paper_queen's reviews
83 reviews

Initial Response
This book…oh goodness…
Literally left me in the dust.
A_M_A_Z_I_N_G.

High Lights
- COMPLEXITY. And…and complicated and….just CRAZY!
- All the main characters!
- Zardi is so brave and daring, but also sweet and curious.
- Rhidan is a mysterious, funny boy who knows nothing about his past or who his parents are.
- Sinbad is a total cutie…*blush* What? What? HE IS! He’s kinda of rough and tough at the beginning, but he softens up to Zardi when… You’ll just have to read it! DO IT. *fangirls* I LOVES IT.
- 400 PAGES OF AWESOME. Oh yeah.
- Just everything about it pretty much.

Low Lights
- There are some pretty intense parts which might be a bit too much for a younger reader.

Favorite Quote
“Let it hurt, Zardi," Rhidan said. "Take the pain and make it something else. Let it make you stronger and smarter.”

Conclusion
I really love this book! The story is riveting, the worldbuilding is insanely well done, and the characters are memorable.

Initial Response
WELL that was interesting.

High Lights
- Okay, so I really don't know how to review this book. It's like nothing I've ever read before.
- Scott was probably my favorite character, which is good because he was the main character. XD His full name is Scottish Play Doe and can I just? That name? Like, WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?
-

OKAY BUT THEN AT THE END. GAH. MACBETH. *slow clap* That was SO CLEVER and it just came together PERFECTLY AAAHHH.

- All the names are like SUPER WEIRD AND AWESOME. But then you also have super normal names thrown into the mix. You have Polly Esther (like, as in, POLYESTER), Erno Utz, Biggs, Reggie Dwight, and then you have Emily, Mick, Harvey, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A CHARACTER NAMED JOHN. So yeah.
- The setting was really cool!! For some reason, it felt really a lot like Stranger Things?? But I haven't even seen that show?? It's a small town, with weird goings-on, and strange magic. But also cereal.
- It's its own genre. I have no idea how to categorize it! It's a mix of contemporary, sci-fi, fantasy, alternate universe-ish, and a hints of a bunch of other things. So weird, but so fascinating.
- It was always so tense. Like, even in the normal settings, it had a strange feel to it, like you just KNEW something bad was going to happen. And, spoiler, they usually did.
- The whole crazy idea is just so AWESOME. Evil cereal company that wants to take over the world? Um, YEAH.
- All of the characters were really, really fun. Everyone had their own personalities, and I could just breeze through a group conversation, entirely ignoring the dialogue tags because I knew who was talking every time. :)
-

The ENDING. Merle Lynn and Nimue and creatures and SCOTT SAVING THE DAY. It was so GOOOOD.

Low Lights
- I think the only downside was that I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS THE FIRST IN A SERIES?

I read the ending and THE LITERAL UNIVERSE IS HANGING IN THE BALANCE and then all I get is Scott sending his mom an email. Boom. The end. *screeches*

The ending was SUCH A CLIFFHANGER WOW.

Conclusion
I think the best way to describe this book would be delightfully strange. A mix of small town contemporary and out-of-this-world fantasy and adventure. If you're feeling a bit adventurous, and want to never trust cereal companies again, try this one out!

Initial Response
Wow, that was a really cool book!

High Lights
- Ari was so hilarious and relatable. Even when things went horribly wrong and everything became a bigger mess than it already was, she still kept up hope.
- SEBASTIAN IS SO PRECIOUS OMW. He was my absolute FAVORITE character in this book! He's kick-butt, but also smol and precious and gentle and AGH HE WAS SO GREAT.
- Teague was SO DELICIOUSLY HORRIBLE. He was the worst, basically. I don't think I could've disliked him any more than I already did. But that just made him such an AWESOME villain! I was just WAITING for Ari and Sebastian to get revenge...
- Theo is Ari's brother, and also the king, but even though he himself wasn't in the story very much, I still loved him to pieces. So sweet and worried to death about Ari. I love it.
- I loved the little Hansel and Gretel bit stuck in there, that was really fun, and now I'm curious about their story...
- Ari's love of food and all the delicious foodie descriptions made me so incredibly happy. :)
- I also really liked how the stakes kept rising and rising.

