The Sirenic Codex

I feel like a broken record always citing my love of history as a reason behind my interest in historical fiction. But there is so much more to historical fiction than just history. Sure there are the nobles: kings, knights, queens. But it's the infamous that attract me, and what is better than a gladiator?

I'm currently reading Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn, an adult historical fiction that revolves around a Jewish slave girl and a Britannic gladiator. What an interesting match up, it's heartbreaking no less.

Rome was an important stepping stone in humanity's past and their ingenious inventions are things to be admired. But like most early humans, they were a savage and tough people. I don't know how else to describe a population who spent their Sundays watching men and women being skinned by vicious animals and cheering for their downfall.

However, that was the way of life in ancient Rome and a well documented one as well. Many know of the Romans and their accomplishments. We know of crazy Nero who played his lyre while Rome burned or of Caligula who despised the Senate so much he named his favourite horse a senator. No doubt they were ridiculous leaders but how about the people below them? The gladiators forced to put down their lives for their entertainment?

Honestly, it was probably a horrible fate and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but like other not too noble occupations like: assassins (Assassin Creed) and thieves (Robin Hood), gladiators are romanticized and incredibly interesting to read about.

They know any fight can be their last.

They are tough men and women from across the world.

They wish for a rudius, an Emperor's grant of freedom.

They are the object of many's fancy.

But, they are slaves (not all).

Barbarians

It's a mystery how they managed to live and how the men and women that loved them coped after their death.

I've just started to make a dent in Mistress of Rome but gladiators seem to be the super stars of the Romans. They were slaves whose lives were forfeit in the Colosseum but outside they were peppered with noble women, fans and graffiti.

It's kind of sad that I have to travel outside the YA genre to find a book that interested me and captured Rome in a realistic and detailed fashion. There are definitely a fantastic bunch of YA historical fiction authors who do this phenomenally but none to my knowledge who wrote about gladiators. Wouldn't it be a great new craze? Vamps, werewolves, angels, zombies to gladiators!

What do you think of gladiators?

-Mari

A discussion with P.E. and Mari.

YA is awesome. But it can get even more awesome. I was inspired for this post by this tweet that was asking for a YA romance set in the Olympics. I don't really need the romance part (but I wouldn't mind) and this got me thinking about all the types of stories that aren't found in YA. So, I'll start with saying there aren't enough stories about athletes, especially professional athletes. You get drafted in the NHL at 17/18. There's a 15 year old Russian skater killing it at the Olympics. Teens are a huge part of the Olympics and sports, and I know that it's a stereotype that bookish people don't care about sports because I know we're both fans. So, I would love to read a YA about that. What do you think?

Google and I have a long standing relationship and it knows how much I wish there was more to YA with my relentless searches: "YA book that features sports", "YA book set in Korea", "BOOK IN THE OLYMPICS"!!! I completely disagree with stereotyping in general. Bookish people aren't a type of people, they are a diverse community of people spread over different ages, countries and languages. We don't all read the same books, we definitely don't all like the same books, so who says that we all don't like the same things as well; especially sports. Hating sports is a lot like hating music; it's something that is supposed to be fun. I don't play sports because I suck at them but I sure would love to read about them and act like I don't suck.

Well, we all know about my illustrious career as a defence in touch football. Or how about the one time in fifth grade where my coach said I was the most improved player after I did like six straight volleyball serves that managed to GET OVER THE NET. I'm a rockstar.

Okay, I get your point. You also touched on some other thing I wanted to mention: diversity. Everyone agrees on the need for more diversity. I personally want diversity in books, but not books about diversity. Well, I'm not saying those shouldn't exist either, but I personally am not interested in social issue books. I'd love if there was diversity in a book, but it was completely natural. Like, I think R.J. Anderson had a Korean character in Quicksilver and it was awesome. I want diverse characters in paranormals where their diversity is not their defining character point, but just another part of them. YA is pretty white-washed as it is, and ideally, I think YA needs more of a variety of characters from different cultures.

