Book Review : The young elites by Marie Lu

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

*****

I know who you really are. Who will ever want you, Adelina?

My fury heightens. Everyone. They will cower at my feet, and I will make them bleed.

This book was one of the best book I've read so far! It was dark, full of suspense and the story was super good, I couldn't stop reading. The main character was not a goody two shoes typical protagonist like in most of young adult books, but an anti heroine instead. So I absolutely love it.

This book was about Adelina Amouteru who possessed a great super-power harvested from fear and vengeance after surviving the blood fever during her childhood. She accidentally killed her abusive father and was sentenced to death for being a 'malfetto' but was saved by a group of individuals possessing various super-powers and they were known as the Young Elites. She tried her best to fit in the Elites and training her abilities, unfortunately she was blackmailed by the leader of the Inquisitors to become a spy in order to save her imprisoned sister. She was torn between her sister's life and her loyalty to the Elites. She was in love with the leader of the Young Elites, Enzo.

I personally love Adelina. She was weak at first but her character develops very well throughout the book. She was not a nice girl and she fought to survive although it means she has to kill. She often visualized herself killing others with her abilities and she's loving it. She was a sadist and wretched human being as well as very twisted and dark character. The writer did a great job with Adelina and other characters. I also love Teren, the leader of the Inquisitors. He was broken and cruel, but his character was interesting.

The language was simple and easily understood. The book was not thick 300++ pages. I always get bored by nice protagonist so this book  is definitely a book for me. Check out some fan art below.

I give this book 5 stars (out of 5).

Book Review : Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart .

*****

This book was super fantastic. I love the cover, sophisticated and it doesn't look like a young adult book at all. Red Queen was about the world of monarchy, politics, soldiers, oppression, super-powers, discrimination and rebellions. I really love the plot and the language was easily understood. The story was fast paced and did not bored me at all. 

This book was about Mare Barrow, a young commoner girl, a Red blood, founds out that she possessed a superpower that should only belonged to Silver bloods. The Silver monarchs declared her as a lost silver blood - born raised by Red bloods community and betrothed her to the Second Prince of the country. She silently helped a militant resistance group to bring down the empire from inside. I will not give you any spoilers but watch out for the great betrayal at the end of this book.

I like Mare Barrow. She was not a weakling and she always knew what to do. There was a slight romance in this book, between Mare and the princes. Yes you heard me, THE PRINCES with the S. She was tough and she does not rely on the princes to save her all the time but Mare was not really my favourite character in Red Queen.

This book was good and mind blowing for me and I give this book 4.5 stars. 

Book Review : An Ember in the Ashes by Zabaa Tahir

Laia is a slave. 

Elias is a soldier. 

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

*****

This was the first book that I read in 2016. I bought this book early January and finished it almost a week later. This book was really good and easy to read. I was absolutely hooked by the plot and the characters and I can say that it was very well written. The chapters were short and the language was super easy to be understood for the non-native English speakers. It was written based on the POV of the two main characters; Laia and Elias. 

Laia was an ordinary orphan girl, living with her grandparents and her older brother. Her life changed when a group of soldiers raided her home, killing her grandparents and captured her brother. She was forced to seek assistance from the rebels of the Empire and was asked to be a slave in the military academy and spy for the rebels in exchange for the rebels' assistance to free her brother. Apparently her late parents were part of the rebels as well and were killed by the commandant. She met Elias, a soldier who wants nothing but his freedom. 

Frankly, I did not fancy Laia's characters very much. She was super ordinary except for her beauty that attracted most of the male characters in the book. I always get excited about books focusing on female main protagonist, but Laia's character was just- meh. But her character evolved at every turn of the page as she gets stronger and some readers might find her very likable. On the other hand, I loved reading about Elias and his POV and its not just because he wore a cool mask that makes him a hunk. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoy young adult fantasy dystopian books. Be ready to read about tortures and wars and killings and blood and light romance although the story was not really that 'dark'. This book has a mystery of its own especially about the commandant and the Augurs and you would like its version on middle eastern supernatural creatures like jinns and ifrits.

I give this book 4 stars.