I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

Author: Ally Carter
First Published: April 2006
Publisher: Orchard Books
Series: Gallagher Girls #1
309 pages (paperback)

Cammie Morgan is a student at The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. To the outside world, this is a school for rich young heiresses, elite and snobby young girls. But the truth is, the Academy is a school for training secrets agents -- spies.

Cammie's mother is the headmistress and her family (as most other girls' families at this school) have a long history with working for the CIA, MI6, Interpol, etc. Cammie's entire life has revolved around training to become a spy. She's not an ordinary girl, she lives no ordinary life, and she knows that.

During an exam in the field where she and her classmates must tail one of their teachers, Cammie is shocked to have a civilian boy named Josh who notices her and tries to talk to her. She's not supposed to be noticed when she's on a mission, she's supposed to totally blend in! At first, she and her classmates are freaked out that this and begin utilizing their secret agent knowledge to dig up all sorts of information about him. Is he working for someone sinister and trying to use Cammie in some way, especially since she is the headmistress' daughter??

But no ... actually, it turns out he is a very ordinary person. He talked to Cammie because he thought she was cute and wanted to ask her out! Cammie is suddenly in a completely new world -- boys? Dating? She has no idea what she's supposed to do, but decides to try out this new relationship anyway. Everything seems to be going well until she realizes she can never ever tell Josh that she's a secret agent in training, and not only because it, well, wouldn't make her a very good secret agent but because Josh and the rest of his friends hate the girls who attend the Gallagher Academy.

I randomly read book three years ago, when I didn't realize it was a part of a series. I don't really remember what happened in that book, but I think I liked it. Anyway, I recently acquired the entire series in paperback format so I'm going to read them all in order this time. I'm determined to read the entire series because I have re-fallen in love with Ally Carter's Heist Society series and wanted to read her other YA book series. To that end, I am a tad disappointed in this first book for the Gallagher Girls because I simply do not think it is anywhere as good as her Heist Society series. However, I liked it enough that I will definitely keep reading it (especially since I jumped the gun and  bought all 6 books already ...)

It's marketed more for young teenagers, and I thought the story was perfect for its age group (guess I'm a young teen at heart, hahaha). It was  a very solid story that was fun to read, and funny to boot. Whizzed through it pretty quick! This was a very cute story. I think cute is the right word for it. It is fairly short, it has a very simple story and concludes well. The characters all have their own personalities. Overall, I liked the story. The thing is, I'm not particularly impressed or in awe or whatever over any part of the story. Nothing really stuck out. At the same time, I don't have anything serious to complain about it either.

Well, this isn't really a complaint per se, but the book can be rather unbelievable. Not that I ever thought a secret spy school for teenagers was in the realm of reality, but sometimes it was really hard to believe these were 15 and 16 year old genius IQ girls who could take down a full grown man but can't handle socializing with a teenage boy. I think I aged them up in my mind. Anyway, have to go into this with an open mind and almost think of this story as a cartoon.

My Rating: 3/5

Crimson Bound

Author: Rosamund Hodge
First Published: May 2015
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
448 pages (ebook)


So, I misread and thought this was a re-telling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood story. Actually, what the synopsis-thingy says is that it is inspired. Not a re-telling! I must say though, it's pretty loosely inspired. Like, really really really loosely. Which was slightly disappointing only because nobody ever does retellings/inspirations based on LRRH (usually it's Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast or something). However, this is really a very nice novel on its own.

CRIMSON BOUND has a very unique world which I will attempt to explain but probably won't do it justice. The story centers on a teenaged girl named Rachelle, who is training to be a woodwife. A woodwife is a person who makes charms and simple things like that to ward against evil. In the world Rachelle lives in, there is this place called the Forest (with a capital F, mind you). It is both a physical location as well as a sort of evil force that is everywhere. For example, you could be standing in your living room and see glimpses of the Forest. Anyway, the Forest is home to all sorts of nasty creatures, woodspawn and forestborn and stuff, who go on a Great Hunt from time to time and basically hunt down humans for sport. The master of the Forest is called the Devourer, who has no real form (I guess the Devourer is the wolf from LRRH?)

When Rachelle was younger and being trained by her Aunt Leonie to become a woodwife, she accidentally strays from a forest path and becomes marked by the Forest. Once marked, a human has three days to kill another human. If you kill another human, you will live as a bloodbound (supernatural human) for a few years or so, then the Forest will claim you and you become a forestborn (non human, immortal Forest creature). If you don't kill someone in three days, well, then you die instead. Rachelle, in her desperate desire for survival, chooses to kill someone.