It's great that we both agree on that. Team diversity over here. Something else that I've been thinking about a lot lately is the awesome literature other counties have that we don't necessarily know about. I mean english can't be the only language with great books. Les Miserables and Le Petit Prince are French, Anna Karenina is Russian. Those can't be the only jewels of their language, there must be more and so I would love if we could read books written by a foreign author just as easily as we can watch a movie by one.

I absolutely agree. The Ruby Red series was by a German author, if I'm not mistaken, and I think that's something I would love to see- books FROM other cultures. Stories resonate with people, and I am so open to reading a YA book written for, say, Indian teens. Some of the stuff Western culture takes for granted would be discovered, and it would be awesome. Right now, it seems like so many Western books are being published in other languages and I would like to see the same happen. This can only help my book selection, because then I can have books from all the YA authors on Earth! (I am way too excited about that!)

Haha, same here. It would be fantastic imagine the variety we can find. One for every mood and mindset.

You know what else YA desperately needs? Canada. No, seriously. In dystopias, it's usually some enormous government running North America, and the government seems to be emulating American styles (with Presidents and no French) so I've always wondered what happened to us. I know Canada would not want to merge with the US, so maybe this is weird, but I always feel like the history of these dystopias is lacking.

History and politics as well. As far as I know Canada and the US are tight allies so one turning on the other is hard to imagine, at least in my mind. I think more Canada and more accurate history/politics wouldn't hurt. Come to think of it, I was roaming Chapters a few hours ago (because that's what I do on my Sundays) especially the adult section and I was thinking about how much more detailed adult literature is. I wouldn't mind some of that leaking over to YA!

What do you think?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Skin Deep

November 4, 2014

What would you do to have the body of your dreams?

Kiera hates being overweight and hides behind thick layers of clothing. One night, her friends present an opportunity that seems impossible to believe. With a single spell, she can have the thin physique she's always coveted.

But all magic comes with a price: no sex or she'll revert back to her old body. Kiera accepts the cost. It's not like she has men lined up at her door. Obeying this one tiny rule isn't difficult at all—until the night she meets Cain, a were-tiger and a soldier with the Eternal Forces.

When a slew of unexplained murders forces Kiera and Cain together, they'll have to face the horrors of their pasts. Will Kiera realize she is worth more than her outward appearance? Or will she make the wrong choice and lose everything—including her life?(

Goodreads

Haha! Were-tiger? Sounds fun.

I'm not one to pick up books about issues like obesity and self-esteem although I think they should be further explored. However, I prefer it to be subtle. This book seems like it's integrated Kiera's weight issue into the story and she will learn her lesson by going through some adventures instead of focusing on her issue all the way through.

What Are You Waiting On?

-MARI

Cover Wars is a weekly showdown of two beautiful covers. The winner, as voted by you, goes on to face a new cover, and wins bragging rights. This is basically a fun way to discuss what we like in covers.

Last week, Milayna assumed victory over Everything Leads to You by a small margin. This week it's facing new competition: They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire.

Two beautiful covers and two very different concepts. Milayna is rich with colours that attract attention but also has some intricacy with the soft, white lines running down the model's face and neck. They All Fall Down is another story. The green of the background does well with the white table and the blood. Also, the typography is perfect for the concept of the book.

So, which'll it be? Let the Cover Wars begin!

Vote now!

Author: Stacey Jay
Date of Publication: July 23 2013
Pages: 391
Source: Library

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Review:

The romance was incredible. You know it's a big deal when I, not known for my love of romance, thought it was great. The love was sweet and profound, and some lines had me almost in happy tears. It's amazing to read about a love so pure.

Of Beast and Beauty is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in a new planet. There are two main POVs. Isra, Princess of Yuan, has pretty much been hidden away in a tower for most of her life. Gem, a Desert Dweller, is a warrior setting out to protect his tribe from starvation. Naturally, both sides hate each other.

My pitiful explanation of the premise behind Of Beast and Beauty doesn't do the story justice at all. There are many layers and mythological aspects to the story. Overall though, the story felt less like a fantasy or sci-fi than another fairy tale. Isra and Gem's love is not coincidence; it's fated.

