The Heir (The Selection #4)

The Heir by Kiera Cass
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

No, no no no no. Just, no.

The Heir is the start to a spin-off series following The Selection, which is a trilogy: The Selection, The Elite and The One. The trilogy details a process by which a wife is found for the prince elect of a dystopian USA ruled by a monarchy. In it several girls vie for the attention of Prince Maxon and one finally wins his heart.

Fast forward 20 years and Maxon and America, his queen, are the parents of four children: 18-year old twins Eadlyn and Ahren and two younger sons. Eadlyn is seven minutes older than her brother Ahren and the laws have been changed, so she is the Queen Elect. The country is in turmoil since the caste system has been thrown out. So the royals decide that they need to distract the people with another Selection - this time finding a husband for Eadlyn. Eadlyn is reluctant but deigns to suffer the process because she feels it's her duty.

This story was done relatively well in the previous trilogy. Although America was frustrating at times, she had some sense of her own faults. In this case, Cass is working with a storyline that's already been done once. She could have changed it up dramatically with the idea that it's guys trying to win the princess's hand, but unfortunately it missed the mark. Not only that but she's created a main character here that is simply insufferable.

In fact, my primary problem with this book was the main character. I don't like shallow, self-absorbed, selfish, arrogant people in real life, so it stands to reason that I certainly wouldn't want to read about one. This girl had so few redeeming qualities that I was shouting at my iPod as I listened. She was such a martyr! For someone who was supposedly so devoted to her people she was completely clueless. Her cries of failure as she attempted to fix the country's problems with this selection process was indicative of the type of leader she was: out of touch with her kingdom, insensitive and even cruel at times. When people told her the truth she either fell into a pity party or she got angry. The times she was civil to those around her were so colored by her selfishness that I never had one ounce of sympathy for her.

The problems didn't stop there. With the Selection trilogy we had not just character development but we got a feel for the state of the country. Clear examples of the archaic legal system helped create a world that we could at least imagine. In this case, we have no idea what's going on in the country at large. There are numerous references to "unrest in the provinces" but where was the action? Where was the threat? There are rumors that an uprising is brewing to overthrow the monarchy, but they were vague and only referenced via the nightly news and daily papers. We never got a character to connect us to this potential uprising.

Even the character development fell short. There are several endearing characters, guys involved in the Selection. Distinct personalities emerge. But while Cass gave us strong, confident leaders in Maxon and America in The Selection, now they have apparently devolved into old and tired romantics who both refuse to inform their daughter about their experiences and indulge her in every way possible. They are terrible parents. Prince Maxon was strong and decisive. King Maxon is just stressed out and weak. America had a heart for her people and a respect for Prince Maxon - Queen America is removed and too busy with royal affairs to be much of a mom.

The plot seemed to drag along with endless instances of Eadlyn either demeaning those around her or foolishly thinking that her life was hard and everyone was against her. The side characters made it interesting as they had glancing influences on the Princess. It wasn't uninteresting, it was just frustrating. I nearly DNF'd this book just out of disgust for such a self-involved brat. That said, there are a couple of instances where side characters call Eadlyn to account - especially her brother - and my sense of justice was appeased. It was enough to keep reading, at least. There is a climax at the end of the book which rang hollow; honestly, I didn't even care and I felt as if I should have cared a lot.

The book is narrated on audio by Brittany Pressley, who does a great job of voicing each character. She was able to distinguish the male voices well. They sounded similar but were each distinct in very slight ways. And her accents were spot on.

There is always the possibility that Keira Cass has written this main character and the book simply to set up a redemption story in the next one. It's always interesting to see who she'll choose - but I'll be checking reviews before I pick up the sequel. Even a cliffhanger didn't make me want the next book.



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The Cupcake Queen

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nobody really bothers with cake anymore - it's cupcakes that everyone wants these days. They make a great backdrop for a cute coming-of-age storyline.

This is the story of Penny, whose parents are separated. She's moved with her mom to somewhere north of New York City, about 300 miles north to a small town called Hogs Hollow. It's a beach town despite the clear farming reference. Penny is a 14-year old freshman in high school and is learning to cope with high school, new surroundings and her mom's cupcake shop.

