After reading the Raven Cycle, Maggie Stiefvater became one of the most interesting authors on my shelves. Many years ago, I had gathered the first books by her that I had heard of: The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. Beginning with Shiver, this trilogy follows werewolves and a girl who is fascinated by them. Unlike the Raven Cycle, this trilogy involves plenty of kissing. Here is my review of the book.
Shiver and warm characters
One of the most surprising things that Maggie Stiefvater accomplishes in this first book is that she creates warm characters. Most books centered around mythological creatures tend to be bloated with world building. I like that this book focuses more on relationships.
There is a sense of urgency to Sam and Grace’s relationship. It colors the relationship with a desperate and hungry tone. When they spend time together, it is domestic at best but they are both drinking in each other’s features, personalities, and quirks. It warmed my heart to see such a love story. To an extent, this ache reminded me of Gansey and Blue in the sense that there are forces beyond the characters, driving them apart.
But, the pack itself was messy and charming, just like a family. I did not expect this either because The Raven Boys had a smaller friend group, and it was not even a set group (new members introduced toward the end of the book series). The complicated dynamics between members of the pack made things even more interesting and realistic. It grounded the story.
The Lone Wolf
I was actually surprised by who is actually the lone wolf. It’s Grace! She is invested in these wolves so much that it often alienates her. Her friendships are rocky and so are her connections to family. This makes her relationship with Sam more intense, more desperate and crucial.
But, of course, the other lone wolf in this is Jack Culpeper. His sister surprised me with her curiosity and cleverness. It is rare in books when so many people are in “the know” about the supernatural creatures in the story. Often, I tried to push myself to empathize with Jack, even though he made a mess in terms of plot. I look forward to his development as a character (and as a wolf).
Dropping Temperatures
With each chapter, the temperature drops and it raises the stakes of this love story. It becomes very clear that Sam is not the Jacob Black of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing. He is sensitive and frank, a pacifist and an artist. In other words, he is our pure cinnamon roll and he must be protected.
Shiver Rating and Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a nice and quick read. It was moving and sweet, but it also lacked depth in terms of character development and conflict. Perhaps this will change in later books. I will say that Stiefvater gets points for creating male characters that do not adhere to strands of toxic masculinity. So, that’s nice to see.
As I am working on this post, I am done with two books: Gone by Michael Grant is the first one. This series is one of my favorites, even though the author says things I do not agree with. Still, the characters are fun and the story is really fast-paced without feeling rushed.
James Patterson has been coming up a lot in my book searches. He is introducing a lot of writers. The author of Gunslinger Girl, and the author of Stalking Jack the Ripper, too, they are both published with that kind of heading on their books. So, this peaked my interest and, lo, and behold, I have seen a bunch of books written by him on the ThriftBooks site.
I have no clue what this series is about, but my friend Annemieke is a fan of it. The covers give me the impression that these books would be quick reads. It just seems like a lot of books and that scares me a bit because part of the joy of reading is when things wrap up. I like when things end. It’s comforting.
Jemisin’s work keeps popping up all over the Internet. My friend Emily has recently also told me that she’s read this author’s work too. And, if anyone reads cool books, it’d be Emily.
A lot of people make fun of these books, but I am embracing my love for paranormal young adult literature. I am just here for this, okay? I am hoping to get the first book in the series at some point this year because I actually find it really compelling and interesting. Luce and Daniel are fascinating, and they have such an intense bond. Sure, they start off kind of mean to each other but it’s the best when there’s all this history between two people.
Okay. This one is complicated. Or, maybe not. Here is the deal. After finishing my first Gail Carriger novel, this one came up on Goodreads as a recommendation. I fell in love with the cover, and, besides, I found out this novel is a steampunk story, which made me even more interested. Look at that cover, though!
My friend Jolien is fond of this series and for good reason. A woman entering into the world of magicians in an epic high fantasy series? I find this premise amazing particularly because of the long history of men dominating the high fantasy leagues. It’ll be nice to see a female writer tackle such a vast genre.
Jolien kind of loves the Fool in this series of trilogies. I am interested in reading high fantasy novels that feature complex characters. Just the idea of a Fool character is promising because the jester-type of archetype can be a nice thing to mess with.
I have been eyeing Wolf by Wolf for a while now, and I just keep hesitating because I am not a history buff at all. In fact, if I am being honest with you, I am not that good at keeping timelines of events. Thus, my hesitation blooms quite a bit as I see mostly history fans talking about this author’s work.
I like friendships and adventures. But I have not met my match for fair portrayals of male friendships. To an extent, Locke Lamora had an interesting central friendship, however, I remain uncertain about Sullivan’s books because, for some reason, this genre can be a bit too…over the top in terms of human relationships. I want honest and real friendships that feature men. Can I just get that, please?
Ever get an author’s work recommended in multiple spots? This is what happened with Kate Elliott. The funny thing is that I know nothing about her stuff. What does she write? And, why is it being recommended to me? No clue. But, I am curious to find out.
