Review: A Confusion of Princes



A Confusion of Princes

by Garth Nix



Book Description:
You'd think being a Prince in a vast intergalactic empire would be about as good as it gets. Particularly when Princes are faster, smarter, and stronger than normal humans. Not to mention being mostly immortal.

But it isn't as great as it sounds. Princes need to be hard to kill—as Khemri learns the minute he becomes one—for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor, and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.

Soon Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle he meets a young woman called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself.

But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces that have very definite plans for his future. . .

Review:
I have to say, sadly, that I was disappointed in this book. I LOVED all of Garth Nix's other books and so I was *super* excited when I found out this one was on its way. I loved the premise and I thought it was going to be amazing.

Unfortunately, though the premise is indeed intriguing and I liked the setup of the book very much, I found myself completely losing interest just over halfway through. I made myself continue, though, and found the ending to be quite good. It was sad that really it was the introduction of romance into the story that seemed to derail it for me...

I wish it could have been what I hoped.

Review: Unspoken

Unspoken

by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Lynburn Legacy, book one

 

Book Description:

Kami Glass is in love with someone she's never met—a boy she's talked to in her head since she was born. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she has learned ways to turn that to her advantage. Her life seems to be in order, until disturbing events begin to occur. There has been screaming in the woods and the manor overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. . . . The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. Now Kami can see that the town she has known and loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets—and a murderer. The key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy she thought was imaginary is real, and definitely and deliciously dangerous.

 

Review:

This was my very first Sarah Rees Brennan book and I wasn't quite sure what to expect, except that I had heard great things about her earlier series. Well, if that series compares at all to this book, I will most certainly be going back to read the Demon books.

 

This book sucked me right in. Perhaps it was the smart protagonist. Perhaps it was that she was quirky and had an imaginary friend that she talked to in her head. Perhaps it was her devoted friends and a town full of dark secrets. It was everything. The atmosphere....the characters...the danger...the tortured romance...

 

I cannot wait to dive back in to Kami's life in book two. It cannot come out fast enough.

 

 



Review: Salt

Salt
by Maurice Gee
The Salt Trilogy, book one

Book Description:
When his father Tarl is captured and enslaved to work in Deep Salt, Hari vows to rescue him. This is a forbidding task: no one returns from Deep Salt. But Hari was born and raised in Blood Burrow. He's tough and smart—and he has a secret gift: he can communicate with animals.

The beautiful Pearl, born into the privileged world of the ruling class known as Company, has learned forbidden things from her mysteriously gifted maid Tealeaf. Now her father has promised her in marriage to the powerful and ambitious Ottmar. But Pearl will never submit to a subordinate life, so she and Tealeaf must flee.

When their paths cross, Hari and Pearl realize that together they must discover the secrets of Deep Salt. Their long journey through the badlands becomes far more than a quest to save Tarl—their world is on the brink of unspeakable terror.

Review:
I wanted so much to like this book. When I had read the description, I had thought it was a stellar premise. When I finally got a chance to read it, though, I just could not connect. The first few chapters were great. The idea that the characters could talk to one another and animals with their minds was fascinating. The idea of the corrupt government and Pearl's escape from a loveless marriage sounded intriguing...

Somewhere close to halfway through the book, though, I lost all interest. The characters were good, but I didn't find enough explanation in the world building. I had no idea where the Company came from or why they were taking over. I didn't understand what the radioactive "salt" really was... I just kept coming up with more and more, "Huh?" moments and I was frustrated enough that I almost put the book down several times.

I really wish that this book had given more extensive historical context to its dystopian setting. As Gee is from New Zealand, I have a feeling that native readers in that part of the world would draw a deeper context, but for me, it was just vague in a lot of ways. I didn't really feel, either, as if there was enough resolution in this book, and I know it's the first in a trilogy, but I don't want to have to say, oh that must be addressed in book two...

Overall, I was sadly disappointed.