First Teague wanted control of Kosim Thalas, and then all of Sundraille, and then all of the other kingdoms. It got intense.

Low Lights
- I'll be honest, the plot was a bit slow. Don't get me wrong, it had it's action-packed moments, but then there would be long pauses of nothing. It wasn't until the very end that things really started to pick up.
- I didn't really like the romance...It felt like it focused A LOT on that aspect, and I just wasn't expecting it, I guess? But then again, I personally like my romance as a side plot, not a big thing.
- I felt like sometimes Teague was unnecessarily cruel. But, he was the villain, so...

Conclusion
If you liked The Shadow Queen, you might consider giving this one a try! I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book, but it was still very interesting, great world-building, and great characters.

Initial Response
Just imagine the happiest feeling you've ever felt. THAT IS HOW I AM FEELING RIGHT NOW.

High Lights
- I really don't understand why this book hasn't gotten very good reviews. I LOVED it!
- Lorelai is a take-no-nonsense, kick-butt kind of girl. But she's also really sweet and fiercely loyal. She was just a really great well-rounded character.
- Gabril is the sweetest thing. That is all.
- KOL. KOL MY POOR PRINCE. MY WONDERFUL DRAGON PRINCE.

Can we cut him a little slack? No? We're going to let him be tortured, have his heart ripped out of his chest, and have fire crushing his soul? Okay cool whatever. IT'S FINE. I'M FINE. *sobs*

- The MAGIC! It thought it was really cool! I loved how there were incantors that needed to be spoken for the magic to work and how it could be used in all sorts of different ways. It was just really neat.
- LEO. OHMYGOSH LEO.

*clutches heart* HELLLLLLP MEEEEEE. Excuse me while I go die in a corner. I WAS NOT READY FOR THAT. *heart dissolves into nothingness*

- VIKTOR.

Oh my gosh like why. IRINA WHY. WHY YOU SO HORRIBLE GIRL. HE CLEARLY LOVED YOU. AND YOU JUST KILL HIM. Because? HMM CAN'T THINK OF A REASON.

-

That poor mother and children. I think my heart just fell out of my chest.

- But seriously guys, Kol. Because...
- Kol.
- SUPER action-paced! Everything was moving so fast and I just COULD NOT keep up! Which I loved, naturally. SO INTENSE.

Low Lights
- I felt like maybe Irina was kind of a weak villain? Like, she was super powerful and all...but really. I feel like she was defeated relatively easily.

STILL NOT FAIR FOR KOL. But relatively easily.

- I also don't know how I feel about the ending. Like, I loved it, it was great and awesome...But what could possibly happen next now? Like, this totally could've been a great standalone...But there's a sequel. What's it about?

I guess I realize now that maybe a little more closure about Eldr and Brig and all of that would be nice...*goes to look up sequel* WAIT IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT LORELAI AND KOL? WHAAAAAT? O-O Huh. I'll still read it but...huh.

Conclusion
I don't understand the negativity surrounding this book, I really liked it. I suppose I'm a sucker for fairytale retellings, but still. If you're looking for a action-packed, magical, romantic fantasy read, THIS IS IT. READ IT. FALL IN LOVE WITH KOL.

Initial Response
Well. That was cute.

High Lights
- Annabelle is SO KICKBUTT AWESOME. She was definitely one of my favorite characters.
- CLARA'S HOUSE. LIKE. HOW. SO COOL. There are different themed rooms, like the carnival room, the beach room, the tree-climbing room, I JUST WANT TO LIVE THERE.
- This was such a strange genre. Like, I don't know if it was contemporary or sci-fi, or what even. But that's just what made it so cool. It was it's own genre.
- Audrey is so sweet. I love her.

