Book Review: My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2)

Release Date: June 26, 2018
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 464 pages
Source: Edelweiss eARC

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

    

Review:

Protagonists: Much like My Lady Jane, this story is told from 3, third-person, POVs, Charlotte Brontë, the author of the Jane Eyre that many of us are familiar with, who is best friends with this story's version of Jane. Charlotte is a very observant and sharp young woman, who hopes to secure a job with the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits, this book's version of Ghostbusters, more or less, as well as continue on with a certain story she's been writing. Jane Eyre, our titular character, can see ghosts, a fact that she does her best to keep well hidden so that no one will think she's crazy, still she's a polite and good-hearted protagonist who ends up in the middle of a supernatural mystery. Then there's Alexander Blackwood, the star agent of the SRWS, who is in pursuit of talented agents to help bring the Society back into good favor with the Crown, or at the very least save them from possible ruin. Alexander is dedicated to his work, and to finding out who murdered his father. Honestly, I loved all of these characters, depending on what was going on I would gravitate toward one more than the others, but they are all fantastic, and I love that they aren't perfect, Jane is very stubborn, Charlotte is a tad bit selfish, and Alexander's pursuit of his father's murderer may blind him from the task at hand. All these characters are so extraordinary which made it almost impossible to not get sucked into this story.

Romance: So, the romance in this book isn't the focus of the story and I appreciated how obvious that was throughout the story. This is a fun supernatural adventure and ghost hunt first, but there is a bit of romance. I don't want to say too much about the romance, or possibly romances depending on your definition, in this book because the romance is involved in quite a few of the twists and turns in this book. I will say this though, the main romance sort of snuck up on me, and I really enjoyed that, I wasn't sure what to expect going in and what I came out with was a really well paced and enjoyable romance. The romance wasn't as fast-paced or electric as most YA books are, or try to be, since this takes place in a Pre-Victorian era and there is the pressure of propriety. Still, once I got my bearings on the romance I really rooted for the couple and loved their scenes together.

World Building: So, I'm going to level with you, I've never read Jane Eyre, though I have read a book inspired by the Jane Eyre and I read the synopsis on Wikipedia before starting this book, still I found this story to be vastly entertaining. I was able to pick up on a few Easter Eggs regarding the source material, but honestly, I don't think it matters if you've read the source material or not. The world that the authors create, or well adapted from a time period in our world, is phenomenal. I loved all of the little call outs to pop culture here and there, none of which felt too out of place, and much like the characters the world and the writing style that the authors have chosen, once where they break the fourth wall every now and again to give numerous notes on the current scene, sucked me into this story so fully it was hard to put the book down at times. This isn't the Jane Eyre story you may be familiar with, and I'm sure classic purists would hate this book, but how the authors wove this tale into the story of Jane Eyre was highly entertaining, to say the least.

Predictability: So, I have to say, while I was able to predict quite a few of the twists in this book, it never once stopped me from enjoying the story. I would say this tale is predictable, though some twists did feel a little too obvious, there are still so many exciting moments that even when I know a reveal is coming, I was still blown away with how the twist was handled and the context around the reveal. There were a couple of twists in this story that really kept me on my toes, especially toward the end.

Ending: Dang, this story knows how to go out in a blaze of glory! The final climax of this story is exciting and intense and I loved every minute of it. This is a standalone, even though it's part of a companion novel series, so when the final climax comes to a close there's a sense of finality to everything, but then there's an epilogue. The epilogue serves to really tie up all those loose ends, but what I was not expecting is one, or, well, two more twists, the first just ties up a couple loose threads, the second one, which comes at the VERY end, shook me hard, like, "HOW DO YOU END A BOOK LIKE THAT" hard.

Rating:

Gah! I love this story so much, it's full of fun, ghosts, adventures, and hilarity. I don't know how they do it, but these authors seem to always offer up a fun and engaging time when they collaborate, and I hope their next book, My Calamity Jane, won't be their last.

Book Review: My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies #1)

Release Date: June 7, 2016
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 512 pages
Source: Purchased Book/Library Audio Book

Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It’s all very undignified.

The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it’s off with their heads?

    

Review:

Protagonists: Oh my lord, these protagonists are fantastic. Jane is a witty and stubborn girl who won't just stand there and be told what to do, by society or anyone. She's a spitfire who can get into trouble and her stubborn streak won't always get her where she needs to go, and honestly can put her in danger at this time of political turmoil. Edward always felt like he was made to be a king, however, once he leaves his gilded tower, he may find that he isn't best suited for the job and that he may not be the great king he thinks himself as. G spends his days as a horse, but he has the heart of a poet and true romantic. He can't change his form at will as other Eðians seem to be able to do, and after getting married to Jane Grey he may be more frustrated with her than his condition. As I said, I loved all these characters, not all of them are perfect, in fact, none of them are perfect, but it's their imperfections that make them such joys to read about.

Romances: This isn't an overly romantic book by any means. There is romance in this book, in fact, there are multiple romances in this book, but even though they factor into the story in some very large ways, they don't' have much of a heavy presence, which I loved. Somehow, some way, these authors were able to convey romances that felt truer than many I've read before, but somehow did it in less time. It's a marvel. Don't get me wrong, I loved the romance when it showed up and things between Jane and G, as well as Edward and his love interest, felt so real and it didn't take much before I was rooting for each couple.

World Building: I'm a sucker for Tudor England, and even more so for things that involve either Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and/or Queen Elizabeth I. I didn't know who Jane Grey was before reading this book, I didn't much care except for that this story, that I'd heard nothing but positive hype toward, featured her. When I found out who she was and what part (however small) she played in history, I was nearly chomping at the bit to read this book and I'm so happy I finally did. This book is set in a world where there is contention between Verities and Eðians, these are allegories for Catholics and Protestants respectfully, and honestly, this way was more fun and far more whimsical as Eðians have the ability to change into animal forms, though it seems other than that there is no more magic in this world. The way the authors tell this story, as it truly did feel like I was being told a story and not just because I mostly listened to the Audio Book, has so much humor and excitement folded in. I can't believe how many times I laughed while reading this book. I knew it was a comedy, but I never fully grasped how until I started this story.

Predictability: When I first started this tale I thought I was able to very easily catch onto some twists that I wasn't expecting to be revealed until after the midpoint of this story. Then, quick as a cat the twists played out much earlier than I expected and I was left flabbergasted. Honestly, other than a few things I wasn't able to predict much at all in this book. It's not as though there were huge game-changing twists in this book, mostly things followed the status quo for a YA novel, however that doesn't mean that it didn't veer left or right when I wasn't expecting it to.

Ending: The final climax of this story is amazing, it really is a testament to each of these characters, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how far they've come over the course of this story. It was exciting and full of tension and suspense as things were coming to a head. This is a standalone and as such everything was tied up by the end. This doesn't exactly mean everyone had a happily ever after, but I was never left feeling as though there was more to this story to tell.

Rating:

I never expected this book to live up to the hype. I heard it was funny, witty, and exciting and while I expected to like it, I ended up totally loving it. From the writing style, the humor, and the phenomenal characters, this was such a quick read for me because I literally couldn't put it down. (Maybe not literally, but pretty darn close!)

Book Review: Before She Ignites (Fallen Isles Trilogy #1)

Release Date: September 12, 2017
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Length: 496 pages
Source: Edelweiss Review Copy

Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

    

Review:

Protagonist: For all of Mira's life she's been the Hopebringer. She's always stood for the treaty that united the Fallen Isles that was signed on the day of her birth and named after her. Then one day, she learns a secret that gets her sent to the Pit, a secret that she would take to her grave. The Pit is a dark and hopeless prison, there a cruel and sadistic guard will do anything to uncover the reason Mira was sent there. One of the things I loved about Mira is that she's flawed. At the beginning she believes everything told to her, she never questions it and while she never comes across as stuck up, she never realizes the priveledges she has, not only being the Hopebearer but also being the daughter of a rich politician. However, over the course of the book she slowly begins to develop, learning important lessons from her new comrades in prison, and going through things no one should have to endure, she'll come out stronger, and while she's still flawed, her development is remarkable and exciting.

World Building: This world revolves around the Fallen Isles and the mythology associated with the islands. I'm a huge mythology buff and even though this isn't based on classic mythologies, at least as far as I can tell, the mythology t the author created for this world is still as captivating and rich as if she had. I loved learning about how this world works, or at the very least how the denizens of this world believe it to work, and of the various gifts given by the gods of this world. I was kind of saddened that even though dragons are a key plot element, they didn't show up as much as I was expecting. This entire world was, more or less, perfectly crafted for this first installment, however, there are still a great many things I hope to learn more about in the future, particularly one island's people that were rarely if ever, mentioned past the prologue.

Predictability: The writing and plot structure for this book were also well crafted. There's a certain formula to YA books where if you know what to look for you can pretty much guess how at least sixty-five percent of the book is going to go. However, in this story, I couldn't detect traces of the YA formula. I mean, sure there are things that with most books are a given, but I had next to no idea where this story was going to go. I mean, I felt like I was flying completely blind with this book and I was so excited to see where this book would take me next.

Ending: The ending, well, the ending I sort of guessed. I mean, it doesn't take a formula to figure out roughly what will happen toward the end of this book. Still, it was an exciting and exhilarating ride the whole way through. This story ends much the same way most first books in series do. There wasn't a huge cliffhanger or anything. However, it didn't quite plateau out as much as I hoped it would. I'm clamoring for the next book in this series, there are so many questions brought up at the end of this book that I need to be answered ASAP and unfortunately with this book not even released yet, the wait for book 2 is going to be killer.

Rating:

I wasn't quite sure what rating to give this book, but after writing this review I know it deserves five glorious and brightly burning stars. The pacing can be a bit slow in parts, but that doesn't last long and the book as a whole is a fantastic story in a brilliantly crafted world.