Apologies for this being late guys, I've had a really gross stomach bug and I'm only just getting back into posting! Enjoy :)
I've finally gotten around to the next Game of Thrones book! This took me ages to read which was why last weeks post had only one book. In this book we follow some of the favourites from the first book, but we've also got the new character of Davos to keep us posted on the Stannis side of things. This book is mainly concerned with the scramble for power in the wake of Robert Baratheons death, as his two brothers Renly and Stannis muster their armies, Tyrion starts to get the defenses of Kings Landing ready, and the Starks continue to battle the Lannisters. We don't hear much about Robb in this book, as Catelyn is sent off all over the place. Theon comes into his own a bit more as well, although he doesn't really do himself any favours. I find it quite hard to review these because I don't want to get into spoiler territory too much! I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, but I'm still excited to carry on reading the series.
Nicola's rating: 4/5
Le sigh. The downside to reading a series as it comes out is that you kind of forget whats happened. Especially if you read a lot of dystopian novels at the same time as each other. This trilogy began with Divergent, which is being released as a film in the new year. The books follow Tris (Beatrice). She lives in a society divided into five factions. Abnegation (selflessness), Amity (peacefulness), Candor (honest)y, Dauntless (bravery) and Erudite (intelligence). On their 16th birthday, children are sorted into each faction after taking an aptitude test. Obviously, this being dystopian, some people don't like it and want things to change and this is where we're at in Allegiant. Here we follow Tris and Tobias into their final battle, and without wanting to get all spoilery on you (MAJOR SPOILER COMING) one of them isn't going to make it. I wish I'd read these books one after another to get more of a feel for the story, but it has been a really good series and I'm interested to see what the film will be like!
Nicola's rating: 4/5
Woo! Made it to three books this week! I had thought that this was the last book in the Unwind trilogy, but there is going to be a fourth. For me, none of the sequels to the first book have matched it for creepiness. In these stories, there is a process known as 'unwinding' which involves the harvesting of body parts and organs which are then sold off to people who want to acquire a new skill, or live a longer life. In the first book you witness a character being unwound in the first person, and it left me feeling physically ill. I don't think I've ever had such a physical response to a book before. Parents can send their children up to the age of 18 to be unwound if they find that they can't deal with them, or send them as tithes (volunteers). Obviously you have your main characters in the form of Connor, Risa, Lev and Cam. Cam is a being that has been crafted entirely from the parts of Unwinds. Pretty creepy. In this book, we follow the individual characters as they try to regroup after the raid at the aeroplane graveyard, and continue to fight against unwinding. I do find these to be enjoyable, but in a way I'm still waiting to be provoked or wowed in a way that I haven't been since the first book. I'm hoping that the final one will pull it out of the bag! Definitely a thought-provoking series though.
Nicola's rating: 3/5
