[Guest Review] Tangled Web by Lee Bross

Title: Tangled Webs
Series: Tangles Webs #1

Author: Lee Bross [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Historical Fiction, Romance

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy here.

This is literally the first non-fantasy YA novel I've read in months! I actually can't remember the last time I read a book without any fantasy elements, so I was curious to see whether I'd like Tangled Webs, which is sort of a historical fiction. The book is set in 18th century London, where an orphan girl named Arista navigates the London social scene as a notorious blackmailer. The premise is interesting and certainly unique, but it was a bit slow at first and actually took me several days to finish it. It got really good in the last quarter of the novel, which is probably a little too late but nevertheless boosted the rating. I actually started tearing up the last two chapters because of a certain someone, which I absolutely did not expect with this novel. That just goes to show that Lee Bross does an excellent job making readers fall in love with the characters.

I was under the impression that there would be a love triangle, but Arista and the reader both knew that there was only one guy for her from the very start and that was great. I don't mind love triangles too much, but it was consistent with her character; Arista isn't one to dilly dally. I didn't care for the romance as much as I did the story since I didn't find it too believable. Since this is set in the early 18th century, the fast paced nature of Arista and Grae's relationship is probably normal, but to me, it just went way too fast and I would have liked to see more development.

As for the characters, Lee did a wonderful job developing all of them and it was nice to see a strong supporting cast. Although some of the decisions Arista made were frustrating, I didn't hold it against her. Grae is an absolutely sweetheart and is someone you just want to protect and hug all the time. Nic is also very well developed and multi-dimensional and by the end, he probably became one of my favorite characters in this story. However, I thought that Lee could have done a better job with Bones, the villain. The best villain is one that readers can almost sympathize with, but this guy is downright hateful with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever; I hated him right until the end. Wild was much more interesting and multi-dimensional, though.

Overall, this was a good book for me to get off the fantasy track (though the next book I read will still probably be fantasy haha), and reminded me of why I enjoy reading YA historical fiction. It appears to be a series, but I thought it ended nicely the way it did and I would have been satisfied had this been a standalone.

4 Stars

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[Review] Madame Tussaud's Apprentice by Kathleen Benner Duble

Title: Madame Tussaud's Apprentice
Author: Kathleen Benner Duble [ Facebook | Website]

Publisher: Merit Press

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Historical

Release Date: August 1, 2014

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

In 1789, with the starving French people on the brink of revolution, orphaned Celie Rosseau, an amazing artist and a very clever thief, runs wild with her protector, Algernon, trying to join the idealistic freedom fighters of Paris. But when she is caught stealing from none other than the king's brother and the lady from the waxworks, Celie must use her drawing talent to buy her own freedom or die for her crimes. Forced to work for Madame Tussaud inside the opulent walls that surround Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, Celie is shocked to find that the very people she imagined to be monsters actually treat her with kindness. But the thunder of revolution still rolls outside the gates, and Celie is torn between the cause of the poor and the safety of the rich. When the moment of truth arrives, will she turn on Madame Tussaud or betray the boy she loves?

From the hidden garrets of the starving poor to the jeweled halls of Versailles, "Madame Tussaud's Apprentice" is a sweeping story of danger, intrigue, and young love, set against one of the most dramatic moments in history. - via Goodreads

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My love/hate affair with historical fiction...

I've always struggled with historical fiction so I have to admit when I got this in the mail I was just ehh... but the cover staring at me day in and day out eventually won me over. With the French Revolution in its infancy, Celie and Algernon seek rebellion with the commoners against the French monarchy. Similar to the tune of classical literature during the same time period Madame Tussaud's Apprentice struggles to take off in the first half of the novel. 

But there's revenge to be had...

Celie and Algernon's bond comes from their mutual hate for the French monarchy as their loved ones have passed. Algernon's rage is fully apparent which keeps him from showing much affection towards Celie but as a reader I know what his end game is. Algernon is street smart and experiences a range of growth and development as the revolution heats up. 

Celie comes off as immature for someone who's been living in the streets during the 1700s where living 16 years is impressive in and of itself much less as an orphan. There are moments where I can't help but wonder if she's really prepared to avenge the death of her family or would she rather a life of comfort with Madame Tussaud. With this lingering the stakes are kind of weak.

The history is the winner here...

When I thought the history would drive me away it's what kept me turning the pages. I felt transported into classical literature such as Les Mis and A Tale of Two Cities with the secondary cast behind Celie carrying the torch. Where Celie's narrative and antics failed to impress me it was Madame and her family that provided a sense of realism and will to survive. 

