Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass [review]

Title: Throne of Glass (first of the series)

Author: Sarah J. Mass

Language: English

404 pages

First published: 2012

Genre: Fantasy

My rating: 4/5

Celaena Sardothien telah ditawan di tambang garam Endovier selama setahun berkat aktivitasnya yang malang melintang sebagai seorang Assassin paling ditakuti di Adarlan. Dia dibawa paksa oleh kapten pengawal Chaol Westfall dan diseret ke hadapan sang Putra Mahkota, Dorian Havilliard. Celaena mengira inilah akhir hidupnya, dipenggal di hadapan calon raja Adarlan. Namun diluar dugaannya, Celaena justru ditawari posisi sebagai champion pilihan Dorian, untuk mengikuti kompetisi memperebutkan gelar King's Champion. Jika dia berhasil memenangkan kompetisi, maka Celaena akan dianugerahi gelar King's Champion dan menjadi assassin yang melapor langsung kepada sang raja selama empat tahun sebelum akhirnya dia dibebaskan. Antara kebebasan yang tertunda atau kematian di Endovier, tentu Celaena lebih memilih yang pertama.

Celaena pun pergi ke istana, dilatih secara pribadi oleh sang kapten yang dingin, disponsori langsung oleh sang putra mahkota, dan berusaha mengalahkan saingan-saingannya dibawah nama samaran Lillian Gordaina, seorang pencuri berlian dari Bellhaven. Masalah mulai muncul ketika satu persatu calon King's Champion terbunuh dengan cara mengenaskan, dengan kondisi otak dan organ dalam tubuh hilang dari jasad mereka. Celaena menduga pastilah tanda aneh bernama Wyrd itu penyebabnya. Tentu saja dia harus menyelidiki masalah ini seperti tokoh utama sebuah novel yang baik, hehehee...

Sebagai buku pertama dari sebuah saga, buku ini menghadirkan pembukaan yang sangat seru dan menarik meskipun tema yang diangkat (cewek tangguh penyelamat dunia) sudah sangat klise untuk genre ini. Latar belakang Celaena sebagai Assassin juga sangat menarik dan menimbulkan banyak sekali pertanyaan. Misteri-misteri yang sedikit demi sedikit dibeberkan pun bukannya menjawab pertanyaan, namun justru berhasil membuat pembaca makin bertanya-tanya. Seolah-olah dalam novel ini berhamburan tanda tanya-tanda tanya besar untuk menggoda para pembacanya. Oh iya, bagi yang suka adegan berantem dan bunuh-bunuhan seperti saya, pasti akan suka dengan novel ini, karena, well....kompetisi untuk menjadi assassin pribadi raja, what do you expect? Adegan action seolah bertaburan di buku ini. Meski begitu, chemistry ketiga karakter utamanya sudah terlihat jelas bahkan sejak buku pertama lho... ini bukti bahwa karakter-karakternya sudah sangat kuat sejak awal, bulat sempurna. Thumbs up :)

What Is Hidden by Lauren Skidmore [review]

Title: What Is Hidden

Author: Lauren Skidmore

Language: English

265 pages

Genre: Fairytale retelling, Romance

My Rating: 4/5

Di sebuah negeri nun jauh di sana (iya, saya juga nggak tahu letaknya di mana kok) ada sebuah kerajaan bernama Venesia (ini bukan Venesia yang kota Venice itu lho ya...beda euy). Di negeri itu, semua penduduknya memakai topeng. Jika kau dari keluarga nelayan, kau memakai topeng dengan dominasi warna biru, jika kau dari keluarga seniman, warna hijaulah yang mendominasi. Lain lagi jika kau memiliki darah bangsawan, kau diperbolehkan memakai topeng berwarna ungu. Dan topeng berwarna putih hanya diperuntukkan bagi keluarga kerajaan saja. Ditambah lagi, semakin tinggi status sosialmu, semakin tertutup topengmu....jadi, er, bisa dibayangkan kan bentuk topeng yang dipakai keluarga kerajaan? Putih cemerlang dengan hiasan kristal, berlian dan mutiara juga bulu angsa, dan menutup seluruh wajah, juga masih ditambah dengan seberkas kerudung yang menutupi mata. O-okeee.....er....