I also feel INCREDIBLY BAD for her. Like, this guy you love is accused of theft and murder and he's put to death. BUT YOU ONLY FIND OUT TOO LATE THAT HE'S INNOCENT. O_O Help.

- I just really love the American Association of Burglars, Crooks, and Ne'er-Do-Wells. Evil organization with an awesome website. Loved it.
- I loved how at the end

nothing is what it seems. Pierre Frankofile? Nope, actually a guy named Marvin Bumf. Audrey Aster? Actually an incredibly old high society lady named Theodosia Pender who's been splintered from her true self. It was so fun seeing the mysteries unravel.

Low Lights
- I didn't really like Clara. It's obviously the point that she's a huge snob who preys on washed out celebrities, but I didn't like her for that.

She did reform and she's just trying to be a neat normal kid now. I like that.

- MR. PIFF.

*cries forever*

Conclusion
If you're looking for a cool, slightly odd, doesn't-really-fit-into-a-genre book, then pick this one up! It's a very quick read, (especially if you're like me and couldn't put it down), and such a unique story. 

Initial Response
I...don't exactly know what's happening...

High Lights
- I absolutely LOVED the worldbuilding in this book! It was so unique, unlike anything I've ever seen before. The debuggers, the data mixing, the serv bots, the Imam and his family, it was all so cool.
- Also, the names of the debuggers are just the best. ThreadBare is our main character, and then we have HardCandy, BullHammer, SandFly, FrontLot, and so many others. They put a little smile on my face. :)
- The prince was a very...odd character, I'll say. At first, we see that he's a bit of a quirky fellow.

But as time goes on and Thread is given access to more rooms, we see that he's actually into torturing bots and debuggers. Yeah. He's. Interesting. O_O

But that just makes all the more interesting!
- That ending! It was very action-packed

and we finally get to see Thread being the hero, like he's been wanting to be for the whole story.

- Damali was sweet, I really liked her character. I wasn't sure about her at first, but as the story moved along, I started to really enjoy her curiosity and energy.

Low Lights
- All that to say, I did have a couple issues, personally.
- We first open to ThreadBare searching for old parts in a graveyard. And right away, I'm bombarded with a ton of terms that I have no idea what they mean. Even as I keep reading, they keep coming, and once I have a bit of an idea of one thing, another thing jumps up and leaves me confused again. Now, this would've been okay for me, because I love made-up sci-fi tech. But it was never explained to me what everything was. Even as I read on through the story, things are never exactly explained, and I had to figure it out on my own. And I'm still not entirely sure what some things are.
- The writing style wasn't really my...style. It was told in a very straightforward way, clipped sentences, just the facts. And I don't particularly like that, as to me, it feels a little stilted. (Which it totally fits with the story, since Thread is a debugger, not really human, so he doesn't think like a human, but still.)
- I didn't really connect with Thread. It took me a really long time, right up to the last few pages, where I began to care for him, and wanted him to be the hero. Maybe it was because of his inhuman-ness, or maybe it was just because of how his personality was shown via the writing style. I don't know.

Conclusion
This was a very interesting take on a dystopian novel with excellent worldbuilding. Though I wouldn't recommend it personally, if you're into novels with amazing worldbuilding, and you like sci-fi, definitely check this one out. Seriously, this world is crazy amazing.

This was SO GOOD. Going into this, I didn't really have any idea what this story was about. It looked like a cute graphic novel, with beautiful illustrations, so naturally I picked it up. IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. 

Okay, yeah, it is cute and the illustrations are absolutely stunning. But the story is just wonderful too. It's punchy and vibrant and demands attention. It's such a simple concept as well, but it's executed in a way that's fun and hearkens back to classic superhero vibes. 

I really loved Ashley. She managed to be energetic and colorful (literally, ha) without being obnoxious, which in my opinion is a hard feat to accomplish. All of the supporting characters were really good as well, and I just have to say, the character concepts are like sugar to my eyes. I LOVE how ALL of the characters look. It makes me want like ten more books and an animated show. 

