Fatigue? (I just made that term up, but I'm meaning it here like I've read so many fantasy novels lately that they're all starting to blend together into one nondescript blob.) Like, maybe I would have had a stronger reaction to this story if I hadn't been on a such a fantasy kick lately. Maybe I've burned out.

What do you think?

The Queen's Assassin publishes February 2020 from Penguin Teen. Thank you again to Bookish First for the advance reader's copy.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Book review: Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, and Kasie West

Book Summary
What's better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story? Four of them, from some of today's bestselling authors.

From KASIE WEST, a snowy road trip takes an unexpected detour when secrets and crushes are revealed.

From AIMEE FRIEDMAN, a Hanukkah miracle may just happen when a Jewish girl working as a department store elf finds love.

From MELISSA DE LA CRUZ, Christmas Eve gets a plot twist when a high school couple exchange surprising presents.

From NIC STONE, a scavenger hunt amid the holiday crowds at an airport turns totally romantic.

So grab a mug of hot cocoa, snuggle up, and get ready to fall in love...

Flo's Review
This was exactly what I hoped it would be. Four quick, easy-to-read, heartwarming stories full of holiday cheer and fun. Kasie West's story was classic Kasie West, and my favorite of the four. I love road trip stories, so this one was right up my alley and so adorable. I wanted to hug him, I loved his friends and sister, and this was all around so fun to read. The second story wasn't bad. I liked the Hanukkah miracle character (I'm trying to not to spoil it here -- lol). That element made the story for me. The third story....ehhh. I was "Ehhh" while reading it, and I got to the end and was like, "Ok." It might be because I recently watched the Disney/Mickey & Minnie version of the story and liked that one better? The Nic Stone story was deep while also being cute. It made great social points, while also just being fun. A scavenger hunt?! What's not to love?!!? Plus, I've spent so much time in the Atlanta airport, that I could so easily visualize everything that was described.

So if you're looking for a quick, easy, fun holiday read, definitely pick this collection up!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Book review: Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

Book Summary
Their romance shaped a nation. The rest was history.

1777. Albany, New York.

As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society’s biggest events: the Schuylers’ grand ball. Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling country’s founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughters—Angelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival that of both her sisters, though she’d rather be aiding the colonists’ cause than dressing up for some silly ball.

Still, she can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington’s right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he can’t believe his luck—as an orphan, and a bastard one at that—to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.

Flo's Review
You know as soon as I discovered that this book was going to exist, I added it to my TBR. I love Hamilton and was really excited about the opportunity to delve more into their love story. My fiance was a history major and always delights in reminding me that everything about the play is not 100% factual. Creative liberties were taken for the sake of the story and the presentation. So it was good for me to read another take, another version of the story. I found myself comparing the differences in this book to the differences in the play, thinking: "That's not how it happened!" But then I would have to remind myself that the play isn't exactly how it happened either. It was an interesting experience and I really enjoyed it.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator takes on a tone of speaking to match the old world style of writing. At first I thought to myself, "I can't do this." Between the audiobook reader's obvious affected tone and the older style of speaking in the writing, I felt like I was listening to a history book. But I kept on listening. I found that I enjoyed Eliza's spirit and intelligence and Alex's endearing character. And the more I listened, the more it made sense to me that the audiobook narrator was speaking as she was. It added an extra layer of seeming authenticity to the story. It still would have worked with someone speaking regularly, but it honestly sounded more realistic in the more formal tone. I appreciate what she did; it really worked for this story.

The end of the story was interesting. I enjoyed how de la Cruz was able to incorporate another famous person into the story that most Americans remember from their history lessons (and pop culture phrasing). But some of it was random. Why all the focus on her mother's thoughts all of a sudden? I feel like this could have ended with the wedding and been wrapped up perfectly, without the extra bed chamber and honeymoon scenes.

Eliza's sister Peggy is hardly mentioned in the play, so it was nice to learn her story and see her personality. We got to really see the Schuyler sisters together; and they fit together so well. The bad guy was baaaad. Well done! I really did not like the guy.

Alex & Eliza is definitely enjoyable for fans of Hamilton, and I think it will be definitely interesting for history buffs. We got a good bit about the war and a very nice feel for what it was like to live during those times.

Friday, September 16, 2011

September Extravaganza - Week of Giveaways, Day V

The Witches of East End ARC by Melissa De La Cruz

From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches (from Goodreads).

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