There is bullying that happens here and it goes unaddressed by the adults who are clearly aware of it. This is sad - while it is realistic it isn't ok for kids to behave this way. Fortunately Penny finds some friends who help her cope. But it doesn't erase what is clearly adding to Penny's heartbreak over her parents' split. The great thing that balances this is the maturity of the characters. One is quirky, one is wry. Penny herself is quiet and reserved, handling the abuse doled out to her by a jealous mean girl with aplomb. Marcus, the love interest, is adorable. And the romance develops on the side, enhancing the plot without overtaking it.

This was just a sweet little slice of life, a peek into the life of a high school girl whose life is dramatically changing. It's a quick read and thoroughly enjoyable. Just a bit of sugar - not a whole cake, just a cupcake's worth.

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Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood #2)

Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The grueling, punishing, unrelenting quest for the cure continues.

In this sequel to Fire & Flood, Tella faces two new legs of the race: the ocean and a frozen mountain. She's kept her Pandora Madox and added in a couple more. In fact, she seems to be the Pandora Whisperer, charming everyone's animal companion. She's changed a lot from the first book and that's a good thing.

The general adventure and world building in this story are wonderful. It is very reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but with a much lighter presence. Although the four legs of the race are difficult, there isn't an air of dread or hopelessness. The Pandora companion animals are vivid as are the landscapes. Scott has done an excellent job of placing us right in the center of each environment.

Tella, the main character, has really grown. In the first book she was sarcastic and flip and came off as trying too hard to be funny and cute. In this book she's much smarter. Although she spends some time trying to establish herself as a leader - another example of her trying too hard - she has gained the ability somewhat to evaluate a situation and make good decisions. Her compassion is prominent as is the depth of her care for those around her.

The side characters remain important but not vital; several are killed off. There are some heartbreaking scenes with the Pandoras. The action is really what takes center stage here, even with the addition of some new characters. Scott took the time with some of the side characters to show the way competition can make people more selfish. There are some damaging choices made with dire consequences.

The romance here is scaled way back in favor of the ultimate journey to win the race. It's still there but runs on par with the other friendships. It was nice to see a romantic relationship being given the same value as a friendship.

The ending was a letdown. I got to the end and thought 'wait! Where's the rest?' It's left so open-ended that it can't even be called a cliffhanger. It's as if the author wasn't sure there would be a third book, so she just kind of left us all hanging and wondering. There are a lot of loose ends. Scott has hinted that there might be a third book wherein the survivors of the race take down the people who run it. A lot of noise about that happens in the book, so it will be interesting to see if the publisher and/or author choose to finish the story.

This is a good series but not great. There are some problems - but overall, it's a good adventure with some suspense and interesting elements. It's worth the read even if it never properly concludes.

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'89 Walls

'89 Walls by Katie Pierson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Here's an interesting history lesson with some high school romance thrown in for fun.

The book takes place in 1989 and covers most of the political events of that time period. Quinn and Seth are students in a high school history class where their teacher is a bit of a liberal but who sparks a lot of good debate on current events. Seth's been in love with Quinn for forever but too shy to let her know. He sees the world in broader, more democratic way than Quinn, who is the only child in a very politically aware, Republican family. Quinn sees Seth as a raging liberal, albeit an interesting one. This is the story of their relationship as they finish high school.

The book has a decidedly political agenda, focusing on world events and American foreign policy in the late 1980's and early 1990's. There's a lot of commentary via the history class discussions and the book contains a world-event timeline and glossary of terms. It's a bit too much to really function as a backdrop; it takes center stage for the better part of the story and is also fleshed out in the actions of the main characters.

Seth is a great guy; he's honest and caring. His mother has been in a steady decline from MS and he is a devoted son without being a mama's boy. He's really much more of a dreamer trapped by circumstance. He's clever and witty, and fortunately Quinn sees this as soon as he expresses some interest in her. He's pretty much the perfect boyfriend, focused on things that matter. His only downfall is his tendency to look down on those who follow the status quo.

Quinn was a much more flighty character. She tended to try on relationships like clothing and was much more concerned with appearances. This follows even into her relationship with her dad. She does begin to see the error of her ways pretty early on, though.

The romance happens quickly but takes some time to develop overall. It was very realistic for teenagers then and now - this is definitely YA but it is older YA, age appropriate for high schoolers and up. It is a sweet story of taking chances and overcoming fears. A nice little slice of life.

It was a bit too info-dumpy and political for my taste. While written well and containing relatable, likable characters, the backdrop took over too often. It was a mix of history and the agenda of the author, which is fine but definitely biased. If she just wanted to show us what life was like in 1989, she could have done so without focusing so much on human rights, American foreign policy and even women's rights. It detracted from the story enough to feel like a history lesson.