Evie merupakan gadis delapan belas tahun dari keluarga seniman pembuat topeng. Dia sering berbelanja pita dan dan renda untuk topeng-topeng bikinannya ditemani sahabat karibnya, seorang bangsawan yang down to earth namun misterius, Aiden. Evie baru saja menerima dua topeng dari istana yang rusak dan hendak diperbaikinya ketika ayahnya terbunuh pada suatu malam, topeng-toping karyanya dirampok, dan rumahnya dibakar oreh seorang pria tak dikenal, kriminal yang bisa menyamar menjadi siapa saja yang terkenal dengan sebutan Chameleon (bunglon).

Jadi bisa dibayangkan kan, di tempat dimana semua orang bertopeng, akan sangat mudah bergonta-ganti identitas. Buka dulu tooopeeengmuuu.... *nyanyi*...dan whusss....ajaib, sekarang kau sudah punya nama baru, dan pekerjaan baru. Nobody really knows what you look like. Btw, ini negeri aneh cocok kayaknya buat tempat tinggal orang-orang dengan krisis identitas parah ;p

Eniwei, lanjut ke ceritanya tadi. Terbunuhnya sang ayah dan hilangnya semua topeng membuat Evie menjadi seseorang yang tak memiliki identitas. Dia dengan putus asa melakukan apapun untuk bertahan hidup dan mencari sang Chameleon. Untunglah topeng istana yang akan direparasinya masih dipegangnya. Dan tentu saja, Evie masuk ke istana dengan topeng baru dan identitas baru sebagai seorang pelayan dapur istana, sambil terus mencari tahu keberadaan sang pembunuh ayahnya.

Novel ini sebenarnya cerita retelling Cinderella yang penuh dengan twist di sana sini. Jujur saja, bagian paling mirip Cinderella dari novel ini sebenarnya cuma adegan pesta dansa yang berakhir jam 12 malam itu. Adegan akhir novel ini sebenarnya sudah bisa ditebak dengan mudah (ya iyalah...cerita Cinderella gitu...pasti adegan gongnya pesta dansa jam 12 malam itu, wkwkwk), namun entah kenapa saya enjoy banget baca buku ini. Tahu kan, ada masa-masa saat kau sedang tidak ingin baca buku dengan plot yang berat, adegan yang bikin mikir atau sakit hati...ya, pokoknya pengen bacaan yang ringan banget, serasa makan snack. Hehe, ya, inilah buku itu. Retelling Cinderella ringan yang enak dibaca dan menurut saya sangat menghibur, ditambah chemistry dua karakter utamanya yang menurut saya dapet banget feel nya.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard [review]

383 pages (English edition)

Genre: Fantasy

Published: 2015

My rating: 4/5

"Anyone can betray anyone."

Sejak entah kapan, dunia ini sudah terbagi menjadi kelompok-kelompok tertentu. Semua orang dilahirkan dengan memiliki label tergantung dari warna kulit atau status sosial atau kepercayaan. Novel ini menghadirkan pertentangan akan sebuah perbedaan ke tingkat yang lebih ekstrim: warna darah yang mengalir dalam tubuh manusia.

RED

SILVER

Merah dan perak adalah warna darah manusia yang menjadi pemicu sebuah kesenjangan sosial yang sangat ekstrim. Jika kau memiliki darah berwarna merah, maka kau adalah kaum terendah di negeri ini; miskin, petani rendah, kuli rendah atau tentara yang tidak mungkin berpangkat tinggi dan selalu dikirim ke garis depan medan pertempuran. Namun jika kau terberkati dengan warna perak di dalam nadimu, kau otomatis menjadi warga kelas atas, mungkin royalty, mungkin bangsawan, mungkin juga pengusaha kaya....dan memiliki satu kekuatan super, entah itu telekinetis, mengendalikan api, kemampuan membaca pikiran, atau apapun. Kaum berdarah merah tidak punya kesempatan menentangmu, karena secara fisik kau lebih kuat.