This trilogy was an agonizing experience for me. I read the books to see what will happen next, out of a sense of duty. However, I am not reading them for a long while because they drag on. I think there is way too much “oh, you misunderstood me” kind of conflict in there. While I am intrigued by the two main characters and the political tensions, I do not think there was enough to keep the story worth extending to a full-on trilogy.
Oh man. I actually struggled to finish this book because I understand the author is trying to be inclusive. But, they ended up creating a very forced plot. I like the representation in the story and the very idea of a story including such a wide spectrum of minorities and intersections. Still, the characters were like cardboard cut-outs, not people.
Actually, I struggle with LaCour’s writing in general. There are pearls of beautiful wisdom in her writing but the stories tend to drag. In some ways, her writing feels like a practice in patience. I do like the topics she includes in her books, though. For a while, I was sure that I won’t be able to get any benefit from rereading her work.
7. Poison Study by Maria v. Snyder
Katniss Everdeen led an incredible journey throughout these books. I know her story is always going to be special to me but I do not think I can handle a reread anytime soon. Listen, this trilogy has some triggering content. The PTSD, the mental anguish that Katniss and her mom experience, Gale’s awful behavior, Peeta and the lack of consent in his and Katniss’ relationship. It all makes me uncomfortable. I recognize that the story is worthwhile. However, I do not think I can handle reading a story with so much political darkness and hopelessness.
I actually did not understand the point of this book. Like, to me, the story ended just fine with the book prior to this one, and I was irritated while reading this installment. Before you get upset with me, I want to say that I cherish this series and would not ever choose to give up on it. This is why I kept the whole collection of the books on my shelves for future re-reads. But, I need a break for a bit. Then, many revisits will happen because I love this series and the characters in it.
My problem with this book is that it made me feel completely unintelligent because the timeline is always mixed up. Many flashbacks happen without any signs of them happening. As a result, yours truly had no idea what was going on in this book.
I read this one way back in high school and I hated every second of it. But, in retrospect, I hadn’t been reading any science fiction at the time. My hope is to revisit it after I familiarize myself with the genre better. Unlike the book before this one, I actually intend on rereading this book even though I disliked it initially.
Sometimes, I get to read things because everyone says they’re inclusive. This book was indeed one that featured intersections of various minorities. But, there was something kind of over the top with how diversity was presented. It reminds me of Queens of Geek where the representation does not feel authentic and well developed enough to communicate about truths. I may reread it later on, maybe a few years from now. The cover is really pretty.
This book was overall a fun experience but it did lack a sense of depth when it comes to the two main characters. Still, I do think that not all work has to have this amazing development to be a fun read. It took a while for me to bring it back on my shelves. I know there’s a sequel out now, which I’ll probably get used.
Yesterday, I finished reading the sequel to An Ember in the Ashes, which is called A Torch Against the Night by the wonderful Sabaa Tahir. In this book, we follow the journey of Elias, Laia, and Helene as the Empire continues to enslave Scholars. Here are my thoughts wrapped into a review. Let me share my excitement with you.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is the only series that is centered around werewolves. Plus, it is a kissing book, which is welcomed in my world after reading the kissing-less Raven Cycle by the same author.
Twilight, obviously, by Stephenie Meyer is going to be excellent for this week. I think it will help get me out of my slumpy feelings in general. It totally fits into the Unicorn Readathon because it involves vampires and werewolves. Plus, it is a classic. I miss reading these books. I only have the first two for now. This participation could lead me to gather the next two books in the series next month. It’s exciting to revisit these stories once more.
I actually could not think of a single book for this one, but my sister pointed out the Spiderwick Chronicles would fulfill this aspect of the Unicorn readathon. Besides, I don’t get to read about goblins that much, so this is going to be rather refreshing. In addition, this challenge helps me also get to the Of Wonderland book club’s challenges of reading books with movie adaptations. Perfect!
Percy Jackson books involve a centaur, and I am so thrilled to include the next book in the series for this week’s reading plans. The unicorn readathon probably evokes the image of cute creatures. And, I am not saying centaurs aren’t cute, but they are not what is traditionally included in the cute-magical-creatures club.
I obviously will read my only mermaid books, Wake by Amanda Hocking. This is exceptionally perfect for the unicorn readathon challenge because the mermaids in this book are so not cute. They’re terrifying, actually. It’d be nice to balance the fun feels of Twilight with the dark feel of this book.
It’s time to tackle the Iron King again (by Julie Kagawa). I have the whole series (I think) and I reckon it could really be a fun time to explore the fairy mythology from the perspective of an older series. The covers are gorgeous and they just scream unicorn readathon reading plans.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick used to be one of my favorites. I want to reread the series (I only have repurchased the first two so far). This week is going to be so much fun for me. I look forward to capturing the magic of these creatures in some posts in the near future.