Top 5 Villains More Interesting Than the Hero

Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by Shanah – The Bionic Bookworm. 

"A superhero has pretty much one job: go stop the villain from doing whatever they’re doing by using your strength/power/overwhelming goodwill. Villains, on the other hand, NEVER cease to amaze us with their intricate, mind-bending plots. Sure, you know their ENDGOAL is always earthly destruction, but HOW are they going to get there??" 

~Why Villains Are Better Than Heroes (And You Know It)

1. The Darkling - Shadow and Bone

Okay, so the world-building in this series is as amazing as . But the main character, Alina? Not so much. She's about as Mary-Sue as they come. She's like vanilla pudding – bland, plain, and just...completely boring. All she ever thinks about is Mal, her best friend/boyfriend. But the Darkling? Now HE'S an interesting character. Honestly, I've only read the first book of this series, and if I continue, it's purely due to the Darkling. He's an incredibly captivating villain and I can't get enough of him. I wish the whole series revolved around just him, instead of Mal-I-Freaking-Need-You Alina. For this reason, I I've got The Demon in the Wood, which is a short story told from his perspective, on my reading peripherals.

2.  Caine Soren – Gone 

Now, don't get me wrong, Sam Temple is great. And that might be where the problem lies – he's too great. He's the epitome of the shiny, golden, all-around good guy hero trope. Caine, on the other hand, is quite literally Sam's evil twin. He's obsessed with becoming the most powerful guy in the FAYZ – that's the nickname the kids of Perdido Beach gave to the unbreachable barrier that surrounds their little slice of Hell – and that means he's unpredictable. Fact: In books, the Unpredictable Baddie > the Predictable Good Guy. Also fact: they're just more interesting to read about.

3. Queen Levana – Cinder

In the Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana is one crazy, evil, villainous woman. She's so disturbing that you can't help but wonder how she got to be that way, and that makes her interesting. Interesting doesn't equate to morally good, but it does keep the reader engaged and turning pages like a wildfire is about to burn their fingertips. Levana was so interesting, in fact, that Marissa Meyer ended up writing a 200 page book dedicated to telling just her story.

4. The Anarchists – Renegades

Here's another Meyer book, just for the heck of it. 

A gang of supervillains led by head honcho Ace Anarchy, the Anarchists are living their lives in the shadow of their former glory days. Their super powers are pretty sweet if you ask me – we've got Queen Bee with Anthophilia (control bees), Phobia with the power to manipulate fear and darkness, The Puppeteer with the ability to possess inanimate objects, and Nightmare who can pretty much tranquilize anybody with a single touch, to name a few. When compared to the neat-and-tidy Renegade Council, this ragtag group of has-been villains are all the more interesting for their desperate need to fight and claw all the way back to the top of the power struggle ladder.

5. The Volturi - New Moon

Another Meyer book, though not of the Marissa variety. Stephenie Meyer should win an award for writing the dullest female character to ever grace the pages of YA literature. This week's topic is, "Villains More Interesting Than the Hero," but pretty much any other character besides Bella (not just the antagonist) is more interesting than she is. In fact, I think dirt might be a more interesting hero. Can Bella even be considered a hero, when she spends most of her time just flailing her arms about like the helpless Damsel-in-Distress that she is, pinning over Edward? Probably not. 

The Dry | Jane Harper

The Dry by Jane Harper • Contains 352 pages •  Published May 31st 2016 by Macmillan Australia • Classified as Mystery, Thriller • Obtained as Audiobook

After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.

Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.

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First of all, if you are contemplating reading this book, even a little bit – GET THE AUDIOBOOK. The narrator reads in a heavy Australian accent and I think half the fun of this story was just listening to his voice. But seriously, what's better than listening to a whole seven-plus hours of thick Australian accents and a heart-pounding, who-done-it mystery? Not much that I can think of.

The premise of The Dry is nothing especially new – the protagonist is a small-town boy who moves to the big city, but is forced to return to settle some unfinished business. Based solely on that blurb, this book could easily be a Hallmark Channel movie that ends with a white-chapel marriage. But there are no wedding bells awaiting you at the end of this book. No. In this story, the small-town boy is a federal agent named Aaron Falk and his hometown is a drought-infested Australian farm hub called Kiewarra (thus the narrator's accent). Skeletons in the closet come crashing out and long-buried memories are dug up as Falk is forced to confront the secrets he's been hiding for most of his adult life, and some dirty new ones too. It's a pretty standard plot line for this genre I should think – nothing shiny, new, or mind-blowing about it – and yet, I found myself dragged in immediately.

“Luke Lied. You Lied. Be at the funeral. ”

The intrigue starts off thick and fast in the first chapter, and continues on from there in a wildfire-like fury. The suspense leads you down one twisting back alleyway and then another in a beautifully well-crafted mystery that I couldn't stop listening to. As Falk recalls the events that led up to his move to the big city, Harper expertly weaves in pieces of both past and present in a way that both fills in blanks and leaves questions unanswered. I usually only listen to audiobooks while I take my daily walk with my son, but this one had me lying in bed at night, listening to the audiobook instead of sleeping because I just had to know what came next. 

The Dry was like a rollercoaster – most coasters go up and down. They go fast, and if we're honest, we don't necessarily remember every loop or drop. But we remember the exhilaration. We remember that moment when our stomachs flew up into our noses. The Dry is the same. Later on, I might not remember the names of the characters, because if I'm honest, they weren't all that memorable. I probably won't think back on the story due to some outstanding uniqueness or originality, because it didn't particularly shine in that category either. But I will remember that it was one heck of an entertaining ride and I am so glad that I chose to get on.