This book has its place. It will likely be found on the shelves of high school libraries and even used in classrooms. Romance and political bias aside, it's a good look at America in 1989.



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Broken Juliet (Starcrossed #2)

Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh Cassie, you really are a seriously screwed up Juliet, aren't you?

This sequel to Bad Romeo reveals more of the details of the college romance of Ethan Holt and Cassie Taylor. Now in their mid-20's, they've been cast in a Broadway play after a bad breakup at their graduation from drama school. The book alternates between present day and 4-6 years earlier, and talk about a mess of a relationship. Ethan's back to regain the trust of the love of his life. But trust is a difficult thing to re-establish when you've been a jerk. And Ethan Holt has been a colossal jerk.

Not that Cassie's handled the breakup much better, sleeping with anyone and everyone in her continual attempt to get over Ethan. She's a strong, centered girl in college that has since become self-destructive. She's having a hard time getting over the love of her life, even questioning whether he really was.

Ethan's character has serious issues but they're never really defined. All we really know is that he was adopted and has a bad relationship with his dad. He's got a great relationship with his sister and he's a talented actor, so what's the real problem here? There was a lot of back and forth with him deciding what was good for Cassie and what wasn't (namely, him). Angst abounds. Someone needed to tell this guy to just get over himself.

This story was difficult to read with all the ups and downs of the relationship essentially based on great sex. It has it's redemptive qualities in the present day telling, but overall it was really sad. Even with an unlikely-in-real-life happy ending, it's a good account of what not to do in a relationship. The ups and downs, bad choices and actions and two people who hurt each other was almost too much. The college scenes were a little too graphic. The author uses an education in drama and acting to include homosexuality and promiscuity. These seemed like gratuitous plot devices, given the physical relationship between the two main characters. It could have been better.

Everyone benefits from therapy, but having a character go from night to day like Ethan did was a bit of a stretch. It was a little too extreme, especially on the "I'm all better now" scale. Cassie's hesitance to trust him got to be almost a way to punish him for his behaviour in their earlier years. Both of them needed to get over themselves.

The book was narrated on audio by Andi Arndt was average. I didn't care for her voicing of Ethan, although the emotional detail she gave was good. This was a rare occasion when a book with a female lead might have been better narrated by a man. It would have lent weight to the story.

This series is slated to include a companion novel focusing on Ethan's sister Elyssa. Given Rayven's tendency to go heavy on the drama and sex, it's a specific flavor and not for everyone. Maybe it was the drama school setting, but this one just didn't do it for me.

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The Hidden Masters of Marandur (Pillars of Reality #2)

The Hidden Masters of Marandur by Jack Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The adventure continues as Alain and Mari venture into unknown territory. Being on the run has never been this much fun.

In this second book in the Pillars of Reality series, the two young prodigies from the Mage and Mechanic Guilds find themselves in some serious trouble. Their Guilds want them silenced in their challenge to the status quo. The two are avoiding assassins and disasters in general, braving the elements, falling more in love and struggling to define their relationship.

There is some serious character development happening here and it's delightful. Alain continues to emerge from his shell as Mari struggles to accept her prominent role in the future of their world. As they gather the clues that will give them the tools they need to fight the oncoming storm, their clever banter gets better and better. Alain learns the nature and practice of sarcasm as Mari teaches him about appropriate social cues. We meet some new characters and situations. And we get to see even more of their natural talents as they evade capture and death - life is a lot easier when you can do magic and blow stuff up.

The world gets more extensive here as well. We find an entirely new society hidden from the rest of the world, which only deepens the story as the saga continues. The romance deepens and well, let's face it - the whole book is just a continuation of the fantastic story that is the Pillars of Reality.

Once again MacLeod Andrews is astounding in his narration. The way this guy can bring a specific character to life is just amazing! These characters are so diverse and yet he distinguishes each one so well. I never felt I was being read a book or even hearing narration - rather it was like listening in on the conversations of characters. The publishers hit it out of the park on the choice of Andrews as narrator.

This series has been written specifically for audio and boy does it deliver. The projected release date for the next book, The Assassins of Altis, is July 2015. I cannot wait. Bring on the barrage of Mages and Mechanics!

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The Dragons of Dorcastle (The Pillars of Reality #1)

The Dragons of Dorcastle by Jack Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Steampunk plus fantasy equals fantastic in this world where magic meets science. What a great book!