Madame Tussaud and the royals steal the novel for me. During a tumultuous time in French history the revolution provides insight into the fall of one of the most powerful and rich monarchies. The family that is built around Celie becomes the foundation to hold her world together when life gets real and their way of life is endangered.

Kathleen Benner Duble's writing lends to realistic visions of the grounds at Versailles and the brewing war. There are a few times during Celie's time on the grounds that she witnesses real moments with the monarch lending a face of humanity to the enemy. Interspersed with French phrases I was whisked away into the ironic romance of the time period. 

What I would have liked to see...

More pages! The novel weighs in at 224 pages and introduces us to an amazing solid cast of characters. I would have liked to seen this thickened up and possibly made into a series. In the author's notes Duble talks about how she had to speed up the timeline because the build up to and the actual revolution lasted a long time. But what if she didn't have to speed up the timeline?!?! Wishful thinking says this could've been epic.

The tag line for the novel is "An Untold Story of Love in the French Revolution" and I'm not entirely sold. Since my connection to Celie is a struggle, I feel like third person or multi-first person point of views could've been used to support Celie and Algernon's romantic relationship and to lend more depth to other character relationships. In the end their romance and Celie's bond to others was never flushed out fully so I could feel all the feels. 

You'll like this if...

If you enjoy historical literature, quick reads and French culture!

3.5 Stars - Don't always judge a book by it's genre, n'est-ce pas?

[Review] Chantress Alchemy by Amy Butler Greenfield

Buy on Amazon or the Book Depository

Title: Chantress Alchemy

Series: Chantress #2

Author: Amy Butler Greenfield [ Facebook | Twitter | Website ]

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy, Historical

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Source: Advanced copy provided by the publisher, opinions are my own. – review policy here.

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Lucy is the last Chantress, the only remaining girl who can sing magic into the world. Since she defeated the evil Lord Scargrave, England has changed—and not for the better. With crops failing and the people rebelling, Lucy is called urgently back to King Henry’s court. His Inner Council is convinced that making gold through alchemy will save England. But a critical element to the alchemical process has been stolen. Lucy is tasked with finding it with her magic… or else. And until she succeeds, the castle is on lockdown.

Court too has changed. Scargrave's brutal Chantress-hunter has become King Henry's closest advisor. Lucy’s beloved Nat has fallen out of favor and is shunned by his colleagues; their romance means trouble for both of them. Worst of all, something goes wrong with Lucy’s magic. The palace is a labyrinth, and there’s a monster at its heart — a monster who may have the power to defeat Lucy once and for all. 

This was an interesting read...and I have a confession to make... I did not read book #1. So going into Chantress Alchemy I was fully prepared to be a little lost, in fact I waited for that moment when a plot point would throw me off. Luckily, I was able to read this like a standalone.

"To be Chantress was to face enemies,
for the world feared women with power."

A power only passed on by women, um, heck yes! Around the 25% mark I found myself entering into a mystery with a number of suspects involved. By the 66% mark I felt no further along in the plot than the previous mark, which was underwhelming. A number of characters are introduced, among them Gabriel and Lord Wrexham who easily became the most interesting for me. I really wanted more out of Gabriel's character who comes off as a potential suitor of Lucy and also as someone who may have a hidden agenda. Lord Wrexham reprises his role as a Chantress-hunter and is creepy. Creepy because he's a murderer, has lies and secrets, way too much power and influence, and the words that come out of his mouth give you goosebumps. And this not in an endearing Loki-ish way. As the book came to a close I felt unsatisfied by the overall character growth of Lucy, Nat and the rest of the secondary cast. There are a few secondary characters who experience some personal transitions which seem like they'll carry over into book three.

The biggest obstacle in Chantress Alchemy is that Lucy has lost her ability to preform proven magic and must rely on Wild magic coerced from nature. However, Lucy struggles with wild magic as well due to the crack in her stone caused by Wrexham in book one. So basically Lucy is powerless in this book. She's got nothing, nada, zip. She's just a regular girl with horrible detective skills, which leads her into being skeptical about everyone, and experimenting with a different kind of magic to save the crucible. The ship for the series is, Lucy and Nat, who only share a few scenes together and then he goes missing for several chapters with no word. Lucy also does not mourn Nat's absence from court which makes their plight to be together unbelievable.

The plot is straightforward with a whodunit component throw in, and there are no real surprises throughout the story. This left me seriously underwhelmed. I waited and waited for a big twist but the plot kept saving itself with magic. I the end I didn't love this read and I don't dislike it, instead it falls all kinds of flat.

3-Stars: I probably will not be reading book three,
however fans of historical fictions and fantasy may want to give it a go.