The current story takes place three years after Rachelle killed someone. She is a bloodbound, kept by the King. Usually humans want to kill bloodbounds but the King keeps some around because supernatural humans make excellent bodyguards and hey, when the time comes for them to be reclaimed by the Forest, the humans will kill the bloodbound then. In my opinion I am not sure that is the safest idea but whatever. Rachelle and another fellow bloodbound, Erec, work for the King, protecting humans from woodspawn and stuff.

Erec is completely resigned to his fate and actually looks forward to becoming an immortal being; if he has to work for a completely soulless evil creature, then so be it. Rachelle, on the other hand, is desperate to fight her destiny. She still carries immense guilt from having killed another human three years ago. Her only hope is to find the legendary sword, Joyeuse, one of two swords said to be able to defeat the Devourer. Furthermore, time is running out, as nights stretch longer and day time hours shrink. The Endless Night approaches. But it's all only legends, right?

Rachelle's quest to find Joyeuse is thrown in a loop though when the King assigns her to be the bodyguard for one of his (many) bastard sons, Armand. Armand is his current favourite, a teenage boy who was marked by the Forest but refused to kill another human being. Somehow, he survived and all he lost were his hands. Initially Rachelle hates Armand as she thinks he's totally lying about being marked and surviving -- that has NEVER happened before -- but she later realizes Armand is instrumental in locating Joyeuse.

This book's strengths: First of all, I think the story world is incredibly unique. I probably butchered my explanation of how the Forest works and you're thinking, "What the hell is she talking about?" but I love the Forest. I love how its sort of everywhere, and sort of isn't. It's an evil force and also a physical place. I just imagine an enchanted forest with creepy animals, monsters and twisted human creatures with antlers and stuff, blowing their horns and going on their hunts for humans. I like forests in general so maybe that's why I'm particularly fond of this concept, haha. Also, the whole idea of being marked and having to kill a person in 3 days or die yourself is pretty unique curse, in an angsty kind of way.

Another great strength of this book is the writing. Rosamund Hodge has a sort of whimsical/enchanted way of writing especially with the chapters explaining the Joyeuse legend (which is spread out throughout the novel). She's a great YA writer, I think, which is kind of rare 'cause there's a lot of shitty YA writers ...

And of course, I loved the plot of the story. It's kind of predictable and you kind of figure out very early on that, duh, the legends are all true (sorry if that spoils things for you, but it's kind of obvious to me), but I still wanted to see how it would all play out.

As for the characters, I think that's the weaker part of the novel. Okay, Rachelle and Armand are not particularly interesting characters. Rachelle is really angsty. Like, really really angsty. Which may be other people's cup of tea but it really wasn't mine. I get why she feels that way, but still. And Armand was just bleh. And for reasons I do not really understand, they fall in love. I hated how it was an AHA! lightbulb moment of realization too. Rachelle just goes, "Oh hey! I just realized I'm in love with you!" It was honestly kind of lame and I expected better, considering how the rest of the novel seems to be so awesome.

Oh and the one person I DO like -- Erec -- well, turns out I really shouldn't be liking him. Rachelle totally feels the same way, haha. I know, I know, Erec's totally evil and all that, but you gotta admire a guy who is utterly devoted to a girl. I mean, he never once turned on her (well, not completely anyway). Plus he's supposed to be swoon-worthy so of course I imagined Erec as the hottest guy ever. That's probably why he was my favourite.

Yeah, there's kind of a love triangle in this book, and a lot of people are burned out by love triangles in YA novels, but I think it was totally fine in this book. It's not forced like it is in some other books. Okay, well, it's a little teensy bit forced, but I thought it all fit the story nicely in this particularly book.

Anyway, I rambled long enough. Bottom line is, this is not really an LRRH book so if you want to read it ONLY because you think it's some sort of LRRH retelling, don't, because it's not. But if you want a good solid, YA fantasy novel, this is your ticket!

My Rating: 4/5

Air Awakens

Author: Elisa Kova
First Published: August 2015
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Series: Air Awakens #1
392 pages (ebook)

I'm totally guilty of picking up books based on their cover art, and this book has a gorgeous cover. I fell in love immediately! Plus, it was only like, $5 on my Kobo e-reader app, so I decided to read it. Luckily, I felt the story lived up to my expectations. Overall I had a wonderful time reading this novel and I'm so excited to read book two, FIRE FALLING (also $5 only!)

