Anticipation Friday: The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

Goodreads Description
An epic, romantic, and action-packed fantasy inspired by the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from C. J. Redwine, the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen. Perfect for fans of Graceling and the Lunar Chronicles.

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.

Preorder on Amazon

Other info
Expected Date of Publication: February 14, 2017
Stand-Alone or Series/Companion: Stand-Alone and Companion (Ravenspire #2)
Genre: Young Adult Fanatsy

Why Am I Anticipating This Book?

• The first book, The Shadow Queen, was a rendition of the Evil Queen. This one seems to be about Rumpelstiltskin as the Wish Granter.
• I'm pretty sure that the two main characters, Lorelai and Kolvanismir, from The Shadow Queen are going to show up sometime.
• I like how it starts with a set of twins where they both try to protect each other.
• Finally, I hope to see more of the world rather than Ravenspire.

Review Wednesday: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1)

Author: George R.R. Martin
1st Date of Publication: August 6, 1996

ISBN: 9780553103540
# of Pages: 694

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 17+

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Book Description:
Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must ...and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark's family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

Setting: Medieval era, Westeros
Point of View: 3rd person- Many characters

Goodreads Rating: 4.44

My Rating: 4.75

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The sword's handle looks really cool with its intricate design and the blue background sets a somber or cold tone.
View on Title: Who doesn't like to play games? Or being royal? It made me think of a game of wits.

Pros:

• It's a whole new world. It is a more modern version of Lord of the Rings without the elves and hobbits, but there are dragons.
• This book is full of knights, kings, and dragons. It makes the story more interesting as it develops and the characters cross paths.
• I liked how it didn't show the world as glorified, which made it more believable.
• There is a lot of character development and the reader can understand the motives of a character because there is several different chapters dedicated to different characters.
• There is a very distinguishable line between good and evil for many characters but there are others that seem to see actions and morals as bendable.
• There is not a clear line of power and politics because those who may be in political power may not actually have power at all.

Cons:

• There are so many characters with odd names that it's a little difficult to keep track of everyone in the beginning.
• It's in third person, which I'm not a fan of, but it is necessary for the story.

Critics' Reviews
"The major fantasy of the decade . . . compulsively readable."—Denver Post
"We have been invited to a grand feast and pageant: George R.R. Martin has unveiled for us an intensely realized, romantic but realistic world."—Chicago Sun-Times
"A Best Book of 1996: Martin makes a triumphant return to high fantasy . . . [with] superbly developed characters, accomplished prose, and sheer bloodymindedness."—Publishers Weekly
"A splendid saga . . . . Inventive and intricately plotted."—BookPage

George R.R. Martin's Website:
http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

Other Recommendations:

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis