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Parable of the Talents
Book
"This Nebula Award-winning sequel to Parable of the Sower continues the story of Lauren Olamina in...
DW
Drawing with Great Needles: Ancient Tattoo Traditions of North America
Aaron Deter-Wolf and Carol Diaz-Granados
Book
For thousands of years, Native Americans throughout the Eastern Woodlands and Great Plains used the...
Alva and Gunnar Myrdal: Social Engineering in the Modern World
Thomas Etzemuller and Alex Skinner
Book
As two of the leading social scientists of the twentieth century, Alva and Gunnar Myrdal tried to...
Tómas Jónsson, Bestseller
Lytton Smith and Guðbergur Bergsson
Book
“Guðbergur Bergsson achieved success with his novel Tómas Jónsson, Bestseller, which shocked...
Fiction humour
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Rose Society in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This is the second book in the Young Elites series. Adelina has been cast off by the Dagger Society and the darkness in her heart is consuming her. Accompanied by only her sister, who she discovered is also a Young Elite like her, Adelina sets out to form her own version of the Dagger Society - the Rose Society. The crown prince is dead and Adelina focuses all of her rage and vengeance against Teren. She and Violetta have been practicing with their abilities and are stronger than before.
About one-quarter of the way through the book and it has hit its stride already. It is more immersive than the first, which seemed to suffer from slow pacing. Now that the plot has been established, it seems to allow the author more freedom with writing and storytelling. A number of new characters are introduced like Queen Maeve and her brothers, an unnamed charlatan, and the infamous Magiano.
Magiano is a greedy thief, but you can't help but be a little charmed by him. Adelina plans to surround herself with other Elites so that her Rose Society can flourish. She sets her sights on Magiano whose power is <spoiler>mimicry. He is able to copy the powers of the other Elites</spoiler> Unfortunately, he is not eager to abandon his life of solitary thievery and challenges the sisters. If they succeed, he will join them. Will his skills as a thief give him victory or will Adelina be able to weave enough illusions to secure herself an ally?
Her acts may even gain her the support of others, thus growing her society. But mercenaries aren't the most loyal of followers. Adelina causes chaos during the theft and must flee with Magiano and her sister. During the course of their escape, they discover another Elite, called <spoiler>Rainmaker, or Sergio. As his Elite name suggests, he can control the rain. His abilities are impressive enough to brew fierce storms and call down deadly lightning strikes</spoiler>. Her Society may be called Rose, unlike the Daggers she left behind, but she is much more ruthless and cold than her more violent sounding counterparts.
Queen Maeve has the ability to <spoiler>bring people back from the dead and she plans to do so with Enzo. Whether he will be the same Enzo as before his death or be utterly changed by his new bond with the Underworld, Maeve cannot know. </spoiler>
Adelina's love for Enzo and introduction of Magian leads to a typical love triangle. Enzo may have died, but Adelina still pines for him and it show. Despite those feelings, she forms a connection with Magiano and it complicates their relationship because "caring for a scoundrel is a dangerous thing." Magiano plays the role of the rogue with a hidden heart of gold, like Sinbad, Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles or Flynn Rider (*cough* Eugene Fitzherbert *cough*) from Tangled. He is a thief and a trickster, who is seemingly on in it for the money but over the course of the novel his heart gets in the way.
The battle is painted so vibrantly that it plays like a movie in your mind. The anticipation is palpable, each attack makes you catch your breath - who is going to die? Who will be victorious? The action and revelation in the book keep the reader hooked until the end.
Recommended, but you need to read the Young Elites first book for the story's foundation to be build... otherwise the story won't be as affecting and probably won't make sense. The conclusion of Rose Society leaves the reader intrigued and wondering what happens in the third novel.
About one-quarter of the way through the book and it has hit its stride already. It is more immersive than the first, which seemed to suffer from slow pacing. Now that the plot has been established, it seems to allow the author more freedom with writing and storytelling. A number of new characters are introduced like Queen Maeve and her brothers, an unnamed charlatan, and the infamous Magiano.
Magiano is a greedy thief, but you can't help but be a little charmed by him. Adelina plans to surround herself with other Elites so that her Rose Society can flourish. She sets her sights on Magiano whose power is <spoiler>mimicry. He is able to copy the powers of the other Elites</spoiler> Unfortunately, he is not eager to abandon his life of solitary thievery and challenges the sisters. If they succeed, he will join them. Will his skills as a thief give him victory or will Adelina be able to weave enough illusions to secure herself an ally?
Her acts may even gain her the support of others, thus growing her society. But mercenaries aren't the most loyal of followers. Adelina causes chaos during the theft and must flee with Magiano and her sister. During the course of their escape, they discover another Elite, called <spoiler>Rainmaker, or Sergio. As his Elite name suggests, he can control the rain. His abilities are impressive enough to brew fierce storms and call down deadly lightning strikes</spoiler>. Her Society may be called Rose, unlike the Daggers she left behind, but she is much more ruthless and cold than her more violent sounding counterparts.
Queen Maeve has the ability to <spoiler>bring people back from the dead and she plans to do so with Enzo. Whether he will be the same Enzo as before his death or be utterly changed by his new bond with the Underworld, Maeve cannot know. </spoiler>
Adelina's love for Enzo and introduction of Magian leads to a typical love triangle. Enzo may have died, but Adelina still pines for him and it show. Despite those feelings, she forms a connection with Magiano and it complicates their relationship because "caring for a scoundrel is a dangerous thing." Magiano plays the role of the rogue with a hidden heart of gold, like Sinbad, Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles or Flynn Rider (*cough* Eugene Fitzherbert *cough*) from Tangled. He is a thief and a trickster, who is seemingly on in it for the money but over the course of the novel his heart gets in the way.
The battle is painted so vibrantly that it plays like a movie in your mind. The anticipation is palpable, each attack makes you catch your breath - who is going to die? Who will be victorious? The action and revelation in the book keep the reader hooked until the end.
Recommended, but you need to read the Young Elites first book for the story's foundation to be build... otherwise the story won't be as affecting and probably won't make sense. The conclusion of Rose Society leaves the reader intrigued and wondering what happens in the third novel.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated We Should All be Feminists in Books
Oct 10, 2017
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie does a great job in explaining the fundamental point of feminism. While it is already known to those versed in such sociological aspects, it is a good start in learning about what it actually is.
I was more interested in her viewpoint of intersectional feminism which brings together the effects of race, class and gender on a person and their position in society. I hope that there will be more literature like this in the future.
I was more interested in her viewpoint of intersectional feminism which brings together the effects of race, class and gender on a person and their position in society. I hope that there will be more literature like this in the future.
Alexandra Daykin (1 KP) rated Fatherland in Books
Jan 12, 2018
I found the book both gripping and chilling.
The plot draws you in and you see through the eyes of the main charecter, Xavier March, how a corrupt society has grown and encompassed everything and everyone. You can feel the suffocating effect that the state has produced among it's citizens with the underlying fear leading to complience and all too frighteningly you can imagine how easily this can occur.
The end is disturbing, brutal and produces the perfect finalle.
The plot draws you in and you see through the eyes of the main charecter, Xavier March, how a corrupt society has grown and encompassed everything and everyone. You can feel the suffocating effect that the state has produced among it's citizens with the underlying fear leading to complience and all too frighteningly you can imagine how easily this can occur.
The end is disturbing, brutal and produces the perfect finalle.
alex (68 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale in Books
Jul 13, 2017
Intense in all the right ways
Maragaret Atwood is a superb writer, with fleshed out concepts that on the surface are dystopic but are mirrored in current society. This book is intense and emotive, as is its recent television adaption, highly recommended to those that can handle intense and adult themes.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Ministry of Utmost Happiness in Books
Jul 24, 2017
A spotlight on the dark side of modern India
After 20 years, Arundhati Roy has returned with a stunning novel looking at contemporary Indian society through the eyes of a Hijra, an 'untouchable' called Saddam Hussein and various colourful characters on the periphery living in an old Delhi graveyard. The language and descriptions are decadent, but the political and controversial social aspect is truly groundbreaking, especially the content covering Kashmir. It's a pleasurable, satirical, and mildly dark read