The Curse of the Bruel Coven by Sabrina Ramoth

The Curse of the Bruel Coven 
by Sabrina Ramoth

Paperback, 184 pages

Published June 3rd 2016 by Exit 80 Publishing

When secrets from the past collide with the present, the consequences may be deadly.

Vivienne Davenport is an ordinary teenager—at least, she thinks she is. Then the untimely death of her mother reveals a family secret. She's adopted . . . and her real mom is a witch.

The truth only complicates Vivienne's life further. Buried deep within her family’s history of magic is a deadly curse that has plagued them for generations.

When her birth mom disappears, Vivienne must tap into her suppressed powers to save her long-lost mother—and herself. 

Can Vivienne become the witch she needs to be? Or will her newfound powers prove too much for her to handle? Only one thing is certain: She will soon learn that all magic comes at a price.

**I was provided an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **

When I first read the synopsis of The Curse of the Bruel Coven, I was immediately intrigued. It has been quite a while since I read a good witch novel, and while the plot did sound a lot like other novels I have read previously, I decided to give the book a try.

Unfortunately, it was very much like previous novels I have read. Beautiful Creatures was a series that came to mind a lot while reading this. However, that is not to say that the book was not enjoyable, because it was. But I felt it was lacking in certain areas.

One of the things that bothered me the most was how easy everything seemed to be; by that I mostly mean how quickly conflicts were resolved. Vivienne's mother dies and it really does not take too long for her to discover she was adopted. She also was able to find her biological mother fairly quickly as well. Then once she finds her biological mother, Claire, she disappears.

When Vivienne learns of her true heritage, how her family is part of a coven of witches, she dismisses the idea believing them to be crazy. However, the dismissal is shortly lived as she quickly accepts that her family is not in fact crazy and she is indeed a witch. Once she accepts who she really is, it really does not take too long for her to master her powers. And that always really irks me in novels. I feel as though to master magical powers, or special skills, it should take some time. There was also one point in the novel where she was truly afraid of a certain character (who shall remain nameless to avoid spoilers) and then a few pages later, she immediately gets over that and trusts said character even though they had been considered an enemy for years.

After Claire vanishes, I honestly felt as though nothing really happened until the end of the book. You learn a lot about Vivienne's family history and such, but action wise, there was really nothing.

Overall, the book was enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who likes witchy stories and quick reads.

3 out of 5

After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum

After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum
ebook, HarperTeen, 352 pages
Published May 6th 2014

She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

“Life is easier in black and white. It's the ambiguity of a world defined in grays that has stripped me of my confidence and left me powerless.” 

I have read a lot of mixed reviews when it comes to Amy Plum and her first series Revenants. People either really loved it or hated it; I am in the first group. I loved the books for whatever reason and the covers are pretty much the most gorgeous covers I have ever seen. But despite loving the series, I tried to go into this book without any bias or high expectations because the plotline for this book is so completely different from Revenants so it would be unrealistic for me to assume I am automatically going to love this series as much.

Remember World War III? No? Well that's because it has not happened yet in our lifetime. However, that is not what our protagonist Juneau was taught to believe her entire life. Juneau is part of a small clan in Alaska (easy to see where she gets her name about that little tidbit) and in this clan, Juneau was told that they were the survivors of World War III, a war that ended the world as we know it in 1984. According to her clan, the world ended about a decade before I was even born, so I guess if it were true, I probably would not be here. This turns out to be a big fat lie though which is pretty crazy to think about; how one's life was built entirely of lies. Learning the truth would be a huge shock, which it was for Juneau.

Juneau's tribe lives away from civilization and technology, depending on their strong connection with nature. Now, while pretty much everything else about her life as been a lie, the connection to the natural world does seem to be true, as Juneau can do some pretty impressive things. 

Our male lead is Miles, the son of a pharmaceutical mogul. He is your typical spoiled rich kid who goes off on a crazy adventure to try to get back in his father's good graces. This adventure of his is of course his going after Juneau, though he does not really know what his father wants with her. 

Miles and Juneau are so completely different. They radiated animosity for each other for quite some time. Eventually, their relationship progressed, and it was done so wonderfully; no insta-love, which is refreshing to see in YA. Through most of the book, Miles actually thinks Juneau is insane because her behavior and how everything seems so new to her is something he just does not understand. Their constant banter made them very entertaining and I did like them as a couple. 

“I'm lying here in a tent, pretending to be asleep but actually fearing for my life as I watch a bunny murderer have a conversation with our campfire.” 

One problem I had with this book was that problems seemed to become resolved pretty quickly. Things just resolved too conveniently or there was sometimes a lack of any kind of build up, things just happened because they did, not for any reason. Also, the book is from both the perspectives of Miles and Juneau which I both liked and did not like. It was great seeing both their sides, but it made it harder to connect with each individually and their growth at times felt too abrupt. Miles also got some really short chapters at the beginning which I felt just ended and began suddenly and was just a tad awkward. 