Mare Barrow, seorang gadis tujuh belas tahun dari keluarga Red yang miskin, dengan tiga kakak laki-laki yang dipaksa maju ke medan perang, hampir putus asa ketika dia bertemu Cal yang baik hati dan memberinya pekerjaan di istana sebagai pelayan. Mare sedang bekerja ketika kontes pemilihan calon ratu sedang berlangsung, namun jangan membayangkan beauty peagant macam pemilihan Miss Universe ya....karena para gadis Silver dari keluarga-keluarga terpandang satu persatu maju dan memamerkan kekuatan super mereka: yang terkuatlah yang akan menjadi Putri Mahkota dan bertunangan dengan sang Putra Mahkota.

Kecelakaan yang terjadi di arena membuat Mare menunjukkan kekuatannya di hadapan ratusan Silver dan keluarga kerajaan. Namun bagaimana bisa? Bukankah Mare adalah seorang Red? Inilah yang membuat keluarga kerajaan memutuskan untuk menyembunyikan identitas Mare yang sebenarnya, dan menyamarkannya menjadi seorang Silver dan menyusupkannya ke Istana sebagai Putri dan bertunangan dengan Maven Sang Pangeran, adik dari Putra Mahkota.

Sementara itu kelompok pemberontak berdarah merah sedang membuat istana berkeringat, dan Mare tidak tahu siapa yang sebenarnya bisa dia percaya kerena....seperti yang terus diulang-ulang sepanjang buku "anyone can betray anyone".

Plot yang menyajikan sebuah perbedaan, penindasan, lalu terjadi pemberontakan sebenarnya adalah plot yang sering sekali dipakai di novel-novel dengan genre ini. Novel ini tidak terlalu spesial pada awalnya, namun begitu mencapai puncaknya, klimaksnya...wow! Plot twist nya sungguh WOW! Saya sampai terkaget-kaget dan syok bahkan sampai buku ini sudah selesai saya baca. Inilah kenapa buku ini layak mendapat penghargaan Goodreads Choice Award 2015. Dan kabarnya, buku ini akan segera diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia lho....jadi tunggu saja ya....

Dan oh iya, saran saya kalau membaca buku ini, jika agak-agak bosan di bagian awal atau tengah, tetaplah bertahan dan sabar, hahaha...karena the best is the last. Dan jangan. sekali lagi JANGAN sekali-kali mengintip bagian belakangnya, atau membaca spoiler atau apapun deh. JANGAN! Karena that'll definitely ruin the fun.

Winter by Marissa Meyer [review]

Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Author: Marissa Meyer

824 pages

First published: 2015

Genre: sci-fi, dystopia, romance

My rating: 4/5

"I would be honored to die in service of my country." -- Emperor Kaito

After the big 'kidnapping' mission in the end of book three, the final of the saga started with the nice and peaceful life aboard the rampion. Kai and Cinder developed a lovey dovey relationship, despite the war between Earth and Luna. The happy atmosphere was increased by Carswell Thorne's miraculeous comeback of his eyesight. Sadly, it was also the time for Kai to return to Earth to take back his place as the Emperor and take care of his people in the middle of a devastating war.

Thorne piloted Kai back to the Eastern Commonwealth, and (this is one of my favorite part, because you can practically feel the bromance oozing from the pages) had a man-to-man and heart-to-heart conversation. I love this scene so much because I've been dying to se some bromance or friendship between the male characters, and finally! Finally it happened in the last book. Thank you, Ms. Meyer. Yes, I know I'm weird that way. Okay, moving on...

Their plan to stop the war was simple: Kai would try to convince Levana to have the royal wedding on Luna, and he would smuggle Cinder and the crew to Luna. From there, Cinder would try to gain trust from the citizen of Luna and take back the crown with the support of the people of Luna. Simple, ringht? Yeah, right.... (yes, I'm being synical). The plan had many loopholes of course, and everything did not work out as smooth as they planned...but you have to read it yourself to get the feel of the story.

Meanwhile, on Luna, Levana's step daughter (Winter) was rumored to have a natural beauty without glamour: lips as red as rose petals, hair as dark as the night sky and as silk as the silk....remember those? Yes, the famous fairy tale of Snow White. But the most interesting is, winter did not have the skin the colour of snow!!! An epic and beautiful twist, if I may say, bravo, Ms. Meyer. For the first time in history, Snow White was not pictured as white. Anyway, Winter vowed to stop using glamour several years back because she thought it was not right to use it. The problem was, when you stop using something you were born with, you would not be as healthy as you should be. In short, Winter had crazy halucination and sometimes she could not differenciate between reality and halucination. She should take a page out of Peeta Mellark from Hunger Games, I say. Real or not real? Ups...hehe... Well, basically, Winter tried to help Cinder and defy her stepmother despite her lack of grap in reality.

To be honest, after reading such a wonderful third book (Cress), this finale seemed a little 'go around the bush'. The pace of the story is not as fast as I like it to be. The best thing about reading a sequel is the characters; they are usually very well-developed. But I have to say, I do not like Wolf, Winter, and Jacin's character very much. They tend to focus more on themselves and their love life than the bigger picture of the war. I know it is human nature, self-preservation, but still...I don't have to like them, right?

Another thing that disturbed me was the similarity between this book and the classic fairy tale of Snow White was a little forced and a little too much. I know it is a fairy tale retelling, but there is a term of 'too much retelling'. It happened in this book and in the second book.

Despite all that, I really like the hidden meaning behind the saga. All the characters are from different places, different backgrounds, different skin colors, and different races...but they interact with each other without batting an eyelid, like those silly things do not matter, like we all are the same in the future....well, of course you have to forgive the glamour issues of Luna and the cyborg thingy that lead the story to all these drama of manipulation and discrimination, hahahaaa....

Over all, these series are some of the best sci-fi books I read in 2015. Enjoy... ^_^

Cress by Marissa Meyer [review]

Title: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopia, Romance

Published: 2014

550 pages

My rating: 5/5

"You know, when I was a kid, I was tricked into thinking that princesses wore tiaras and hosted tea parties. Now that I've met a real princess, I must say, I'm kind of disappointed" - Carswell Thorne

"You can help me pick out a tiara when we're done saving the world" - Cinder

The scene from the third book of the series started with the interaction in the Rampion spaceship among 4 people (Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf) and one android named Iko with a suspected-faulty-personality. Wolf allowed Cinder to practice her Lunar gift on him and taught her in hand-to-hand combat.

When Cinder managed to communicate with the girl with the long hair who gave her information regarding Levana the Evil Queen, the whole crew decided to help rescue the girl from her confinement in a tiny satelite orbiting the Earth. The rescue plan didn't work out as they planned because the head thaumaturge Sybil Mira was waiting for them and set a trap, resulting in Cress and Thorne to fell to Earth in the satelite, Scarlet was kidnapped by Sybil Mira, and Wolf was critically injured. Cinder was forced to accept help from Jacin, the former pilot of Sybil who declared himself as "faithful to his Princess".

Cinder, Jacin and Wolf found themself in Farafrah, a small town in Africa where Lunar and Earthen lived in open harmony, to meet Dr.Erland. Meanwhile, Cress and Thorne (who was blind because of the satelite incident) must cross the terrifying Sahara Desert.

And where s Kai? This handsome Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth found information regarding Cinder and now believed that She was actually doing something good by trying to find the missing Lunar Princess Selene. In the meantime, he believed that the only way to save the people of Earth is by agreeing to a marriage aliance with Luna and marry Levana.

Was Cinder going to stay calm and accept the love of her life marrying her evil aunt slash queen? Of course not! that was why she was going to kidnap Kai on his wedding day!

This is the best book of the series! yes, you read that right. THE BEST! Believe me, I've finished reading the whole series, and this book is still the best! I got this dreamy look and the euforic feeling several hours after reading this book, heheheee....

So, if you are my blog reader, you must knw that I am a big fan of action and fast pace in a novel. And trust me, this novel can offer you both! It is packed with action from the get go, till the end, which is also good in keeping the suspense running! I literally cannot put it down....oh, God...so good!

The characters are better developed in this book than the first two. It is really no surprise because this happens a lot with series book. Book one is a good warming up, book two usually sucks, and the book before the last book is usually the best. But, hey, this is just my own silly observation, by the way. But this series happens to fit the pattern. So, conclusion: THIS BOOK ROCKS!

I actually cannot say anything more because well, the plot: good.
Characters: good.
Pace: fast.
Action: full.
Suspense: totally page-turning.
Language: well-written.
Sarkasm: sarcastic enough for me.
Humor: it cracked me up in several parts.

So what can I say? It is that good! Love it so much!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer [review]

Title: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author : Marissa Meyer
Published: 2013
452 pages
Genre: sci-fi, dystopia, romance, fairytale retelling
My rating: 3/5

"Wolf, are you asking me to be... your alpha female?" -Scarlet

That single line quoted from the book above totally sent me into a fit of laughter there. And here goes my review of the second book of the series...

Scarlet Benoit was a red headed girl, who loved wearing a red hoodie anywhere she wanted, and lived with her grandmother in the small town of Rioux, France. Ding Dong! That's right, she was our little red riding hood from the famous fairytale! Except, she was actually not so little anymore. She was eighteen years old, and she was in such a state of panic and rage because her grandmother, Michelle Benoit was kidnapped. Her ID chip was cut of from her wrist, her portscreen was left behind, and the police gave up her case. Of course, as a good grandaughter, she could not leave it like this. So she took the case into her own hands, looking for the poor old grandmother through the forest accompanied by.....Wolf!

Just like the good old fairytale, isn't it?

Wait for it, this is the real twist. Remember Linh Cinder from book 1? And gorgeously handsome Prince (now Emperor) Kaito?
Cinder managed to escape her prison before Evil Queen Levana of Lunar Kingdom executed her, and she brought a friend (a fellow prisoner) along the way. Together, they travelled into the orbit outside Earth and tried to go to Europe. Emperor Kai was confused because Queen Levana gave him an ultimatum to capture Cinder or she would attack Earth. Of course there had to be several close call scenes in this book related to Linh Cinder. Moreover, Cinder knew something new about her past, and she intended to see Michelle Benoit for answers.

We can guess from those plot that our two girls were going to meet each other. Perhaps, in a spectacular way of some sort.

For me, I like the first book better because of several reasons:

1) Book 1 has all perfectly developed characters, I think. but I don't know...I just don't really like Scarlet's character a lot. Throughout the book, she seemed to be always in panic, or anger, or confusion....so, eventhough she was a pilot, and could shoot with a gun, the character seemed off for me. Not perfectly round.

2) The suspense is better in book 1 (and the pace is faster in book 1). Reading book 1 a.k.a. Cinder, felt like things happened so fast. On minute the King died, then the next is the arrival of the Evil Queen, then the ball, then bam bam bam! Fast! It kept me reading through the whole book like flying, which, I didn't find in this second book.Several times I found myself sleepy through some scenes in this book.

3) The romance from this book is a little forced for me, not really natural. But, that's me. Hey, don't judge, I'm not a good romance reader, apparently, heheheee...

4) The plot or should I say the content, is too light. I mean, it is okay. But that's it. Just okay. After the first fantastic book, this book is not so good.

5) And the last is my own personal selfish reason. WHERE IS KAI?! I know he was pictured in several chapters, but I need more! Kai is supposed to be all over the pages!!! *please don't mind me. I'm just having this prince phase that every girl has, apparently*

So, all in all....this book is good. Eventhough the first book was better, but let's keep our fingers crossed, right? I hope the next book is better.

See you!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer [review]

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
First published: 2012
390 pages
Genre: Sci-fi, dystopia, romance
My rating: 4/5

What's in your mind when you hear the word "Cinderella"? Perhaps the blue dress, the pumpkin carriage, the glass shoes, the midnignt curfew, and the happily ever after? Well, those are not what you'll get by reading this fairytale retelling novel.

"It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth." --chapter 19

Linh Cinder is a famously gifted mechanic who worked and lived in New Beijing, 126 years after the World War IV. Eventhough she was a very skillful mechanic, she was considered a second-class citizen because she is a cyborg (part human, part machine). Almost 40% of her body was machine because of a very traumatic accident in the past that she lost one of her feet and hands...and her memories since before she was turned into a cyborg. She was adopted at the age of 11, and she lived with her guardian slash stepmother Linh Adri and her two stepsisters (Linh Pearl and Linh Peony).

She was brooding on a hot day in her small shop in the market when Prince Kai of Eastern Commonwealth came to get his tutor android repaired. And of course the prince had to be very handsome, and polite and funny and in short, Cinder was interested in the prince and vice versa. But of course things got a little complicated when the market was shut down because of 'the plague'. Letumosis is an extremely deadly sickness that attacts randomly and the patients' life would be numbered in days.

Peony and Cinder loved each other like real siblings eventhough they are stepsisters. Cinder was devastated when Peony was infected by the plague and must be taken to quarantie. Adri blamed Cinder for Peony's sickness and offered her as a 'test subject' to the royal health research for letumosis' antidote. She thought she was going to die as a guinea pig, but she was immune to letumosis, and offered a position as a blood donor (to be researched for the antidote) by the lead doctor. This was where she eventually met Prince Kai for the second time, and the third time...and so on.

Unlike the traditional Cinderella fairytale, the main antagonist in the story was not the stepmother. Queen Levana of the Lunar Kingdom (who was rumored to have murdered her older sister the real Queen, and her niece to take over the throne) had an ambition to take over the Earth by marrying Prince Kai after the death of the Emperor. Cinder tried to help Kai to defy the evil Queen.

Honestly, I was amazed by the story because it is very very creative and unique to turn a very traditional fairytale into an action sci-fi. Linh Cinder was unlike the old-time-Cinderella who accepted her fate, and got help from the fairygodmother and waited for the prince to find her. Linh Cinder was a kick-ass, a rebel, a real heroine because she took action throughout the story (you know I like strong women character, hehehe). The whole retelling is absolutely fantastic and very well-written. And of course the prince had to be soooo kind, sooo handsome, soooo sarcastic, soooo funny.... *melting*. I also like the Asian setting of this novel, because come on, I'm not being racist or anything, but most dystopian that I read has either the U.S or the U.K as the setting. I mean, come on, this world is BIG, BIG, BIG! I need to see other places as settings in novels too.

The only bad thing about the novel is that, I can predict the ending from only reading 30% of it. I mean, come on, it's to early to be able to guess the ending, about the real identity of Cinder and so on, but the clues are there for everyone to see, blindingly clear like chrystal. I don't know if it is intentional or not, but it definitely decreases the suspense for me. I wasn't even surprised when the lead doctor told Cinder that she actually was...*censored*...I'm disappointed.

But you know what, I still read it in only one day because the writing is good and you can just fly through it like I did. And the amazement factor of 'how could you make such a whole different world from traditional fairytale?' did get me till the end of the story and I intend to read the sequel. hahaaa.... So I guess, still 4 stars for this book.

It is recomended for you if you like sci-fi, dystopia, romance, and fairytale in a package. Enjoy :))