Saturday, May 2, 2015

Saturday Pages: Mini-reviews for Rogue & Magonia!!

Hello there guys!

Happy Saturday! After today, the hiatus officially starts on my blog... I'll still have some post here and there, but I'll spend less time checking posts or comments, because I really need a bit of a breather and I'm gonna have other demands of my time pretty soon with everything involving the apartment.

I'm having a pair of mini-reviews for two books for this week's Saturday Pages, one an awaited sequel, the other a new book from a new-to-me author, both counting towards my 2015 releases category for the 105 Challenge!




Rogue (Talon, #2)Rogue by Julie Kagawa

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Julie Kagawa is one of my auto-buy authors, because I've loved everything I've read by her and Talon was no different last year, it wasn't exactly what I expected but it was a great book nonetheless. When I got approved on NetGalley to read Rogue early I was extremely excited.

I'm not gonna say I was terribly disappointed, but I must confess to not be as thrilled with the book as I expected. It was a book full of action, with Ember on the run with Riley, full on rogue, and rescuing Garret and running from Talon and the Order of St George both from then on.

I felt like there was a lot of action, a lot of running and fighting but we really aren't getting to many places at all. Talon want Ember back and we continue to perceive that there's a lot more behind the why but no idea why, we know Talon is hiding something big and we only get an answer that leads to more questions by the very end. And we still don't discover anything more about the past of Talon & St George and their battles.

And my biggest issue with this book is probably Riley, I think that I like him as a dragon and head of the rogue operation well enough, and I liked getting his backstory of when he left Talon, although I felt it didn't give us all that much information, but when it comes to him and Ember? I just cannot stand him.

So there comes my big issue, I don't tend to like love triangles, and although I still understand this one, two guys, one for each side of Ember, the human and the dragon... I cannot stand Riley as a love interest, I'm Team Garret and I am very much bothered with how Riley acts.

Ember is confused from her own feelings and the way her dragon reacts, but I'm still not sure how that dichotomy works, but I guess we might get more explanation for that in the next and final book, or so I hope! She is still hoping that her twin will choose her instead of Talon despite the initial betrayal, and she proves a bit too naive and not as good a fighter as you'd have expected after her training.

All in all, a good enough book, but I wanted more... more answers and less triangly! Oh well, 3 stars to this one. I do hope to get moooore answers on the final book!

*EDIT* There will be 5 books total, so who knows when we'll get answers!!




MagoniaMagonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a fascinating book! I loved the pacing and the writing and although I had a few issues with Aza at the very start, I grew to love her dearly!

I wasn't 100% sure I'd like Aza because somehow her snark and way to deal with her illness seemed a bit odd to me at first, but very soon I saw the way she tried to face every day, and how she tried to define herself, not only as the girl with the death expectance and the freak insides. We see her with her family and with Jason, and I fell in love with the lot!

I really enjoyed having their alternating POVs, both Aza's and Jason's, since we went to know them both better from each other's perspective in a way we wouldn't if we only saw each other as they see themselves, and it also completed the events happening.

The book has a big feeling of contemporary story at first, and then moves into the fantasy realm without a hitch, making us wonder too about the possibilities of ships in the sky! I was rather annoyed at the insistence of the Magonians for Aza to believe them and to simply leave everything behind and to adapt quickly to their expectations, when all she knew was the human life for fifteen years! I really liked that Aza was so realistically thrown for a loop and tried to adapt while still feeling out of kilter.

The worldbuilding on the ships and Magonia and was fascinating, as we learn details little by little along with Aza, and I feel like there is more to discover in hopefully a sequel, because although we get a wrap up on the plot ARC that was central to this book, there is plenty to expect to come up for a sequel for sure!

A word of warning, there might be some hints of a somewhat love triangle, but not. Just a few vibes here and there, all justified for reasons I won't discuss because spoilers, but it never went full love triangle.

It was a very compelling read that I couldn't put down and that I thoroughly enjoyed! A wonderful 2015 that I highly recommend! Well deserved 4 stars for this one!



View all my reviews

24 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed Magonia too! It was so creative and strange!! Very excited about the sequel.

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    1. Same here, I cannot wait to hear what the sequel will hold!

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  2. I haven't read Talon yet but I do have a copy of it on my shelf. Though if I'm brutally honest I haven't really gotten along well with her books in the past sadly. I've seen a lot of people reading Magonia but I haven't really given it a great look over. So I must have a look at that one. Great mini review Pili. :)

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    1. Do check Magonia out, I really loved it!
      If you haven't liked Julie's books before, I'm not sure if you'll love Talon, Emma... since you already have a copy, do give it a try though!