One thing I will say is it felt too short. I wanted to stay in this fun and colorful world for HOURS, but in actuality I read this entire book in one sitting. It definitely has amazing potential to become a series; there are characters I would love to know more about and who could be fleshed out more.

All in all, if you need a quick superhero fix, you NEED to pick this up. It's colorful, fun, and surprisingly engaging. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did.

This is really hard for me to rate...

On the one hand, I did enjoy this book very much. But on the other...well, I guess you could say it didn't live up to my expectations. The first book, The Candy Shop War, was SO GOOD. The beginning started off a little slow, but then the ending picked up and it went crazy from there. But a good kind of crazy. :)
In this book...I don't know. It just didn't shine in comparison to the first book. I felt like the ending was a little too well put. It seemed way too easy compared to what they had to go through in the first! And there were some unanswered questions, so, that stinks. :P But, all in all, it was a pretty fun, exciting read.

This was a very recent read, so it should be pretty accurate. This is the first book I’ve read by Mr. Mull, but it will definitely not be the last! This was an amazing book. Let’s start at the beginning; there is a prologue. And wow is it a kicker! Exciting, fast-moving, and mysterious.

But then after that, the beginning of the actual story is kinda slow. Not that it’s slow in a bad way, but… Once you get towards the middle of the book, it starts getting crazy. Like, wow. Action, intrigue, chills. And then towards the end… I don’t want to spoil it, so I won’t say anything. The characters are so great, even the villains, in there own way…

There are a few scary, chilling moments, but nothing serious, and actually intriguing. I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good action and mystery book.

Initial Response
I'm...really confused. But it was quite the entertaining read!

High Lights
- Even though Madeline is the main character, I think the character that really stood out the most to me was Jason. He was just. so. funny. He had some of the best lines, and his loyalty to Madeline was so endearing.

Though I understand why he chose not to ever lie (because of what happened to his sister and all), I...didn't really understand why he just...blurted whatever truth came to his mind at the moment. There's a difference between telling the truth and just blurting out all the information you have. I thought it was really weird that our main characters couldn't trust Jason with simple things, like, telling their enemies where they were. Or, telling the bad guys Madeline's name, which they then use to kidnap her. I just. I don't really get it? Like. Dude. You're not lying if you don't keep your best friend's name a secret from the evil bad guys trying to kill you. This should be common sense.

- Darius was SUCH a sweetheart! I really wished he had been in the book even more than he was. His character was SO interesting.

And I reeeeeally wanted to know a lot more about why he chose to help the Scim. Like, I get his motives, it's not just to let the Elenil leech on the Scim. But how did he even end up with the Scim? And why does he seem chill with killing people, including his friend Jason? There is just...so much I'm slightly confused about.

- Hanali is AMAZING OKAY. BUT LIKE. WHY WASN'T THERE MORE OF HIM. WHY. I NEED MORE OF HIM.

He was like barely in the book. He's introduced in the beginning, guides Madeline and Jason through the Sunlit Lands a bit, and then...he's like totally gone until the climax of the book. Um excuse me but no I need more of my boy.

- The worldbuilding was soooo fascinating. Everything is so gorgeous and beautifully described. It felt really magical!
- I gotta say, the beginning of the book is probably my favorite. It introduces us to the characters, we get a glimpse at Madeline's life, and then it gets turned upside down when Hanali arrives, and AGH it was so fun and whimsical!

