The Friday #56, #4 Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

The Friday #56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice. Join in every Friday and share an excerpt from the book you've been reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab a book, any book 
• Turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader 
• Find any sentence (or a few, don't spoil it) that grab you
• Post it

**Be sure to post the link to your Friday 56 in the comments below. 

Happy Reading 

So this week I decided to choose an excerpt from Scarlet which is the second book of the Lunar Chronicles. Yes, I am extremely late in jumping on the bandwagon associated with this series; however, I usually have a tendency to start a series once all the hype of the novel has calmed down. Keep reading to see the quote I have chosen for this week's Friday 56. 

"Twice she stopped to listen, thinking she heard footsteps somewhere below. Would there be a alarm when their escape was discovered?" 

I cannot wait to finish this book. I liked Cinder, but I'm really liking the addition of Scarlet to this book. She adds a certain level of fierceness that I cannot get over.

Synopsis:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She is trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but s inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

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The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Publication: 2015

# of Pages: 388

Source: Purchased Copy, Books-A-Million

Favorite Quotes:

• "My soul sees its equal in you." 
• "Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky." 
• "You honestly expect me to breathe in a world without air?" 
• "You have a beautiful laugh. Like the promise of tomorrow." 
• "I love you, a thousand times over. And I will never apologize for it." 

Goodreads Summary/Blurb:

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Korasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzads' dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determine not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all. 

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets? 

My Review/Thoughts:

This book...I wish I could even begin to find the right words to describe it. First, if you are a fan of re-tellings and books that re-imagine classic stories then this is definitely the book to check out. The most beautiful aspect of this book was strength of the main character Shahrzad. To take on the task of killing a king after he has murdered every single woman that has harked his doorstep is truly enchanting. I'm clearly a big fan of strong female characters. It was not only her courage, but her determination to avenge a wrong that had been committed against her best friend that set the tone of the novel. It is also understandable that Ahdieh gave Shazi a softer side, a side that ended up falling for the very man that killed her best friend. The combination of her soft and more intense personas made Shazi more human and easier to relate to. Shazi illustrates that all is not what it seems on the outside. Sometimes one has to dig a little deeper to get the whole picture. 

One of the most interesting aspects of this novel was the inclusion of magical elements. Magical elements that seemed to control both the fate of the Khalid and Shazi. However, I did hope for a stronger development of these magical elements; maybe an explanation of where they come from. I'm assuming that this information will be further developed in the future novels. It was almost as if certain characters were able to harness these special powers; however, readers were not privileged in knowing and understanding their purpose or origins. 

Lastly one major concept that brings the novel together is it's reflection of the classic tale One Thousand and One Nights. Ahdieh does a beautiful job of incorporating the traditional Middle Eastern culture into the novel. It exposes readers to concepts and terms they typically would not be familiar with. The reader has a broader cultural experience which is not always guaranteed in young adult fiction. Along with the development of the characters and the various magical element, this part of the novel gives the overall story a beautiful and enriching experience rewarding to all readers. 

Rating: 4/5 Stars

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The Friday #56, #2 The Wrath & The Dawn

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice . Join in every Friday and share an excerpt from the book you've been reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab a book, any book 
• Turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader
• Find any sentence (or a few, don't spoil it) that grab you
• Post it

**Be sure to post the link to you Friday 56 in the comments below. 

Happy Reading 

"She ignored his meaningful tone as she reached back for another arrow. After she fitted it into position on the sinewed bowstring, her eyes darted to his face." 

I'm loving this book. The power behind the main character Shahrzad is amazing. She has an energy about her that is truly captivating. I'm about halfway through the book now so I plan on finishing it this weekend sometime. Look for a review soon. 

Synopsis: 

 In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all. 

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like she imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this place of marble and stone. She resolves uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets? 

Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end. 

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Author Spotlight: Marissa Meyer

Name: Marissa Meyer

About Author: Marissa Meyer is a young adult author best known for her Lunar Chronicles series, a fantastic set of novels loosely based around famous fairy-tales. Before her introduction to the world of young-adult fiction, Meyer originally wrote Sailor Moon fan fiction under the pen name of Alicia Blade.

She developed the idea for the Lunar Chronicles while writing a futuristic version of Puss in Boots for a NaNoWriMo competition that took place in 2008. In addition to the Lunar Chronicles, Meyer is contracted to write another series based on Alice in Wonderland. The first book Heartless is set to release in the fall of this year.


Published Works:

• The Lunar Chronicles 
• Cinder (2012)
• Scarlet (2013)
• Cress (2014)
• Winter (2015)
• Fairest: Levana's Story (2015)
  

My Recommendation: Although I have only read Cinder, I can truly say that Marissa Meyer has a gift for writing fairy-tale re-telling's with a futuristic twist. Her writing is continuously engaging, fast-paced, and entertaining. There wasn't a moment when reading Cinder that I was bored or felt like the story was moving slow. If you are truly interested in books that focus on fairy-tales, but also contain fast-paced adventures. I would highly suggest looking no further than Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. 

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The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Page

Published: HaperCollins, 2015

# of Pages: 293 

Source: Books-A-Million, Purchased Copy

Goodreads Blurb/Summary: To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman's heart, steal the Scarecrow's brain, take the Lion's courage, and then Dorothy must die...

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and the mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy's only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she's only just scratched the surface of Oz's past--and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust--and who is really Wicked?" 

"In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestsellingDorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

________________________________________________________________________

My Thoughts/Review: Ladies and gentleman, Danielle Paige has done it once again! In her second installment of the Dorothy Must Die series, Paige beautifully and successfully continues the story of Amy's descent into the twisted and dark world of Oz. What's truly unique and captivating about this book is Paige's ability to give the reader further insight to the internal struggle and battle of our main character Amy. 

In the first novel, the reader is given the opportunity to perceive Amy as this young, naive, and quite frequently bullied teenage girl who is thrown into a power struggle between what we originally thought was good vs. evil. However, through the pages of The Wicked Will Rise we see a new found confidence and power in Amy, a power, ironically, that has the ability to both build and destroy her as a character.  As Amy tries to rectify the "mistakes" made in this last novel she must truly decide her own fate, identity, and gain a pinch of faith in who she is and who she will become. 

Paige's writing has a sense of fluidity about it that always seems to catch my attention. She utilizes words to create a sense of imagery that places the reader in the world of her characters. In this novel she truly captures Amy's struggles with her identity. While reading, I, like Amy, felt the beckoning issue of what it feels like to have so much power, yet fall so closely between doing what's considered to be right and what's considered to be wrong. Even the brief dialogue between Princess Ozma (who may not be as lost as we think) and Amy warranted a greater sense of meaning. It is not easy for an author to convey so much depth and meaning when so little is said and Paige beautifully accomplishes this task. 

The plot of the book was relatively slow at first and took some time to catch my attention especially since the first novel moved at such a quick pace; however, I think Paige wanted to utilize this novel to build towards a greater and more in-depth finale. This novel was less about action and more so about self-discovery and the dangers hidden in the power and beauty of OZ. The ending truly was a twist that was greatly unexpected, one that I had no power to see coming. With a cliff hanger that left me at the edge of my seat, Paige once again reminded me that nothing is ever as it seems in the beautiful land of Oz. 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

If you're interested check out my video review of her first novel Dorthy Must Die below: 

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