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dearrivarie


Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress, #1)
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao |
Published on October 10, 2017 by Philomel Books |
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars |

🐍 retellings: Fairytale retellings are some of my favorite stories to read and villain origin stories are right up there. It's no surprise that going into this novel I had extremely high expectations and admittedly compared this in my mind to Marissa Meyer's Heartless. Xifeng is a driven girl who will stop at nothing to achieve her a goals but she wasn't as likable as Heartless' Katherine and this ended up turning of me off from the story. I found myself disconnected from her as the protagonist to the point where I didn't care much for her success.
🐍 romance: Wei and Xifeng are another couple on my growing list of ships I'm not a fan of. While this ship doesn't sail for long before rapidly sinking, I couldn't feel the pain and tension that I believe was the author's purpose of including Wei's character in the story. Since I wasn't connected with either character, Wei felt like an unnecessary character that didn't have a concrete role in the story which is unfair to him since he is such a sweet guy.
🐍 darkness: This was my favorite part, well one of them. This story has all the lovely dark elements of the Evil Queen that I wanted. Xifeng has the blessing of the Serpent God and his dark magic which is quite gruesome, but I enjoyed the sinister aura it gave the story. The price of beauty comes often at the cost of blood.
🐍 Asian background: This aspect of the story was what drew me in at first and it was also what kept me reading. I loved the rich Chinese-inspired background with court politics and traditions. Having the classic story of Snow White set in such a familiar setting was exciting to see as well as comforting because it felt like this tale was set in a world I understood culturally.
🐍 Read this book? Check out my Goodreads review for my spoiler thoughts![
a) I strongly disliked Xifeng for the first...70% of the story. Towards the end, I still didn't love her but I didn't despise her character as much. She is so driven by her looks that some of her actions seem almost petty. It's partially my fault for always comparing how I feel about her to how I felt about Katherine but they are two different characters. I wanted to sympathize with her but I couldn't so I wanted to love her darkness but that didn't fully manifest till the last 30% of the story.
b) Empress Lihua is one of those characters that stands out because they are simply lovely. She is one of the reasons I want to read the sequel because I want to see her legacy continued in Jade.
c) Kang: I'm a bit disappointed by his character progression...at first I liked the jovial fat eunuch who allied himself with Xifeng but upon hearing of his backstory and how he was the Serpent God's handman...it just made him less unique (?) That's not the word I'm looking for...but essentially, I wanted him to be apart from the scheming and just someone who was loyal to Xifeng not the Serpent God (then Xifeng) if that makes sense.
d) Wei killing Guma was a bit uncalled for...and I hope he comes back in the sequel...what if he becomes someone who guides Jade against Xifeng...that'd be cool. Also on the topic of Guma, I was a bit underwhelmed by the revelation of her being Xifeng's actual mother but I enjoyed the "backstory" of Xifeng's birth and how she was tied to the Serpent God from the start. (hide spoiler)]

Ink, Iron, and Glass (Ink, Iron, and Glass, #1)
Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare |
Published on February 20, 2018 by Macmillan/Imprint |
My rating: 3 of 5 stars |

🖋 scriptology, alchemy, mechanics: The premise of this world is so fascinating and unique. At first it was a bit difficult to grasp everything, it felt like the author was just info dumping so much and that we were being thrown into the midst of an already progressing story but things did become more understandable eventually.
🖋 Elsa: It took me a good while before I grew to like our main character. To be honest, I'm still not the hugest fan...nothing about her really stands out to me and I despised how she was portrayed as aloof and uncaring because that transferred into how I cared about her. Eventually, (that seems to be my buzz word for this review) I grew to accept her but I'm still iffy on how I feel about her character development.
🖋 Skander: He's not even a main character, he's just an octopus like figure with wings but honestly he was one of my favorite things about this book.
🖋 cliches: This book feels like there are just so many of them that while the events weren't predictable on my part (I'm pretty bad at guessing) once things were revealed it felt underwhelming...[ for example, Porzia's mean girl pettiness at first (the drove me near insane) and then we have Leo's prodigal son return to the dark side only to protect Elsa... (hide spoiler)]
🖋 sequel?: I haven't decided if I want to continue...there isn't much that's compelling me to keep reading other than to see how events play out...and to see more Skander in action :)

Fawkes
Fawkes by Nadine Brandes |
Published on July 10, 2018 by Thomas Nelson |
My rating: 4 of 5 stars |

A copy was provided for an honest review by BookLooks - all opinions are 100% my own.