The book ends on a dreaded cliffhanger. I see why authors choose to use them, but I do detest cliffhangers SO much! While I did not love this book, I did very much enjoy it. The concept was intriguing and I cannot wait to see what else lies in store for this series. I would definitely like to learn more about Juneau's clan.

“I want to be someone she respects. Admires. But in order for that to happen, I'm going to have to change. To become stronger. As strong as her.”

3.5 out of 5

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Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Published June 12th 2007
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One boy...
One dragon...
A world of adventure.


When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old story-teller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.

I am glad I finally got around to reading this after years of it sitting on my shelf but I will admit I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I read it at a younger age and before I read books like A Game of Thrones.

Eragon, a fifteen-year-old boy lives in a rural/farm town in the land of Alagaesia which was once a place of glory where dragons and their riders kept peace across the land. However, he Empire is now ruled by Galbatorix who is not the man you would like ruling over you for he is cruel and only has his best interests in mind. Eragon though is more concerned with helping his family farm their and prepare for winter.

Eragon’s whole life changes when he finds, what he at first believes is a stone, a dragon egg. Suddenly, he gets swept up in a life full of adventure and danger, learning about dragons and magic, but more importantly, learning things about himself.

While the book was not bad, I found that I was not as in to it as I would have liked. I was not bored per say, but in some ways it was not hard to remember how young the author was when he wrote the novel. It is also full of all the typical clichés and reminded me a lot of other, older works of fantasy. I know lots of people say this series is a rip off of Lord of the Rings; I have yet to read the books but I have seen the movies and I can see where they are coming from. For someone his age to write something like this is still amazing, but reading it now at 21 after reading more high quality and mature fantasy, I was just like, “Ehhh.” I did not really connect with Eragon. He’s the main protagonist and clearly should be the most important character but I was more interested in other characters.

Overall, it was an okay book. Will I read the rest of the series? I am not sure. At this point, I feel like I am personally too old to properly enjoy the series, or more rather that there is just more and better books I would rather be reading. But I would recommend this to younger teens.


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Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

Measure for Measure

by William Shakespeare

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Published July 1st 2005  

Rating:





Synopsis:

Shakespeare's Measure for Measure centers around the fate of Claudio, who is arrested by Lord Angelo, the temporary leader of Vienna. Angelo is left in charge by the Duke, who pretends to leave town but instead dresses as a friar to observe the goings-on in his absence. Angelo is strict, moralistic, and unwavering in his decision-making; he decides that there is too much freedom in Vienna and takes it upon himself to rid the city of brothels and unlawful sexual activity. Laws against these behaviors and institutions already exist, and Angelo simply decides to enforce them more strictly. Claudio is arrested for impregnating Juliet, his lover, before they were married. Although they were engaged and their sexual intercourse was consensual, Claudio is sentenced to death in order to serve as an example to the other Viennese citizens.


(I cut the summary short due to the fact that it spoils the entire play)

I am going to first start off by saying that I have never really been a fan of Shakespeare. People sometimes find that odd, like it is somehow a requirement for one who is studying English Literature to automatically worship the man and his works. Perhaps my indifference stems from my first experience with Shakespeare being in a high school English class. No one ever really likes required reading, but I feel as though it is just as simple as his writing not being in my taste.

That all being said, I have to say I was somewhat surprised by Measure For Measure. It was entertaining, yet completely bizarre. The Duke of Vienna pretends he has gone travelling the world but in truth disguises himself as a monk. He does this so he can see how his cousin Angelo behaves as leader and supreme judge of his subjects. Will Angelo be a just and fair leader? Or controlling and unreasonable? Angelo is thought of to be a virtuous man. He is anxious about the Duke leaving him in charge, feeling as though he is not ready for the task; to have such power. He wants a test to make he is ready. However, the Duke "leaves" and no such test is given. 

Most of the story revolves around Claudio, a man who is condemned to death for getting his betrothed pregnant before they were married. Claudio's sister, who is entering the nunnery, tries to reason with Angelo and begs for mercy for her brother. At first, he outright refuses saying the law is the law. However, he soon falls "in love" with Isabella and makes a not-so-virtuous offer in exchange for her brother's life. 

The story was amusing but I found that my amusement only lasted for so long, and my interest in these characters rapidly diminished. I felt as though there was a lot of unresolved questions, and that the story itself was not something that held my interest. Though I liked this play a lot more than I have liked many of his others. 

Measure For Measure was required reading for my Shakespeare university course. I went into the play, and all others we have read, keeping my bias and past disappointment with Shakespeare out of my mind while I read. However, I find that my opinion still has not changed. Maybe someday soon I will read a Shakespeare play that knocks my socks off and completely changes my view. But as for now, 3 stars for being somewhat entertaining.