“No-one tells you this is how it’s going to be, do they? Oh yes, they’re all so sorry for your loss, all so keen to pop round and get the gossip when it happens, but no-one mentions having to go through your dead son’s drawers and return their library books, do they? No-one tells you how to cope with that.”

Can't-Wait Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

Title: Mirage 

Author: Somaiya Daud

Pages: 320

Expected Publication: August 28th 2018 by Flatiron Books

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction

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In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death.

Well, first off, take a minute to enjoy that beautiful cover. Has it been a minute yet? No? Then keep staring at that beauty because seriously, it is totally gorgeous. Second off (is that even a thing people say?),  reread that summary and try to take it all in. A girl who yearns for a simpler time and loves to write poetry? Sounds great. A Moroccan-inspired setting with Science Fiction elements? You had me at Morocco. I love seeing diverse settings, especially in YA Fantasy. You can only read so many European-inspired Fantasy novels before they all start to feel the same. Yay for diversity!

Title: City of Ghosts 

Author: Victoria Schwab

Pages: 272 

Expected Publication: August 28th 2018 by Scholastic

Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal

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Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

Okay, so I hardly read any books in the Paranormal/Thriller genre because I'm a chicken who gets nightmares wayyyyyyy too easily considering I'm a grown woman. But this is a Middle Grade novel, so it shouldn't be too creepy, right? Recently, I've been wanting to branch out and read some new genres, and a story involving inept ghost-hunter parents, a reality TV show, and a girl who sees dead people sounds like a great place to start. Plus, Victoria Schwab is the author, and I've heard nothing but good about her. 

A Reaper at the Gates | Sabaa Tahir

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir • Contains 464 pages •  Published June 12th 2018 by Razorbill • Classified as YA, Fantasy • Read as eBook 

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister's life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias's devotion--even at the cost of his humanity.

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I have a confession to make: my memory is about as horrible as the movie Sharknado, which was so bad it was good, if you get what I mean. I would probably forget what I ate for breakfast if it weren't for the fact that I eat the same thing every morning (spoiler: it's a plain bowl of cereal). In any case, because of my tendency to forget things, reading a newer series can sometimes present a problem – after finishing the first book, I have to wait for the release of the second and the third and so on. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The thing that is bad, however, is that I forget everything that happened in the other books by the time I get the newest installment in my hands. This is what happened to me with A Reaper at the Gates.

If I had taken the time to reread the first two books in this series, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more. But my TBR list is already a mile long, and who wants to waste precious reading time on a book you've already read? So, I jumped into A Reaper at the Gates cold turkey, not remembering a thing about what was going on in the story. This left me floundering around for the first half of the book, trying to recall certain characters or long-forgotten plot points. Eventually, I fell into the rhythm of Tahir's world and was able to more fully enjoy it. I had a hard time rating this book for that reason – the beginning was a low 3, but parts towards the end were in the high 4 range, so I just settled on somewhere in the middle.

A Reaper in the Gates is the third heart-racing, action-packed installment of Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series which follows the unfortunate lives of Laia, Elias, and Helene (AKA - The Blood Shrike). If I'm completely honest, The Blood Shrike is the best part of this entire series. She is worth five stars in and of herself. Her chapters were definitely my favorite – I didn't care as much about the viewpoints of Laia and Elias, or about their star-crossed romance. The political intrigue surrounding the Shrike and the evil Commandant is as deliciously juicy as a fresh watermelon and eclipsed everything else. The complex military machinations had my mind whirling, trying to guess what would happen next, and it reminded me a bit of The Queen's Thief series in that way. 

"You used to know me, I think. But you don't know me anymore. I don't know me anymore."

Now don't get me wrong, the Blood Shrike is not an untainted hero – she has the blood of thousands on her hands. She experiences heartbreak, death, and has to make hard choices that eventually break her, then remake her. Ultimately, that's the question A Reaper in the Gates presents: how far are the main characters willing to go to get what they want? To find the answer, Tahir expertly twists us down a dark and bloody road full of high-stakes choices and terrible consequences. 

"To lead, you have to do ugly things."

This book is a preamble to the darkness that will no doubt be unleashed in the fourth and final book. It was slow going to get into it  – either because I couldn't recall what was going on or because the action was growing gradually  – but once I did, I was held spellbound by the action, the suspense, and the expertly-crafted world-building that unfolded beneath my fingertips. Tahir has created a grisly and unforgiving universe filled with likable, but extremely flawed, characters who are, every one of them, unrelenting fighters.

July 2018 Wrap-Up

Well, folks, July is over! What a blistering hot month it has been here in Japan! Japanese summers are always hot, but this year, it's been particularly bad. A week or two ago, a city on the outskirts of Tokyo hit a high of close to 106 degrees. 106 DEGREES, PEOPLE. Like that witch from The Wizard of Oz, "I'm meltinggggggg!!!" I hope all of you are managing to stay cool! It's a good thing we've got books to help us escape this heat.

Gone  / ★★★★★ – This book surprised me. I just happened to get the audiobook by chance through Overdrive because I needed something to listen to on my morning walk/run. Going into it, I had no idea what to expect beyond the little blurb I read on Goodreads. I was instantly pulled in by the action-packed story; soon my heart rate was way up, and it was not only because I was out running. 

The Young Elites  / ★★★★1/2 – This was another surprise. I've read a couple of Marie Lu's other books, and I wasn't really impressed by them. But this one was great. I loved the unique world-building and the conflicted main character, Adelina. It's hard to write something new and fresh in a stereotype-saturated genre, but I thought that Lu did just that with this book.

Books I Finished: 6
Audiobooks I Finished: 3
Total Finished: 9
Book Reviews I Wrote: 7