🗡️ historical fiction + fantasy: I had little to no knowledge of the Gunpowder Plot so I was going into this novel without much background information. With that being said, this book was amazing in delivering enough historical fact to give the reader a fair sense of the plot while twisting certain elements to incorporate fantastical elements.
🗡️ racism: This novel deals so well with the idea of racism in such a unique fashion. There's this aversion to people with Stone Plague that captures the essence of how people react to people of color and personally, the way the author interwove those two just felt incredibly compelling and powerful.
🗡️ color magic: I adored the magic system in this world. While I would have like a bit more explanation about the specifics, maybe that's just me being a nerd, the basic gist is that you can control everything that fits within the Color you have bonded with (more or less). The idea of a mask holding one's power and the tradition of fathers and mothers creating masks for their sons daughters gives it more of a symbolic meaning.
🗡️ white light: There are hints of religious appeal with the "character" of White Light - Keepers fear its immense power and Ignitors crave it, but as the source of all colors, White Light simply wants to connect with the people. The character progression of Thomas in particular was incredibly powerful as he began to form his own answers rather than following with the preconceived biases of the present sides.
🗡️ Read this book? Check out my Goodreads review for my spoiler thoughts![
A) Emma: I had no idea until she took off her mask that she was of African descent and for some reason, that made everything feel so much more powerful. Her willingness to not condemn based on surface-level appearances and her gradual acceptance of both Ignitors and Keepers because she carved a truth for herself.
B) Fawkes (the father): My heart broke when he and the other conspirators died. It felt almost unfair, particularly since he had finally come to the revelation about White Light. His final proclamation was like a blow to the stomach and a true testament to the prejudices of people.
C) Dee: I hate his genius but he does make the perfect villain as the author states in her note. I almost wish we could see more of his madness of knowledge and power and the fact that he compulsed color enough create a Plague is horrifying but amazing. (hide spoiler)]


1:38 PM 2 Comments
Image result for percy jackson books
The Lightning Thief | The Sea of Monsters | The Titan's Curse | 
The Battle of the Labyrinth | The Last Olympian

I binge-(re)read the Percy Jackson series last weekend and by binge I mean I read 5 books over the course of 2 days. This series has been at the foundation of my love for reading for years and I still can't believe that this is the first time I am rereading it.

When I first read the Percy Jackson series in 5th grade, I remember flying through the books and loving every minute. Almost 10 years later (8-9 to be more exact), I found myself in the same situation. The story is just as addicting as it was the first time and the characters just as fun. However, I came across a couple realizations that didn't quite hit me the first time around so I thought I'd talk about it (mild spoilers ahead).

⚔️ I didn't connect with the characters as much: This could very well be an age thing as I am in a completely different life stage now compared to the characters. The bright side is that I still managed to love the story and the characters but from a different perspective. Rather than feeling like Percy and the crew were my friends, they almost felt like younger siblings and it was such a weird but cool feeling.
⚔️ The Titan's Curse: This is still my favorite book in the entire series and I'm so glad I was able to reread it. I'm a sucker for the Huntresses and the deaths that happened in this book hit me just as hard the second time around as they did the first time. Also...this is highly unpopular but after finishing this book, the little unreasonable part of me is once against shipping Zoe Nightshade with Percy...
⚔️ Luke and Nico: These characters have nothing in common other than being some of my favorite characters when I first read them. I loved Luke for his anti-hero portrayal and who doesn't love Nico? The second time reading through, Nico didn't pop out to me as much. In fact, the DiAngelos in general didn't strike me as much which honestly just made me sad...Luke on the otherhand didn't wow me as much as he did the first time, he felt almost annoying with his constant appearances to thwart Percy's plans and trick Annabeth but I guess he redeemed himself eventually.
⚔️ Blackjack: A bit irrelevant but why did I always remember Blackjack playing such a huge role in this series? I mean he does save Percy from some unlucky positions occasionally but he doesn't really appear as much as I thought he did.
⚔️ Twists: I completely forgot some of the major points in the series such as spies and crazy geniuses (if you get my attempt to avoid spoilers) and they definitely added to the enjoyment. It made the whole series feel nostalgic and new at the same time.
After all these years one thing remains true, Percy Jackson is an incredible series that masterfully introduces Greek mythology into our world. I'm so glad I took the time to finally reread the series and I'm hoping that I can finally continue with Rick Riordan's series now that I feel adequately caught up
 .






