Review: Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown

2.5 stars for Morning Star (Red Rising book 3) by Pierce Brown.

Morning Star is a fair wrap-up of the Red Rising series. It tells of the rage of the Sons of Ares, the strength of Ragnar (Obsidian), the honor of Cassius (Morning Knight), the love of Sevro (Gold), the loyalty of Victra (Gold), and the dream of Eo (Red), and more.

Of all three books, I find book 1 Red Rising to be the most exciting and interesting with its many unexpected twists and turns. Book 2 Golden Son less so but still enjoyable. Book 3 Morning Star.. well, I am somewhat disappointed that the story does not shine as brightly as I have expected it to. I think it is because by this time, the political manoeuvring and cut-throat whatnots kind of go stale and the characters just seems to go on a wild goose chase with no end in sight. At times, it is so tempting to skip large chunks of text or jump right to the last chapter.

Exhilarating conclusion to the Red Rising Trilogy? Sorry to say... definitely not so for me.

Review: Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown

4 stars for Golden Son (Red Rising book 2) by Pierce Brown.

Plots. Revolution. Civil War. Disconcerting killcount. Survive and conquer. Death begets death begets death, and ever more. But ultimately, wisdom is found in the heart, not the head. And that is what makes Golden Son shines so bloodydamn brightly as the follow-up to Red Rising.

Taken verbatim from the author "the magic of man is in words, in tales, in legends lost and in those still yet to come", I look forward to unleashing this magic in my upcoming quest to conquer the final instalment of the trilogy, Morning Star.

Review: Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown

4.5 stars for Red Rising (Red Rising book 1) by Pierce Brown.

This novel is labelled under the Science Fiction genre, but with the exception that it takes place on Mars, there is hardly any science in this fiction. Nevertheless, I have a great time trapped in the layered society of Colours, the Golds, Silvers, Bronzes, Coppers, Obsidians and Reds to name a few. The initial 15-20% of the story is slow moving but hints of potential and great things to come. Boy, am I glad to have persisted beyond because after that, I willingly hold myself captive between the pages of this book.

Oppression. Lies. Rebellion. Freedom. Every sin, every death, every sacrifice, is for freedom. This story is a study of humanity; of political, psychological and behavioural science, how human beings react to one another, how armies function and how tactics win battles but strategies win wars.

I like the placement of Roman mythology in the story even though it is loosely based upon. Twelve Houses, each named for one of the gods of the Roman pantheon. But somehow I feel the need to voice out that the author fails the Mathematics test. When I finally decide to do a count, I find out that there is one extra House to account for. Shouldn't it be twelve Houses in twelve castles based on twelve great Roman deities? And don't get me started on where the twelve Roman Gods reside in - Mount Olympus. OMG! Mount Olympus is the dwelling of the Olympian Gods according to Greek, not Roman mythology. Well, it seems to me that the author wants the best of both mythologies, Roman and Greek. But please, get them right and don't confuse readers by blending them together.

Jupiter-Juno
Neptune-Minerva
Mars-Venus
Apollo-Diana
Vulcan-Bacchus
Mercury-Ceres
Pluto

Now, here comes the irony. Regardless of all the above grievances, Red Rising, with the adult-centric themes of justice, power and war, is a book worthy of my time.

Review: Dark Horse (Class 5 #1) by Michelle Diener

Did Not Finish Dark Horse (Class 5 book 1) by Michelle Diener.

This book is the winner of the SFR Galaxy Award 2016 and the Prism Award 2016 for Best Futuristic.

Unfortunately, science fiction romance with Artificial Intelligence lodged in a crystal key is not my cup of tea. That and the snail-like pace of the story lead to my decision that enough time has been invested - and wasted - at a quarter of the book.

Review: Tin Star (Casablanca recast #1) by Cecil Castellucci

3.5 stars for Tin Star (Casablanca recast book 1) by Cecil Castellucci.

Tin Star is an interesting read with an unusual story albeit a bit slow moving.

Beaten and left for dead on a space station called Yertina Feray, 14-year old Tula Bane finds the will and the means to survive among the aliens. And everything is so much bigger and more interconnected than it is thought to be.

Docking bay. Space travel. Space station. Planets. Galaxy. Humans. Aliens. Politics.

This book will appeal much to readers who like traditional Science Fiction stories.

Review: The Master Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy #3) by Charlie N. Holmberg

5 stars for The Master Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy book 3) by Charlie N. Holmberg.

The Master Magician is a captivating follow-up to The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician.

I absolutely love the Paper Magician series, a series which will enchant readers of all ages, and am sad that this is the last book in the Trilogy,

Review: The Glass Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy #2) by Charlie N. Holmberg

5 stars for The Glass Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy book 2) by Charlie N. Holmberg.

The Glass Magician is an enchanting follow-up story to The Paper Magician. While this trilogy is not exactly a romance story, the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love is brilliantly interwoven in the magical world of magicians that ultimately lead to heart-warming moments and heart-stopping action.

Thoroughly engaging and irresistible, I read the book in one dreamy sitting and am all smiles by the time I hit the sack in the wee hours.

Review: The Paper Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg

4.5 stars for The Paper Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy book 1) by Charlie N. Holmberg.

The Paper Magician is a charming Young Adult Fantasy set in a world of magicians who animate man-made materials such as glass, metal, plastic, rubber and yes, paper. It is beautifully written to convey the message that life is worth living and there is hope - and love - yet to be.

I bought this book from Amazon Kindle First on 3 August 2014, yet for one reason or another, I did not read it until 5 days ago. Oh, how I love this story and chide myself for not reading it earlier. On the other hand, perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that I have procrastinated in reading this book which I thought is a standalone at the time of purchase, for three years later, the trilogy is completed and I can have the luxury to read them back-to-back.