I'm not saying there is insta-love, because there isn't. Isra and Gem both start out curious about each other. They consider hurting the other for their own goods, but slowly they change.

Of Beast and Beauty is a very character oriented story. There is action, but the book draws you in with beautiful words rather than thrilling sequences. This style works very well for the fantastical romance of Of Beast and Beauty. The characters do change, and the reader experiences the growth with them. There is absolutely no confusion as to what is happening.

The story is well executed, and I was fully engrossed in it. The ending in particular, with some revelations, had me desperately hoping for a happy ending. I think overall, Of Beast and Beauty is an extremely clever retelling, because it takes all the best elements of the original fairytale and makes them its own. The theme of beauty is well explored, and I think my favourite part is that neither Isra or Gem are fully beauty or beast. There's more to the story than that.

One thing I didn't like was that the writing was almost too much at times, and especially early on, the plot was slow. At one point, Isra discovered something she needed a little too conveniently, but that's where the whole fated part comes in, I suppose.

Overall, Of Beast and Beauty was an incredible romance and a fantastic retelling. 4 stars.

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

I tried making a button for this post (it's above, using Paint). I don't really know if I like it, because it's kind of funky. I guess we'll see if I stick with it. Anyway, I've had a pretty great week overall.

Books Read

I got some ARCs from the library and finished these two. They were not bad, but I can't say I was impressed. Maybe I'm in a reading slump? Either way, I'm happy with reading two books! Oh, how the mighty have fallen...

Currently Reading

This is a different type of read for me. I remember seeing this and being instantly intrigued. It doesn't seem to be based on Iran, like I hoped, but I'm still very curious.

On the Blog

You know you're completely out of blog ideas when you do a best and worst commercials post. But anyway, here it is!

Mari's WoW pick, Black Ice sounds cool! (Hahaha I'm so funny!)

I reviewed my first JLA book, Cursed! I've since learned it's not one of her better books, but it was entertaining enough.

Oh Thornhill, why did you have to disappoint me so? My review.

We had a scheduling error for Saturday, so Mari suggested we post nothing (Oh! The horror!) and instead try to brainstorm new ideas for posts. I think we were semi-successful, but that remains to be seen. Right now, I'm hopefully going to go on a massive post-writing spree.

The Week That Was

*happy dances* I got in to my first choice school! I've been stressing about this for ages, so hopefully now I can just focus on keeping my marks up and finally relax a bit. Now there's other stress, like OMG will I be moving? And residence?! But I can deal with that.

Beyond that, it's March Break now which means I can enjoy life for a week before going back to high school. I'm planning on doing a lot of blog maintenance, reading, and catching up on LOTS of TV. I haven't started this season's Supernatural and I'm so behind on both TVD and the Originals.

Song of the Week

Sometimes, I feel like I only do TWP just to post my favourite song of the week. Anyway, I've posted Find Me before, but this is an absolutely gorgeous acoustic version. Zedd's playing the pianio, and Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant supply the beautiful vocals. Everyone is so talented, and the three of them make an EDM song sound just as good without the technology.

-P.E.

Author: Kathleen Peacock
Date of Publication: September 10 2013
Pages: 368
Series: Hemlock #2
Source: Library

Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.

Review:

Recaptains is an absolutely amazing website. I started Thornhill remembering that I was a fan of Hemlock, but beyond that I completely forgot most of the specifics. The Recaptains summary helped me catch up in a way. I still feel like if I read Thornhill with a greater memory of Hemlock, I would have enjoyed it more.

Thornhill is very readable. It's too easy to just keep flipping pages regardless of how late in the night it is. The story is absorbing, but I also did not really like the plot as much in this one. I felt like the story moved extremely fast, just a few days in fact, and so I didn't really feel a build up of suspense or action.

There was definitely action. Mac, Jason and Serena depart to find Kyle and bring him back home. Somehow though, they get into an enormous mess. I guess I had seen this type of storyline a few times now and I absolutely believed in the inevitability of their success. That's not exactly conductive to being hyped up for a book.