AIR AWAKENS takes place in a high fantasy setting, where the Solaris Empire is at war with some of its neighbors and is pretty much winning, conquering everyone. To be honest I don't really remember the names of the various kingdoms and cities, but that's not really that important. Anyway, our main character is Vhalla, a 17-almost-18 year old library apprentice who works in the palace. What does a library apprentice do in the Imperial library? They read, they organize books, they catalog new books that the Empire takes from the conquered nations, they re-bind and fix up old books, etc. It's a rather scholarly profession to be in. Vhalla loves books and reading and is very happy to be a library apprentice.

One day, Prince Aldrik returns from the warfront gravely injured. Vhalla, mistakenly thinking that it was Prince Baldair that was injured (she secretly crushes on him), frantically searches through the library for the books that lead to the clerics being able to cure the poison in his body. Unknowingly, Vhalla saves Aldrik's life, which is the beginning of her troubles ...

Saving Aldrik's life leads to the Tower of Sorcerers becoming very interested in Vhalla. The notes she took from the books to find the cure for the poison have little elements of magic clinging to them, which is how the sorcerers find Vhalla. Aldrik, a sorcerer himself, becomes interested in Vhalla and reveals to her that she is a sorcerer. Because she is a sorcerer and saved his life, they are now Bonded. However, she is no ordinary sorcerer -- she is a Windwalker, a sorcerer that specializes in manipulating the wind and air. And there hasn't been one in nearly 150 years.

Vhalla is conflicted because sorcery is something most common people fear. She doesn't want to be a sorcerer. She just wants to be an ordinary girl, work in the library, maybe marry a nice guy some day ... However, she is also curious about her magical side. The arrogant and "jerk" Prince Aldrik reluctantly finds himself mentoring Vhalla on her newfound abilities. Unexpectedly for the both of them, the two find themselves growing closer, though due to their vast difference in status, they are both very conscious of becoming too friendly with one another.

Vhalla must decide if she wants to pursue magical learning or not, or have herself Eradicated -- that is, to have all her magical inclinations removed and be a normal human being. At the same time, she cannot have anyone else find out that she is such a rare sorcerer, as Windwalkers are greatly feared for their power and the Empire may want to use her for their own purpose ...

If you watch anime or read manga, then you'll probably enjoy this book a lot. The story, the characters and the scenes in this book are all very reminiscent of anime/manga. Not that that's a bad thing -- I'm just saying, it's clearly influenced. For example, Vhalla seems like a very typical shoujo manga heroine (naive and cute) and Prince Aldrik the handsome, misunderstood jerk who secretly is really nice. Some of the scenes are very dramatic in typical anime/manga fashion. I personally rather enjoy anime and manga from time to time so I really enjoyed this novel. So, I guess, no this isn't a particularly deep story but it's definitely fun to read.

The characters aren't particularly complex, but I do love Vhalla and Aldrik's relationship. Okay, let's face it -- they're totally going to end up a couple. And that's okay. What I love about their relationship is that it's not like a lot of YA relationships where there's instant love and they can't live without one another and they're glued at the hip. By the end of the novel, Vhalla and Aldrik still haven't admitted to one another that they clearly like one another. They haven't kissed at all. They kind of hugged, which is probably the most intimacy they have in the whole novel. They feel like their relationship is up in the air. And I love this ambiguity the characters feel about their relationship because a lot of YA novels tend to rush the romance which cheapens it. This relationship  between Vhalla and Aldrik progresses at a more natural pace and therefore, feels more genuine. As the reader, I feel more emotionally invested in their characters and their relationship because of it.

The story is pretty good. It's not a story that's particularly unique or anything, but it's fun and I'm left eager to read the second book, so that's something. The thing with the story is that the pacing isn't the greatest. The beginning is pretty sluggish. Then there's some really fun scenes, followed by some more slow plot-moving. Then some fun scenes again. Anyway, it alternates. I mean, overall, I enjoyed the story, but I think it could have been improved a little. For example, there's a short paragraph near the end of the book where it's just describing how Vhalla is brushing her hair -- I mean, seriously? Do I care how she's brushing her hair? Or the paragraphs describing clothing and room decorations in great detail. Maybe some people like that stuff, but I just need a general idea to be satisfied with descriptions; I really don't need to know how Aldrik's outfit looks like exactly, down to each button or whatever.

My overall impression is that this is a solid fantasy novel. I've already got book two downloaded onto my e-reader app and I'm pretty excited to find out what happens next. If you like YA fantasy, YA romance, anime or manga, then I think you will find AIR AWAKENS to be a great read.

My Rating: