"The Hobbit, or There and Back Again" by J.R.R. Tolkien

I subscribed to Kindle Unlimited for the first time this month because they were running a special (the first two months for $0.99) which I couldn't pass on, given Elizabeth Hunter's Irin Chronicles books are available on it. But then, I noticed The Hobbit was also available on it (a book I've always wanted to read) so I chose to read this one first.

I was a bit ambivalent about reading this book because though I love Tolkien, it was also my father's favorite (and he and I are not friends). Luckily, though, it seems the charm of Tolkien's writing and the audiobook narration (which was free with Kindle Unlimited) really helped overcome my negative feelings about this book. It's fairly hard for me to dislike any book, regardless of reason, if it's well written, and I will say the same of this one. The Hobbit is phenomenally composed and sweepingly atmospheric.

To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf's hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more.

              ~The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, page 21 of the Kindle edition

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):

'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

'Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.'

I always thought I was most like Eowyn or Galadriel in Tolkien's books, and while I may have some similarities in personality to those feisty women, I am also very like Beorn and Smaug. Beorn is a Skin-changer who can take the form of a black bear, has control over animals, and is surprisingly a vegetarian! I'm not a vegetarian, but I do have fairly good control over my trio of beasts, and I'm also less than enthused with guests like Beorn.

Smaug, on the other hand, is technically the villain of this book. To be honest, though, Tolkien paints him rather neutrally- Smaug is just being a dragon, and dragons kill people and animals and collect shiny things. I may not kill people, but I certainly keep to myself and I notice when my shiny things are touched and dislike it immensely. It was just a joy to read and hear the conversations between Smaug and Bilbo!

The Hobbit is an epic journey in one small, unassuming book. It's often hard to judge a book by its page count, but this one seems like it's longer than it is even though it's a short read (in a good way). If you've ever wanted to follow a wacky heist with a bevy of strange characters, this book may be for you.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars for a book that made me feel like a dragon again!

Age Advisory: Ages 12+ for violence, general reading comprehension, and tricksy hobbitses.

Page Count: 366 pages

Early Critique: "The Sleeping King" by Cindy Dees & Bill Flippin

Disclaimer: I was given a free advance e-copy of this book from Tor Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinion remains as forthright as ever.

Expected Release Date: September 8th

When I began reading this, I was completely smitten with it. The elements I love were in alignment: shady politics, immortal tyrant, young people stumbling upon their magical abilities, and an almost limitless variety of different races of humanoids. The worldbuilding was in The Sleeping King's favor as well- lots of factions, trades, and mythical creatures to be found. I love those all those fantastic elements! Even the pacing was spot on.

The characters, while fairly mainstream in fantasy, still had me concerned when they ran into trouble. My favorite character by far arrived about halfway through, a lizardman girl named Sha'Li, who spiced up the group of characters considerably. Still, compared with the impressive worldbuilding, I was a bit put out that the characters weren't so dynamic.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'For almost twenty years she's been involved with Dragon Crest, one of the original live action role-playing games. She's the story content creator on the game, and wanted to do an epic fantasy based on it, with the blessing and input of Dragon Crest founder Bill Flippin.
'The Sleeping King is the first in an epic fantasy series, featuring the best of the genre: near immortal imperial overlords, a prophecy of a sleeping elven king who's said to be the savior of the races . . . and two young people who are set on a path to save the day.'

The problems arose as I neared the end. The storyline, which had originally been extremely multi-faceted, devolved to follow only the main quest: to find the Sleeping King. Sure, there were complications with the main quest, and other forces became apparent as the book drew on. But by then, the surprise factor had worn off, and what I originally had assumed would become a new favorite epic fantasy of mine, became a book I would like to own a physical copy of, but with no dire need of it. Since the book is based on a live action RPG, it makes much more sense that everything else would be so fully fleshed, leaving much of the plot to follow a more linear direction.

If you've ever played the Elder Scrolls, you may find many of the humanoid beings familiar. Although I would've preferred beings I've never ever seen before in fantasy, at some point it's hard to be 'new' without inspiring memories of that book, that movie, or that video game. Still, I prefer fantasy books like The Sleeping King with lots of different races to fantasy books with just plain old humans with a pocket full of magic.

I also had issues with some of the later antagonists, the Boki. When we get to see them up close and personal, none of them really have a distinct personality. Yes, they are supposed to be highly skilled warriors, and therefore maybe have no room for personality, but I was disappointed nonetheless. I'm beginning to feel terribly for orc-like people, as they are always cast as the villains.

The Sleeping King had a beginning that swept me off my feet... but an ending that didn't quite match my expectations. Regardless of that, it has a lot of magic left for those of us who love to see amazing worldbuilding and distinctive races. If you're okay with books that lack in the character and plot department, but deliver the complete package with a fully fleshed fantasy world, I'd recommend this book. Otherwise, you could probably skip it.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a good start to a series that I expected a bit more from.

Content: Ages 16+ for bloodshed/violence/gore, and a strange lion that changes into a horse... or maybe that was accidental?

Page Count: 496 pages

"A Dance With Dragons (ASoIaF #5)" by George R.R. Martin

This is the fifth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. For those of you who haven't read A Game of Thrones, (or haven't watched the tv series), there are unmarked spoilers for the first four books of the series in this review.

What kind of book do you expect from a famous author who has previously made your jaw drop, your eyes turn into water faucets, and your heart explode into three billion little bits of bloody nougat? Yep, you expect a lot. That's my problem with this book: I feel if it weren't by Mr. Martin, I'd give it four stars- the characters are awesome, if a little waffley, but the plot was... not.

I always expect the best from my favorite authors- in Mr. Martin's case, I've grown to expect the sun, the moon, all the stars, along with the rest of the Milky Way Galaxy. I only got the moon and the stars- the galaxy, the sun- they were absent. That is the best analogy I can come up with to describe my feelings with this book.

The Plot: (As Seen on Goodreads)
'In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance — beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.
'Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys's claim to Westeros forever.
'Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone — a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.'

My main disappointment with this book: Nothing much happens. That's not to say nothing happens, but it seems like there's a lot of machinations going on and not a lot of action, as compared with the other ASoIaF books. The problem is, in part, due to the splitting of the world- if we saw what A Feast for Crows had going on at the same time, it might've been a bit more thrilling. But then again, we have the issue of length- if Mr Martin had mashed the two together instead of splitting them apart, you'd have a book about 2000 pages long (a built-in workout for the hardcover reader). I think he was right to splice them as he did, but something still left me wanting when I read this book.

Also, there's an issue I have with the ending: once again, we're left wondering what precisely will happen in the next book (which won't be published in 2015, dammit!). I'd like very much to elaborate in a spoiler section, but my conscience will not allow the possibility of this book being spoiled for anyone else- I'm sure plenty of Goodreads reviews have mentioned the spoilers. Regardless, this book is guaranteed to make you grind your teeth when you reach the end, if only to realize the next book is at least a year's wait away.

A Dance with Dragons disappointed me, but my expectations were exceedingly high for this book (the title + Mr. Martin + the things that happened previously in the series = a major setup for my disappointment). Dany and her dragons may dance a merry jig, but it wasn't enough to sate the inner bloodthirsty reader within me. Nevertheless, I heartily recommend this book (and its series) to those who are brave enough to wait for Winter to come.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars for a great, if disappointing, series continuation.

Content: Ages 18+ for the usual Martin gambit.

Page Count: 1016 pages in my spare dumbbell hardcover edition.

Early Critique: "Of Bone and Thunder: A Novel" by Chris Evans

Disclaimer:
I received this ebook for free via NetGalley, but in no way did it affect my literary taste buds. This critique is my honest opinion.

A Standalone Fantasy Novel

To Be Released: October 14th, 2014

I'm calling this sort of book a word that the beloved Stephen Colbert has copyrighted: mantasy. Although this does have a few female characters (most of them being love interests), this is more something my brothers or people who like military fantasy might enjoy. I generally can appreciate male-oriented books, but some things I'd rather not read about, and planting seed is one of them (it should be noted I've read another book with that sort of thing in it, worded exactly the same). So, yes- this is mantasy.

When I first started reading this, it was hard to dive into- I have a penchant for wanting to know everything about the characters, but instead, I was launched into a discussion of how the monarchy/political system worked, as well as getting to know some whiny-ass soldiers. Given that I've been reading a bunch of urban fantasy lately, it's probably not fair to judge this book for its slow start- it's epic and military fantasy, so there's bound to be some densified information to be dropped on the reader early on, but I wasn't that enamored with the book's beginning.

The Plot:
Jawn Rathim signs up to fight for his country with visions of glory and valor dancing in his head, but quickly realizes the war with the Luitox is anything but that. Listowk and his band of soldiers try to outsmart an enemy that manages to hide in plain sight and silently assassinates the army sent to "free" them. Vorly Astol and his trusty rag (or dragon), Carduus try to adapt to the technologies the RATs (Royal Academy Thaums- scientific magicians) are building, but will they prove too dangerous for field use?

I expect a lot of books with dragons in them. It's no secret, given I have a tag/label for my blog that has "Dragons" with a total of three exclamation points. Of all the things that irked me about this book, the dragons weren't one of them- they were huge, monstrous, and relatively well thought out. If you're looking for dragons (called rags in this book) that have a lot of detail put into them, this book certainly delivers.

Given that this is fantasy based on the Vietnam War, I'm sure it's prudent to expect some coarse language, and generally I don't mind it used in books. But there came a point when I began highlighting every f-bomb, because their prevalence began to annoy me. I found over 200 scattered throughout the book, and it really didn't add much to my personal experience or make me empathize more with the characters, so I found the knee-jerk use of it somewhat redundant.

I mentioned that early on I found the soldiers rather whiny, but they grew on me once the book delved into action sequences, which this book has many of, even if some of them seemed a little repetitive and unnecessary. It should be noted that one soldier had a drug habit that I felt was never fully explored, but I heard from Benni's review (Benni's Bookbiters) that the author was still polishing the ending by the time the galley copies were sent, so perhaps the final version will be more cohesive in that vein. The ending had a twist I saw coming, due to the foreshadowing, but I thought it was a relatively satisfying ending, despite some plotlines being hurriedly dissolved.

Of Bone and Thunder is one of the more male-oriented fantasy books I've read, but I was still greatly entertained by it. Although I didn't appreciate some of the male-centric features of this book, I did enjoy the world building, which is probably the best aspect of this novel. After a slow start, the book progressed quickly, and was soon over- perhaps a bit too soon over for a standalone book. If you're craving a standalone military fantasy with an expansive world that may be more than a tad mantasy, this book might do the trick.

Note: The book I received was a review copy and this is a pre-release critique, so I have no idea what changes might take place in the published novel.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars for great world-building and mantasy themes.

Content: Ages 18+ for sex scenes (one, plus masturbating... lovely), violence (war crimes- but no rape depictions), and lots of f-bombs (as in 200+).

Page Count: 497 pages expected in the hardcover edition.

"A Storm of Swords (ASoIaF #3)" by George R.R. Martin

This is the third book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. For those of you who haven't read A Game of Thrones, (or haven't watched the tv series), there are major spoilers for the first two books of the series in this review.

This is the book where things start to differ from the tv series in small (but notable) ways. An excellent example of this would be Tyrion, who in the book is gravely injured, and loses about half of his nose. On the tv series, Tyrion is still looking the same. I would mention more differences, but I haven't watched much of the tv series, just snippets here and there. My greatest point of contention with regards to the television series is the scene that is consensual in the book between the twincest couple becomes rape on the small screen. And why? To be edgy? I think the series is plenty gruesome without those add-ins.

The Plot:
Samwell Tarly and the men of the Night's Watch prepare to fight the Wildling army, only to be ambushed by Others. Brienne makes her way to King's Landing, trying to keep her prisoner Jaime in line. Catelyn Stark gets no repercussions for her naughty behavior, so she sets her own punishment. Tyrion wakes to find his father the King's Hand, but wants his power back despite his grievous injuries. Sansa attempts to remain innocuous while plotting her escape. Jon Snow still knows nothing. Bran sets out to find the crow of his dreams. Dany tries to mother her dragons, whose desires differ from her own and are growing at an exponential rate. Arya meets up with a family friend, but will her journey grow any easier?

In this book of the ASoIaF series, I would like to showcase the sometimes infuriating disregard for women that is culturally characteristic of both Medieval Europe and Westoros.
For example:
"It was a mother's folly. Women are made that way."
    ~Greatjon (or not so great jon), end of page 191, relating to Catelyn Stark's decision to free Jaime in exchange for her daughters.