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  3. Hey hun long time!
    I see you will be taking a hiatus. I just came back from mine it was a sudden thing but all is well now. Hope you have lots of fun with your new apartment and can't wait to see you back.
    Happy sunday hun xoxo

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    1. *waves* I'm glad to hear all's well with you! Sometimes we do need an hiatus!
      I'll still be around on Twitter though! *hugs*

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  4. Rogue (and Talon): skip! Haven't been interested since I heard Talon was a disappointment.

    Magonia: I thought it was okay. I definitely did not like it was much as you or Kristen, but I'm interested enough to read the sequel.

    So glad you (mostly) enjoyed these two, Pili! Excellent mini-reviews.

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

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    1. I'm gonna give a try to the third book in the Talon series, if I don't like it more than I liked Rogue... I might stop with this series...
      And I'm quite excited about a sequel for Magonia!
      Thank you Alyssa!

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  5. Talon has 5 books!? Well, that means I'll probably wait for them all to come out so I can binge. :)

    So glad you loved Magonia as well! The switch from contemporary to fantasy was flawless, and I love that the love triangle makes sense and that it didn't bother me at all. ^_^

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    1. Yep, I'm not usually a fan of love triangles (that's what's bothering me with Talon & Rogue) but in Magonia it made sense and didn't bother me at all either, Aimee!

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  6. Awesome reviews Pili, I am not keen on Rogue at all. I couldn't stand Talon, it felt so tropey, and it sounds like it doesn't get any better in the second one.

    Magonia, it sounds so fantastical and beautiful, definitely up my alley! The love triangle would definitely great, but at least it was minor.

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    1. Do give Magonia a try for sure Jeann!
      And if you didn't like Talon, Rogue won't be your thing at all!

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  7. Well boo on Rogue Pili! I waited to read Talon because I wanted to see how the triangle was going to play out a bit in future books, and it sounds like it's really going to frustrate me so I'm going to continue holding off. I have little doubt I'm going to be solidly Team Garrett as well since you and I are typically on the same page, and I have a feeling Riley is going to present a few issues for me too. Grr. So glad Magonia was more successful for you though, I'm excited for that one!

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    1. Yep, you might have to wait for a pair of books to get the triangle resolved!
      I hope you had a fantastic trip, Jenny! And yes, cannot wait to see what you'd think of Magonia once you read it!

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  8. I'm so glad you enjoyed Magonia!! it wasn't my favorite but I really liked it.
    I still haven't read Talon and I don't even know why. I'm surprised to know there are going to be 5 books! I'm not fan of series that long, but since I love Julie's writing I'll give it a try... later.
    Great reviews, Pili!

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    1. I do hope you'll enjoy Talon and Rogue more than I did, it's still Julie for me, so I'm gonna stick to the series to see what happens!
      Thanks Lis!

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  9. Absolutely adored Magonia! I loved the Contemporary-Fantasy feel of it. It was the first from a mix of genres that I really, really adored; truly gave that surreal and fantastic feeling somehow. Sorry to hear about your disappointment on Rogue :/ When I got wind that the first book focused on romance, I was hesitant to pick it up.

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. I will give the next book in the series a chance (it's called Soldier after all, so maybe it'll be more about Garret) but if that one disappoints me... I think I'll give up on the series.
      And yes, Magonia was such a brilliant mix of Contemp & Fantasy!

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  10. Oh wow, I just started Rogue and I'm not looking forward to the disappointment I'll surely feel. I am NOT a fan of love triangles at all, especially when they are forced like this one seems to be. As for Magonia, what an odd little book, right? I still didn't figure it all out, I don't think.

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    1. I do hope you'll enjoy Rogue more than I did, Maja!
      And yes, Magonia is a very different and special book and I simply loved it!

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  11. I am mad at myself for not having read Talon yet. However Magonia was awesomely strange wasn't it? With the heart bird and all that. Talk about a wild imagination!! Im excited for the sequel as well.
    <3 Britt

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    1. It really was Britt! What an unique book!

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  12. Ugh, I'm so sorry you were disappointed by Rogue sweetie :( I very much understand, though, sigh. I haven't read them yet. But soon :D One day. I do love Julie :) I'm glad you liked Magonia, though :D It seems interesting, but not for me, lol ;p Thank you for sharing your thoughts Pili. <3

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    1. I adore Julie, so I'm sticking with the series because I trust her and her writing!
      And Magonia was fantastic and so very different!
      Thank you sweetie!

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¡Muchas gracias por vuestros comentarios, leerlos me alegra el día!/ Thanks a lot for all your comments, reading them brightens my day!!