I still enjoyed the characters and would have liked a little more focus on them. Mac is capable and just warm. She has a way of drawing people to her by just being a trustworthy person. She's very likable. I also really liked Jason, who was sarcastic, sometimes burly, but always there for Mac when she needed him. Kyle was a little less in the story, but again, he was always focused on protecting Mac. She's a pretty lucky girl to have so much devotion from the two guys, but that's because she would do the same for them, and they both know it.

I don't feel like Thornhill really clicked for me. It wasn't that that there were things I didn't like. Instead, I kind of wanted more. I wanted more world building and character building and suspense. I feel like a lot of these things wouldn't have been an issue if I had read Hemlock more recently, but it's not unreasonable to expect a sequel to build the same areas up, right? In terms of setting, more parts of the Hemlock world like the camps and the packs were explained, but even then I don't feel like there was that much growth.

One part I can pretty definitively say I didn't like was when Mac would go to sleep and Amy would show up. What is exactly is the relevance of those scenes? All that would happen is Amy saying "something awful is going to happen, it's so awful" and then some kind of bloody weirdness would wake Mac up. It added nothing to the plot and there was very minimal character development. What it did do was take me out of the story every time it happened. It was like a commercial break, and I didn't like it.

I started out this review thinking I liked Thornhill, but by the end of my review, I've discovered that there was a lot I wasn't satisfied with. So, I'm giving Thornhill two stars. It was very meh in the end.

-P.E.

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Date of Publication: September 18 2012
Pages: 304
Source: Library

Dying sucks
...and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand.

After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life.

For real this time.

Review:

Cursed is my first JLA read, and I was curious to see why everyone adores her books.

What I noticed from the beginning was that the writing was light and playful. There was a lot of dialogue which moved the story very quickly. The one thing I really liked was that Armnentrout wrote in character. Ember's voice existed in every description, and so Cursed became a book truly from Ember's perspective. The writing was fun.

The story itself was easy to get into. It wasn't like everything felt brand new, but the story did interest me to the point where I was curious to see where it went. I'm a little disappointed that I guessed the villain extremely early on. I don't like when the mystery is that obvious. Still, the story was enjoyable enough that I can forgive that.

Frankly, the biggest thing Cursed had going for it was that it's the type of book that you open and get sucked into. I stayed up late reading Cursed, I read during class, and the weird thing is, I don't think the story is really that impressive.

When I look at the individual components, they range from okay to very good. The premise is very good, the setting is good, the plot is okay, the characters are good, the romance is okay (Hayden is objectively perfect, but hasn't captured my heart). Somehow, the sum of Cursed is greater than the parts, and I think that's just because it's interesting to read. That goes a really long way.

In terms of romance, there are a lot of great kisses and adorable lines, but somehow I never really felt that into the romance. I didn't not like it, but it wasn't a big part of the plot to me. The much more fascinating relationship was between Olivia and Ember. I can relate a little because I have a sister much younger than me as well, so I totally understood what Ember was dealing with. Ember herself was a pretty cool person. She was extremely impulsive, and had some spunk which I liked. She didn't take herself too seriously and her love for Olivia was extremely believable.

I'm a little surprised that Cursed is a standalone, but in some way, that makes sense. The premise is cool, but there needs to be more background and story to make the story arc longer. I think Cursed is great for people that are looking for entertainment. In particular, I would recommend it to people that don't read a lot in general. The story draws you in, and it's decent.

I'm ready to read more JLA after Cursed. I like the way the story was executed, and now I would like a better story (or at least a more complex one). Still, I liked this one.

-P.E.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Mortal Heart

November 4, 2014

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

BLACK ICE is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…

Goodreads

I realize not a lot of people like Becca Fitzpatrick but I remember really enjoying Hush Hush though I have yet to read Finale. Still, I think Ms. Fitzpatrick really knows how to write a thrilling read and keep the reader excited and on the edge of their seat. I can't wait to see what story she spins in this one! Also, I love that cover!