Low Lights
- Oh boy. Okay. So. I did really like this book, I won't lie. It was a fun romp, and it had some really memorable characters (*ahem*JASON*ahem*). But...I have a few problems. And most of them are spoiler-y.
-

Whoooo is the bad guy? I seriously had such a hard time trying to figure out who to root for. And I guess that was kind of the point, like, there are good and bad sides to everyone...but, I don't know, that just doesn't work the best in a story for me. When I was first beginning to learn about the Elenil, I could immediately tell something strange was up with them. You could never get a clear answer on anything. And then I learned about the Scim, and the battle raging between them and the Elenil. And they definitely seemed gruff and mean. But I had mixed feelings. And then the Archon came into play, and I realized that maybe the Elenil are the bad guys after all...that's a pretty neat twist. But then I read on...and I just got more and more confused. Hanali wants to kill the Archon and take his place as ruler, because he thinks the way the Elenil treat the Scim is unjust. But the Scim think the Elenil should be destroyed for all of the pain they've caused. I don't know which side to take. And then I think, or is the Archon the bad guy? He hates the Scim and makes his people fight in a never-ending war against them. WHO AM I ROOTING FOR I NEED TO KNOW. My brain wanted to explode. After I finished reading the book, I just sat for a moment thinking...'Is this some sort of message that goes over my head, where the author toys with the readers' emotions to make them see that there is no good or evil, just people who choose different paths in life?' Where's the good triumphing over evil? Where's even the evil triumphing over good? The lines were so blurred and it was mildly infuriating (in my opinion, not anything against the author, I just don't understand these kinds of stories. XD)

-

Why...why did the priest say to not make a deal with Hanali. Why'd he say that. Was that just a...a red herring? It's literally never brought up again. Is it because of the consequences of Elenil magic? If so...why didn't it ever tie-in to anything at the end? ...I don't understand.

-

I'm...suuuuper confused about the ending. I...have sooooo many questions. So...Jason and Darius are staying in the Sunlit Lands now? What about their parents? Aren't they worried? If Jason swore loyalty to Madeline, why didn't he come home with her? Darius didn't swear loyalty to anyone (except for the Scim...kinda…), so why doesn't he just go home with Madeline and they can be together? Why did Yenil and Shula come home with Madeline? Yenil has no family anymore, so yeah, sure, whatever, but Shula? Why didn't she go home to her country? Did she break her promise to the Elenil by going back to Earth? If she did, that means she didn't get what she wanted in the bargain. Why'd she do that? Why are Mr. and Mrs. Oliver chill with letting a little, not-quite-human girl, and another random girl live with them? Who does that? Is Madeline just... dead? She can't breathe anymore, and the epilogue deeefinitely implies that she's giving up on life, but that she's okay with it. So...our main character...just. Straight up dies. Sure, um, okay.

- The middle and end of the book are...really thick to read through. It's a lot of description and characters waffling about, getting moved from place to place because nobody wants to be responsible for them, and...not a whole lot of action happening. A bit disappointed with that.
- A lot of times, character—Madeline in particular—seemed to do things totally out of character. Jason, for the most part, stayed his same goofy, lovable, but loyal self. But Madeline...it kind of felt like her personality jumped around quite a bit. At first, she seemed like a cool, relatable teen, but then she starts doing that things where she clearly didn't think before doing it. And at the end...she's suddenly really brave and courageous? That came out of nowhere. I guess having Darius believe in her helped?
- There were a few scenes/chapters that made me think...'Why is this scene in here? What was it's purpose?' There was one scene in particular, a market chase that happens about midway where this strange little girl named Ruth tells Jason to steal a piece of fruit...for absolutely no apparent reason. It felt really odd and stilted and I couldn't decipher any clear purpose for it being included in the story. It was such a strange chapter.

Conclusion
WOOOOW I have a lot of words to say about this book. XD And from the look of it...It really looks like I'm bashing this book. I'm really not trying to, I'm just saying what confused me while I was reading it. And it was a lot of things. Maybe for someone smarter than me, this story would be amazing and sophisticated and they would thoroughly enjoy it. But it just didn't quite strike a chord with me. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, in the style it was written in, and how the main action/battle happens at the end of the book. It was a very interesting read, I don't know if I'll pick up the sequel, but in any case, it had it's entertaining bits and some genuinely funny parts.