11:08 AM No Comments

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
| ISBN: 978-1101885963 | Pages: 384 |
Publication Date: December 5, 2017 | Source: Own
| Rating: 5 out of 5 stars |
★★★★★

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

This review is so long overdue, but I have to admit that I'm still not sure if I can correctly formulate my thoughts on just how much I loved this book. 

I fell in love with The Bear and the Nightingale for its atmospheric writing and its unique story and I fell in love with everything else with The Girl in the Tower. Vasya is no longer a child and we witness her growth from a young girl into a mature teenager throughout the pages of this sequel. Exiled from her home, she heads to Moscow to find her siblings only to find herself in the middle of another struggle between the magical forces of lore and her real world.

“Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.”

I cannot rave about Katherine Arden's writing but it is honestly one of the most beautiful things to grace a page (in my opinion.) Once again, she brings to life the mysterious allure of Russian folklore set against the frigid terrain of Moscow. I don't think I've read many, if any, books set within the Russian court so that was a whole new experience. 

“I carve things of wood because things made by effort are more real than things made by wishing.” 

Combined with the court intrigue is once again the stifling expectations of women which Vasya constantly challenges. She has honestly undergone so much growth since the last book and the connection that Katherine Arden creates between her and the readers makes it feel like you're watching your little sister grow up into this headstrong and proud woman. 

“You cannot take vengeance on a whole people because of the doings of a few wicked men.” 

In order to blend in the Moscovian court, Vasya cross dresses as a boy named Vasili and there were some moments which could definitely be drawn up as controversial in terms of how the author handled it. I won't defend it as I've read some pretty compelling and more analytical reviews and can see how such scenes are problematic, but regardless I still loved Vasya as a character and my heart was pounding throughout the whole undercover journey.

“I did not know I was lonely, she thought, until I was no longer alone.” 

This review would not be complete if I don't talk about my undying love for Morzoko. I adored every moment when he appeared and all that he goes through to protect Vasya. They have such a fragile but beautiful relationship and it honestly hurts my heart sometimes (in a good way I guess). Along with being reunited with character whom I have come to love also comes characters, old and new, that I absolutely detest. I will forever hate Konstatin for his blind infatuation and desire to seek power and fame. 

The Girl in the Tower is a masterful piece of art that weaves the magical with court politics. My poor heart went on one hell of a rollercoaster throughout and while I may have aged 10 years after reading this, I wouldn't take back this amazing experience for anything else in the world.


3:04 PM No Comments


It has been so long since I've talked about a new album on this blog that I can hardly remember how this works anymore. However, this is absolutely one of my new favorite things in the world so I had to talk it somewhere!

I think it's no surprise that I love Apink, well it might be cause I haven't talked about it a lot, but anyway, after one long year of waiting, they have finally returned with a new mini album. Their title track "I'm So Sick" (1도 없어 ) is a completely new sound for the group and leans more towards mature girl crush compared to their previous fairy bubblegum concepts. I fell in love within seconds - everything from the accompaniment to the vocals to the dance and videography is amazing and addicting. 

After listening to the title track a couple hundred times, I finally went to check the album out on Spotify and fell even more in love with the rest of the tracks. "Alright" is their B track that they also promote on music shows and it fits with their summery cute concept that they have done in the past which offers a nice contrast to their title. "Don't be Silly" is another song that leans more on the mature side and the chorus is honestly one of the most addicting things ever. 

"Forever Star" is a beautiful ballad that shows off their wonderful vocals and is one of my favorites to listen to when I want to wind down. "Promise Me" has another addicting chorus that I just cannot get out of my head and is probably a close second favorite for me. The album concludes with "I Like That Kiss" which is another super fun upbeat summer song. 

All the songs within the mini album create a wonderful blend of styles that balance out perfectly. This has been my go-to recently and I don't think that's going to change any time soon. ♥


Click on the banner above to stream on Spotify and the picture below to buy on iTunes!
Image result for apink one and six album cover


4:05 PM No Comments
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DearRivarie

DearRivarie
Hi there! My name is Rivalie (Riv for short). Welcome to my blog where I share book reviews, discussions, and more fun things! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic day! 🌸

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