This is the story of Alain, young Mage prodigy on his first assignment. The Mages in this world are stoic wielders of magic, concentrating on the idea that life is an illusion and can be manipulated if you just concentrate hard enough. It is also the story of Mari, a young Master Mechanic who's risen up through the ranks of Mechanics rather quickly and unbelievably to most of her superiors. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder because most Mechanics won't take her seriously. She's also on her first assignment in a world where Mechanics are the engineers and scientists. They build machines that make life easier.

The world building in this book is fabulous. The two Guilds (Mage and Mechanic) are established immediately. The story begins with a caravan, setting up the geography of the place and giving context to the world in general. The towns are vivid as are details even down to the type of jackets the Mechanics wear and the foods everyone eats. The society is set up in a way that doesn't just tell us about the world, it serves to further character development. Campbell hit a home run on this front.

The characters are so likable that even if the plot were weaker, they'd save it. Alain's view of life and the world is so firm that he's equally enviable and pitiable. Mari has such spunk and self-confidence that it's impossible not to love her. But the real appeal here is the way they interact. They really do come from different worlds, different languages, different concepts of reality. Even better is the fact that Campbell wrote a female lead here that really leads. She makes decisions that Alain follows even when they're in opposition to what he's been taught. They're both characters who think beyond their training and circumstance, great companions on an interesting quest.

There is a slow-developing romance here which balances the plot about 50/50. Some might find it overpowering, but for me it just served to further the character development. It was surprising near the end but also funny. Campbell just wrote these characters really, really well.

The plot is interesting as the two main characters explore themes of questioning the status quo and searching out the real villains. In some ways the world itself is the villain; certainly the political situation is. It's intricate enough to keep going at a good pace without the need for unnecessary devices.

On audio the book is narrated by MacLeod Andrews. He is simply stellar - I cannot rave enough about how incredibly he brings these characters to life. The book would have been good on its own, but Andrews really brought it over the top. His ability to distinguish each voice with its own personality was amazing.

This series is one I will be re-reading (re-listening) in the future. It is great entertainment at its finest. Campbell is a well-established sci-fi and fantasy writer and this foray into YA is spectacular. Bravo!

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Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers #2)

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ah, the continuing saga of the Maddox brothers. They are a lively bunch.

In this second installment of the companion series to Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster, we meet Thomas Maddox. He's the eldest brother living a secret life as an FBI agent in San Diego. The family thinks he's "in marketing" in California. He's an angry man, using his anger to cover his personal issues and essentially taking everything out on the world in general and his coworkers in particular.

Liis is a woman who's good at her job because she fails at pretty much everything else. She can be a nominally good friend, but she's a terrible girlfriend and has an ex-fiance to prove it. She's running away from that relationship in Chicago to the great weather of San Diego and the chance to move up the FBI ladder.

The plot is surprisingly realistic on many levels. There's angst, jealousy, angst, grief, angst, arguing, angst. Thomas' relationship with Liis runs the gamut, common for a story in this series. There are a lot of ridiculous scenes in the office which, while providing some great entertainment, make me worry for the FBI if they're even slightly similar to the way the FBI really runs. Liis is half-Asian, a nice nod from McGuire to some diversity in her characters.

I liked this story a lot; I like the series in general and this book in particular was markedly better than the last. What made this one just slightly above average for me were the contradiction in the main characters. Thomas is supposed to be a real jerk, but almost instantly he's a damaged soul with tons of baggage. That would have been fine if it had been a slower reveal. Liis was the more believable character in terms of development.

The secondary characters are highly entertaining. McGuire is great at inventing friends and co-workers with their own problems and perspectives, always complementing the main characters but remaining just interesting enough to make the whole thing enjoyable. Their enhancement to the plot really helped it along in places where it flagged.

McGuire self-published this book, which is interesting when considering the quality as compared to the previous book Beautiful Oblivion. I wonder if she had more creative control and less of a deadline, giving her a better opportunity to really build the story well. She's a great writer either way - but for me, this book was certainly better than the last.

Currently the book isn't available on audio. However, this will probably change as McGuire has been faithful to her audio listeners. I just hope she gets good narrators who will do the characters justice. They could knock this story up in to way-above-average territory.

All in all this was a good read in dependable Jamie McGuire fashion. She's a go-to author for me because of her honesty and grit in storytelling. She's created quite a family of Maddox brothers with this series. They're the kind of guys you wish you knew in real life, so hearing about the next one is a treat to anticipate.

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