Well, here it is. The final mock up for Under Jupiter. As usual, my cover artist did an amazing job. Thanks Leah Keeler!
What do you think?
JEH
Category: Young Adult Books
What I’m Reading: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
Young Adult Book Review: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
This week I was pretty obsessed with finishing the last book in Brandon Sanderson’s Young Adult Reckoners Trilogy. If you haven’t read the review of the first book, Steelheart, you can find it here. Now that I’ve finished the trilogy, I can admit a few things: Steelheart was my favourite book of the Reckoners, I wish I could write as well as Brandon Sanderson, and I’m sad that I never got to go back to Newcago. While the setting of every book was unique and interesting, Newcago was my favourite by far. I would definitely go visit it if I could, if the Reckoners wasn’t a dystopian-Marvel-esque- Fantasy.
Brandon Sanderson has already announced that his next Young Adult series will be called the Apocolypse Guard and will be set in the same world as Reckoners. I will definitely pick it up. The ending of Calamity definitely left me thinking, and there are still a couple things I’m trying to figure out (like most of Sanderson’s books, I’m not sure I’m supposed to understand everything). You can read more about his next series on his blog if you’re interested.
Calamity of course was full of action, fairly quick paced (though I thought it dragged slightly more than the other two books, though I would hardly call it dragging). There were lots of laughs and lots of tension.
A solid 4.5/5 Stars.
NOTE: Finishing this book puts me at 16/60 books on my Goodreads goal, 2 books ahead of schedule!
JEH
What I’m Reading: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
The second book in the Young Adult Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson moves the action from a futuristic Chicago (Newcago) to a futuristic, dystopian Manhattan (New Babylon). I loved this second book and I found New Babylon (also called Babilar) to be very interesting, but part of what I loved about the first book, Steelheart, was the setting: a city that had been completely morphed into steel, and I missed that setting in Firefight. Not that I didn’t love Babilar, I just love Newcago more.
The action of the second book, Firefight, is just as fast and heart-pounding as in the first book. The stakes get higher, and we discover more about the world and Epics (the bad guys), in general.
Like the first book, Firefight is 75% action, 20% romance, and 5% bad metaphors (which are often hilarious). That isn’t an exact breakdown, so don’t quote me on it. The main point is that this book is mostly the kind of action you would see in a Marvel movie.
Loved it.
5/5 Stars
JEH
What I’m Reading: Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
In case you missed it, I posted a review of the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s Reckoners Series, Steelheart, last Saturday. I picked up Book 2, Firefight, and began reading but kept coming across this mention of a battle with Mitosis, which sounded familiar, so I checked, and sure enough, Mitosis is a standalone story that falls between Steelheart and Firefight.
Mitosis was fairly short and I finished reading it in under an hour. It was a good piece of action between the two main novels. I wouldn’t say it’s a must read. I think one could just go from Steelheart to Firefight and not feel like they’re missing much, but it did add a nice bit of backstory during the passage of time between Steelheart and Firefight, which is a few months.
If you’re a Sanderson fan, or just need to read every piece of lore in a universe, then you probably won’t want to skip Mitosis.
4/5 Stars
JEH
What I’m Reading: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Young Adult Book Review: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
I’m going to admit that this post might be a little biased because I’m a big Brandon Sanderson fan. I love his epic fantasy, both the Mistborn Trilogy and the Stormlight Saga, but this was the first Young Adult work I’d read by him. This is actually his first young adult series, though he has also published some middle grade stuff that I haven’t read yet. But I’m such a big fan that I plan on reading all if it at some point in time.
About a year ago, I read the prologue for Steelheart and felt a little blah about it, and I put the book down for a good while. I finally picked it up again last week, and began on Chapter One, since I’d already read the prologue a long time ago (though I had forgotten a few details). Beginning from Chapter One, I fell right into the book and loved it, which left me wondering if it really needed the prologue. I mean, the prologue was alright but… Well, maybe it’s just me. Did you read the prologue? Did you like it?
Anyway, moving on. The main character in Steelheart is 18 year-old David, a regular human in a world that’s been invaded by comic-book type bad guys. I loved that. There are no Supermen or Batmen, just bad guys. And the regular folk have to figure out how to take them out. Needless to say this book is full of action. It is also full of that smart, witty humour I love.
“I was like the guy who had brought the spoiled shrimp cocktail to the party, causing everyone to throw up for a week straight.” Yep, our main character David is really bad at metaphors, which I found to be really entertaining.
Like I said, I might be a bit biased, but I give this book 5/5 Stars.
JEH
Books In Strange Places
I have that wonderful spring feeling again! Yesterday it was 7 above, things were melting, and I went out for a walk in weather was finally incapable of freezing me to death in hours. I had books on my mind (of course), and thought, you know, that my upcoming reads would probably like to get some fresh air too, so I decided to do a little book photo shoot for your enjoyment. Featured books are ones I’m currently reading or am hoping to get to soon. But, of course, there’s never enough time for reading.
JEH
Books I’ve Read: Extras by Scott Westerfeld
This is the last book in the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. As you’ll see in my review below, I didn’t like Extras as much as I enjoyed Uglies. It wasn’t a true continuation of the series, but contained new characters in a new place in the same world. Also, this handwritten review contains an awesome coffee stain. Lol.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
JEH
Books I’ve Read: Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Today I’m continuing with my journal postings of the Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld. The third book of the main trilogy is Specials, which could be the end if you wanted it to be, but there is one more book. I read this series back in 2010, and you can read my handwritten below, from well before my time of blogging.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
JEH
Books I’ve Read: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Today I’m posting my handwritten review of Pretties by Scott Westerfeld. You’ll see all the books of this four part series blogged about in the next week. You can see from the first review that I read this series back in 2010. That feels like it shouldn’t be that long ago but it was. I’ve always loved Science Fiction and I still feel like there just isn’t enough of it.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
JEH
Books I’ve Read: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
It’s been a while since I posted and entry from my old book journal, which I kept long before I began blogging about books. Below, you can see my handwritten review of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
JEH
J. E. H U N T E R 