Isn't that so endearing? You frequently encounter such things in historical fiction, but did the author really need to use the same backwards people for his fantasy series? The short answer: no. We don't need more pseudo-Medieval Europe fantasies, even if it makes interesting plot points like women overcoming their oppression. It is amazing how many things you forget about a series when you haven't read it in three years: I could remember all the gorey and touchy elements of this series, but mostly forgot all the subtle humiliations all the heroines in this series at one point or another must endure.

That said, it reinforced the idea of Tyrion as one of my favorite literary characters ever. Because he's frankly ahead of his time with treating women like humans. And I really can't go on without getting spoilery, but he's one of the few men in this series that really sets the standards high for the rest of the fictional heroes.

For one of the greatest moment of the series (so far), and to spoil the first three books of the series, turn to page 829 (mass market paperback).

A Storm of Swords is a very bloody book where Mr. Martin hones his wedding planning skills (err... I don't want ASoIaF themed wedding anymore). I can't say I didn't absolutely adore it, but of course, there were some irksome things I mentioned above that spoiled some of the sweet, sweet, moments in this book. Overall, I can't say the quality of the series lessens any (at this point) and I highly recommend it to those of you who have read the first two books.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars for a book with weddings and wakes!

Content: Ages 18+ for the usual suspects in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Page Count: 1128 pages in my mass market paperback edition

"A Clash of Kings (ASoIaF #2)" by George R.R. Martin

This is the second book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. For those of you who haven't read A Game of Thrones, (or haven't watched the tv series), there are major spoilers for the first book of the series in this review.

One of the reasons that I never gave a second glance to the A Song of Ice and Fire Series before the tv show came out was the awful, hideous, uber-stylized covers. Looking at the cover, you'd think it is a stale history, not a fantasy- and despite my trolling of the Barnes and Noble fantasy/sci-fi section, I never wanted to pick up that book. Because of the tv series, they changed the cover of A Game of Thrones to Ned Stark sitting on the Iron Throne, and that was the only reason I chose it for my bookshelf. The newer editions are a bit better- landscapes, but really? Why does this series have such ugly covers? To better camouflage its awesomeness?

The Plot:
A comet leaves a trail of fire in the sky, leading to a plethora of prophecy. Melisandre, a priestess of R'hllor, predicts it to be the first breath of dragons, and begins a plot to endear herself to Stannis, a potential claimant to the Iron Throne. Arya, continues her adventures masquerading as a boy in a group headed for the Wall. Sansa is now reluctant about her engagement with King Joffrey, and looks for ways she might escape him. Jon and Sam set off on an expedition beyond the Wall, led by the leader of the Night's Watch, Jeor Mormont (the Old Bear). The King in the North, Rob, continues his goal to overthrow Joffrey and exact revenge on the Lannisters. Dany, now in possession of the only dragons known to exist, struggles to keep her brother's dream alive, but will the cost be to high?

One thing that always gets me about the ASoIaF series is that you're constantly waiting for your favorite characters to catch up with each other, or better- stop trying to go somewhere when you know the character they're looking for is somewhere else. Mr. Martin has a way of making me grind my teeth at night after reading a few chapters, when I wanted to read all of these in one night each, because you can actually weep for the characters when he does something truly awful to them. This author can crush your dreams within a paragraph- that's all I'm saying.

I've noticed a lot of people don't like Sansa as a character. To be frank, I don't care for her much either, even though I'm sure if she were an actual person, she'd be perfectly lovely. But the reason behind it is more because compared to the rest of the Starks, she's rather dull. She's willing to bend the knee to her keepers, but in all reality, that's the only reason she's alive in this book. I think she's much like Sam in that she has very human qualities- she isn't the bravest, she isn't the brightest, and she isn't trying to challenge her position (and therefore make her life much more challenging). Realistically, we're talking about a teenage girl, and, not to say teenage girls can't be extraordinary, she acts more like a teen girl than the rest of the teen (and pre-teen) girls in this book. Her weapons in this book are her beauty and her unobtrusiveness, and she uses them very well.

Also, there are real dragons in this book. Real as in untamed and not cute innocent and fluffy. Dragons that need a bit more polish as far as social graces, and dragons you wouldn't want to be in the vicinity of. Real dragons. And I love them- almost as much as the direwolves.

A Clash of Kings is an admirable sequel that maintains the conniving and plot-twisting qualities of its predecessor. This book keeps you on your toes, trying to predict the next dilemma the protagonist (or antagonist) will run into, or better who will live and who will die. I can honestly tell you, having read the series, the fun is not in predicting, it's in simply reading this book as it was meant to be read- late into the night, until the sun comes up and you realize you haven't slept. As you may be able to tell from that statement, I recommend this book to anyone willing to stay up late and wake up only to grab it and read some more.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars for a second book that only improves upon the depth of the series!

Content: It's the continuation of A Game of Thrones, and contains the expected objectionable content. Ages 18+

Page Count: 968 pages in my brick of a mass-market paperback.

"Dragon's Bait" by Vivian Vande Velde

But Litha, it's almost a children's book! you bemoan.
Yes, but it feels more like Young Adult, practically Adult, I reply, wiping my stinging eyes from the strain of looking at a computer for the past four days. My brain needs a rest. I'll get back to writing about Adult things later. Besides, people seem to like YA more than Adult books anyhow. My book blogging prowess will be proved if I manage to write all the reviews I've promised for every day this week. Just let me critique more books about dragons. They're the only ones I truly enjoy.
Fine, you respond. But when will we get more critiques on classics?
I gaze unseeingly into the distance as my mind struggles to compute the word "classic".

*End Scene*

And that is why I am reduced to critiquing a children's book that is thinner than my little finger. I admit, my powers of writing book critiques may be challenged as this week endures, but a promise is a promise, regardless of my constant procrastination.

Proof it is thinner than my pinkie.

Dragon's Bait was a book I picked up at a thrift shop when I was a tween, but didn't read it in its entirety until I was thirteen. While it is pretty generic in theme, I feel like it is a classic, as it stands the test of time. It was written the year I took my first breath, 1992, but I could see the tweens today still easily enjoying it. It doesn't read like an "early nineties" book, it feels timeless.

The Plot:
Fifteen year old Alys is accused of witchcraft by her neighbors, after her father refused to sell his land to them. An Inquisitor is brought in to question her, and prove or disprove if she is, in fact, a witch. Everyone who disputes that she is not a witch is relatively ignored or jeered at. Witnesses claim she made a boy drop his hammer with her witch powers. It is decided they will stake her out on a remote hillside where a dragon is said to roam, effectively turning her into... Dragon's Bait.

This plot bears similarity to many stories, but foremost in my mind as I briefly re-skimmed it was the obvious resemblance to the Salem Witch Trials. The Inquisitor is a man of God, and clearly has no problem with encouraging the villagers to turn against Alys. The neighbors had a clear motive to want Alys gone, as her father is sickly, and barely scrapes by financially with her help, and without her, he would be forced to sell his land. The neighbors fabricate testimony so Alys will be charged, when they themselves are in the wrong.

When you finish the book, you are left wanting more. It is inevitable that any good book with a scant 131 pages will make you desire to see more of Alys and the dragon. But the author's gift to you is this: you get to imagine what happens after the ending, and so the book's ending is only limited by your imagination.

Rating: An easy 4 out of 5 stars, for a tiny book that is still relevant 22 years later.

Content: This is for grade levels 6+, or roughly 12 years and up.

Page Count: Tiny but powerful at 131 pages.

"The Hero and the Crown" By Robin McKinley

I love this book. I love the people who dwell in this book. I love the author of this book. I love almost everything about this book. I love that there is a girl with a sword slaying a dragon on the cover of this book.

One thing I do not love about this book? Er... well, the dragon looks kind of like an alien on the cover.

It should surprise you then, that the first time I read this book I thought something was really strange about it, and it was nearly relegated to the "donate" pile of books because of its strangeness. Why did I think it was strange? This was one of my first forays with true fantasy. Sure, I'd read about girls who rode unicorns, girls pretending to be boys to be apprenticed as knights or mages or some other trade. But I'd never before read a book where an author makes up words for things and uses the words in the book instead of the real word for it. Words for things like servants, degrees of royalty, and weird plants, that you had to remember in case the author mentioned that word again. That was a very foreign concept to me at the time, and it wasn't until later, when I reread the book I didn't understand, that I realized this was one of my favorite books I've ever read.

The Plot:
Our heroine is Aerin, a princess who is the daughter of a witch-woman and the king of Damar, though she is rarely treated like royalty. People think her mother meant to rule the land through a son, and so she died of despair when she had a daughter. Aerin is pretty much shunned by most of the royal family, save for First Sola Tor (inheritor of the throne, also her first cousin), who teaches her swordplay and whatever else tickles her fancy. This is an awkward thing, because they later have a kind of romance going on (though I really don't like Tor for her AT ALL) and he is her cousin. But, back in the day, Queen Victoria married her first cousin Albert, and it's legal in some of our very own States to this day.

Aerin is goaded into eating the leaves of the surka, a plant both poisonous and hallucinogenic to most people (royals can be killed by it, but not often), by her cousin Galanna (who hates her guts for many reasons). Aerin is sick for a long time, but finds solace in the library, and her father's former war horse Talat. She stumbles upon a book detailing a repellent for dragon fire, called kenet, and eventually lands the perfect ratio for dragon-fire-proof-ness. Thus begins her career of dragon-slaying.

While she has killed a small dragon, she hears rumors of the last of the great dragons, called Maur, harrying villages. She decides to go after Maur with her mad dragon-slaying skills, without her father's leave.

The Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy:
Luthe is a character you meet in Aerin's dreams. He is a healer, who eventually aids Aerin, when she finally gets around to meeting him, IRL. A tall blonde immortal with blue eyes, he enjoys long walks by the lake, and being heartbreakingly sincere in his love for Aerin. There's a scene near the end that emphasizes that, and it truly made my poor ten year old self cry. And I still cry when I read it. I have to admit, it was quite embarrassing growing up with a crush on a character in a book that none of my other friends had read, and so usually I kept my mouth shut (which wasn't difficult- I was a painfully shy kid). One time I did mention it, my friends said, "Who the hell is Luke? Like from Star Wars?" Needless to say, I died a little on that day.

The "My Best Friend":
Tor is, as I mentioned before, Aerin's first cousin. He enables her mannish behavior, and so I half like him for that. A black-haired mortal, he's heir to the throne, and fully supports Aerin in most things. He's an okay guy, the one she's expected to settle down with, and yet he isn't particularly my kind of hero.

The Ending:
I was disappointed, until I realized the ending isn't really the end of anything. Aerin is immortal. Robin McKinley also kind of talked about an extended ending. It is satisfying, though not what I wanted to begin with.

The Rating: 5 out of 5 stars! I loved this book. I dream of dragon-slaying, and my dreams were fulfilled when The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim came out. And also when I read this book.

Content: Implied sex scenes. I read this when I was ten and didn't catch on. Just for dirty minds...

Page Count: 246 pages

P.S. "Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy" and "My Best Friend" are songs by Queen. They also fit the characters to a T.

Upcoming Reviews

Here's a look at what I've been polishing:

Critiques On Books From NetGalley:

The Twelve Kingdoms: The Mark of the Tala By Jeffe Kennedy: Is to be released May 27th, so expect the critique to drop about 2-3 weeks before its publication. I devoured this one, and already have most of the review done.
Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Chasers of the Wind (Cycle of Wind and Sparks, #1) By Alexey Pehov: Expected publication is June 17th, so again, I'll post the critique 2-3 weeks before its release to drum up interest. I haven't finished this yet, but have a good vibe from the first chapters.
Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy

Critiques On Books I've Read:

Rebecca By Daphne du Maurier: Yes, I realize this is quite unlike me, but I do read classics, and not the snore yourself awake kind. A book that should be read by every girl worthy of her heels.
Genres: Mystery, Classic, Romance, Historical

The Hero and the Crown By Robin McKinley: Indeed, I am reviewing an awful lot of R.M. books (two), but she's in the Society of Authors I'm Obsessed With, so bite me.
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dragons!!!

Warbreaker By Brandon Sanderson: This book is available for free, online. I read it for free, online. I am writing a review to show my everloving appreciation to authors, like Mr. Sanderson, who share the love of books to people who can't afford them. Because I was once book-poor myself.
Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic, Romance (as a subplot, mostly)

Books I'm Currently Reading and May or May Not Critique:

Ink Mage By Victor Gischler: This was released as a Kindle Serial, and many people hated on it because of that. Now it's available as a full length book, so I'm reading it. Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic