Affichage des articles dont le libellé est Science Fiction. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est Science Fiction. Afficher tous les articles

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (166)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Divided
Author: Elsie Chapman
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

The hunter becomes the hunted. . . .

West Grayer is done killing. She defeated her Alternate, a twin raised by another family, and proved she’s worthy of a future. She’s ready to move on with her life.

The Board has other plans. They want her to kill one last time, and offer her a deal worth killing for. But when West recognizes her target as a ghost from her past, she realizes she’s in over her head. The Board is lying, and West will have to uncover the truth of the past to secure her future.

How far will the Board go to keep their secrets safe? And how far will West go to save those she loves? With nonstop action and surprising twists, Elsie Chapman’s intoxicating sequel to Dualed reveals everything.

I read Dualed last year, and I enjoyed it, but the idea of a sequel makes me curious. While it read well as a single book, I'm wondering what will be shown of West's world in this new book, what secrets will be revealed that will hopefully connect it to its predecessor.

Me on Tin Star

Title: Tin Star
Author: Cecil Castellucci
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan imprint)

Beaten and left for dead, Tula finds herself abandoned on a remote space station with aliens she must work to understand. One of the aliens, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station. When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula's desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

Tin Star is a story of survival and strength. What does it mean to be human? What will it take to survive, to keep on living when you have nothing? In the depths of outer space, on a station filled with different aliens and you're the only human, who will you give your trust to?

Tula was abandoned and beaten by someone she thought she could trust. Now, alone and forgotten, she's left to somehow survive on a space station where she's the only Human, a species that most aliens couldn't care less about. Trapped in a bleak situation, Tula somehow finds the strength to come back, to keep on living when most would give up and waste away. She does what she must over the years, but as much as the aliens on Yertina Feray have helped her to survive, she has one mission she cannot ignore. She must find Brother Blue and kill him for what he did to her.

After spending years on the station without any human contact, with only different aliens and their customs, habits, and rituals, her world tilts once more when Humans appear in her life again. But the differences between them are so distinctive. What does that make Tula? Is she still Human? Or is she more alien now?

For Tula, alone and not cared about, survival is crucial. She doesn't know anyone on the station, she can't find anyone willing to take her back to Earth or to her family for no money. She has nothing. But she's not willing to give up. Perhaps an alien or two help her out in the beginning, but it's her decision to continue on trading and pushing to survive on the lower decks. It's the hidden strength inside her that keeps her alive.

This is such a curious book. The space station was a rather interesting setting, but I never felt trapped or enclosed. Perhaps it was the vast openness of space that the station sits in, slowly orbiting a dead planet. I was so enthralled with Tula's journey, with her sort of coming of age, with her growth as a character. She starts off alone, afraid, and angry. I'm so glad that there will be a second book, but I'm not looking forward to the wait.

(I received an advance copy of this title from Raincoast Books.)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (165)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Salvage
Author: Alexandra Duncan
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins imprint)

From Goodreads:

Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

I just read Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci and this sounds sort of similar, so I'm interested. I'm also intrigued by the Across the Universe comparison, but not The Handmaid's Tale comparison. That book creeps me out so much. But I like the sound of this. And I hear it's a standalone. :)

Me on Landry Park

Title: Landry Park
Author: Bethany Hagen
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Dial (Penguin imprint)

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty, her family and the estate she loves dearly, and desire.

Landry Park is a curious look into a future where the class structure is alive and well and one privileged girl could discover a truth that could bring the life she knows to an end. Old-fashioned rules and ideas thrive here, where a person is judged on his family's wealth, status, and property owned. Where duty to family rules Madeline's life and she's forced to choose between that family and what her heart craves for her future.

Madeline is trapped by birth, family, and duty. She's not perfect, not conventionally attractive, which is good, she's not a paragon of virtue stuck up on a pedestal, but for all her intelligence and determination to go to university a fair portion of her time is spent complaining about what she can't have. As an only child she is her father's heir, she will one day be mistress of Landry Park, control her family's wealth and properties. Something her father never lets her forget. While I applauded her focus on her future, her desire to continue her education, I felt it was pushed aside every time she spotted David. In those moments, her attraction towards him took control and she forgot about what was seemingly important to her. Of course, the heart can be pulled in multiple directions, so I cannot necessarily fault her for that.

The class system has taken hold, turning the US into a country where money and property increase your standing in society, where a lower class of near slaves are forced to work in horrific conditions because of their birth. It's a biased system where the rich and powerful are cheered for and the Rootless, those without property, are treated like trash. Like they're less than human. It's an intriguing comparison to modern day struggles, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer and sicker. The ignorance of the gentry and the suffering of the Rootless are terrible.

As I read this book, questions arose in my mind surrounding certain things. A mystery only sometimes discussed. Hidden family secrets. I'm curious to see if those are explored more in the next book. There has to be more hidden in Madeline's family's past than what was revealed here.

I've seen this book described as a futuristic Downton Abbey meets The Selection. I've not seen or read either, but from what I know of both the drama and the book I'd have to agree. It also, in it's own way, reminded me of From Darkness Shows the Stars and Across a Star-Swept Sea. I do feel that Madeline was lacking in agency every so often. She's willing to argue with her father over going to university before getting married immediately, but she won't leave or take drastic measures. In her world, she would have nothing if she left. I also feel that some of the actions she took were only because of her attraction to David. I am still interested in the next book, but I'm more curious as to what else could be revealed as Madeline looks deeper into her family's past.

(I received an advance copy of this title to review from Penguin Canada.)

Me on Alienated

Title: Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. Handpicked to host the first-ever L'eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L'eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara's blog following is about to skyrocket. Still, Cara isn't sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L'eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn't seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking. But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, school suddenly isn't safe anymore. Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn't just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life, not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

Alienated is entertaining, fun, and a quick read. As exciting as this book is, I also found it to be a curious look at fear hatred, love, and the other. Aliens are coming to Earth, to learn and to live, and not everyone is pleased at the news, but some learn to accept them and will have to stand up for them when others try to stop them.

Cara is intelligent, opinionated, and passionate, and she's a bit unsure about the exchange program. She sees the pros and cons, how it means she could essentially pick any college she wanted to attend, but she's not sure about having a stranger in her house, an alien from another planet with no emotions. But Cara's one of the most open-minded characters. After a rocky start she genuinely wants to know more about the L'eihrs and their planet, their customs. She doesn't understand why the hatred that's slowly grown in parts of the human population exist.

Aelyx is extremely intelligent and extremely distant. He's reserved, rather emotionless, but he's an alien. His world is not Earth, it's muted in terms of colour and emotion. He doesn't really want to be on Earth, neither do any of his friends, his fellow L'eihr exchange students, and so they have a plan to leave as quickly as possible. But when he sees Cara's circle of friends dwindle to nothing he's there to support her, even if it feels strange to him. And he's been keeping some secrets from her that could destroy their growing relationship.

This book seems to have two sides, the exchange student Cara and Aelyx side and the fear of the other side. There's a slowly growing group in this book that are vehemently against the L'eihr and anything to do with them. They fear them, hate them, because they are different, because they assume the L'eihr are going to take over Earth and make it their own. This group assumes the worst and responds the same way, with hatred, abuse, bullying, and violence. Those moments left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I found this to be a fun, quick, entertaining read, science fiction with some real world contemporary issues. At times it reminded me of Adaptation by Malinda Lo. As fun as it was there's a darker side, a dangerous side, that can't be overlooked. It adds weight to the book, makes it so it's not just a simple exchange student romance kind of story. I hope the second book doesn't have what I don't like that appears in most second books, because I really like this first book.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Disney Book Group through NetGalley.)

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

book cover of Cress by Marissa Meyer
Title: Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 560
Source: ALA
Reading level: YA
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
The Lunar Chronicles only continues to improve. I honestly thought I couldn’t love the series any more than I did after reading Cinder but I was wrong. Cress is the best book in the series so far and I believe that Winter will be even better.

Marissa Meyer continues to amaze me with her stories. Everything seems separate and yet it somehow all ties together perfectly in the end. That became even more apparent in Cress. Every character, every storyline, every last plot point came together in this book to make for one amazingly convoluted story. No matter how small the detail, it all made perfect sense at the end of Cress.

Cress was an odd character. She was imprisoned on a satellite for years, never having any human contact other than with her captor. She had no clue how to interact with people when she finally did meet them. That became very obvious, very quickly. Cress was awkward in a really adorable way. She was brilliant, as well, which probably didn’t help with her awkwardness. It also didn’t help that she had a major crush on Thorne (who wouldn’t?). There were quite a few laughs at her interactions with Thorne. Thorne was hilarious on his own but add in Cress and I laughed a lot. They were perfectly imperfect together.

The story really comes to a head in Cress. Everything has been leading to a revolution and while that revolution hasn’t quite started yet, it’s pretty much there now. Every last detail is put in place. Every person who is going to be involved has been introduced. Motives have been explored, not just the typical ones but even the unexpected ones. Things are going to go down in Winter. That’s my prediction.

Overall, I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m going to stop now. I have to say though that I can’t recommend this book enough. Cress is the best in the series so far and even though it’s over 500 pages, you will read it in no time! Just think of all that Thorne! That’s why there are so many pages.


What others are saying about Cress:

Queen Ella Bee Reads' review: "Just stop reading this and go start this series."

Snuggly Oranges' review: "This is absolutely fantastic: great characters, wonderful world building, engrossing writing, plenty of feels, and ships that are setting sail."

Scott Reads It's review: "My love for Cress is absolutely boundless and I am extremely obsessed with this book!"

Series:
Cinder (#1)
Scarlet (#2)
Cress (#3)
Winter (#4) - 2015

Me on Cress

Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 4, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan imprint)

After escaping prison and discovering some new allies in France, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Cress is entertaining and thrilling, a brilliant continuation to this series of fairy tale retellings set in a distant future. New characters are introduced as familiar ones return to face new dangers and carry out new missions as they all share one goal: to protect the Earth from the Queen. But it won't be easy, it never is easy, it's dangerous and painful, secrets will be revealed as truth, but it must be done.

Cress is trapped on all fronts. Trapped up in space in a satellite, trapped between following her Mistress's orders and helping Cinder, trapped between doing what she must to survive and doing what's right. And then all hell breaks loose and she's not as trapped as she used to be. But that doesn't mean she's out of danger.

Cinder and her rag-tag team return and their mission continues, but all she really has are questions. How will she stop the Queen? What will her plan of attack be? And what will she do now, with her team in pieces? Cinder is constantly pushed, to be their leader, to come up with their next plan, to take control, but how can she take charge when she's so unsure? When she's afraid of being caught?

Making difficult decisions is hard. Each character has to do it, and each decision they make will impact more than just themselves. They're inching closer and closer to a war, a war where their odds of winning aren't so good, but it has to be fought. For freedom from oppressors. For the chance to one day live a better life, a life no longer on the run or filled with pain, suffering, and even death.

The overall journey of the series has been filled with twists and turns, trust and betrayal, revelations, rescues and failures, wins and losses. It's been thrilling and fast-paced, the stakes are the highest they could ever be now. Knowing there's only one book left, one book remaining to bring it all together, is exciting, but the wait for it will be painful.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Macmillan through Raincoast Books.)

Me on Her Dark Curiosity

Title: Her Dark Curiosity
Author: Megan Shepherd
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins imprint)

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island, and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau's horrific legacy, though someone, or something, hasn't forgotten her. As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three claw-like slashes, Juliet fears one of her father's creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again. As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer, Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

Her Dark Curiosity is haunting, mysterious, and deadly, gothic horror that leaves you suspicious of what could lurk in the darkness. There are mysteries and secrets in London's shadows, and Juliet fears the worst when she discovers her past, a past she thought she'd left behind on an island far away, has appeared in her present.

Juliet is searching for so many things. A new life in London. A cure for her condition. A way to forget what, and who, she abandoned on her father's island. Now she must search for a murderer, a dark monster from her past she never thought she'd see again. Faces from her past appear in her life once again and she must fight against the darkness through all of her struggles, for she fears it will overtake her and turn her into someone dangerous. Someone like her father.

What darkness hides inside our bodies, our minds, our souls? Where does it come from? Has there always a darker part of us hidden, tucked away, waiting for the chance to break free? Are we all capable of becoming monsters? And what of Juliet, human with the organs of a deer inside of her. Human she may be but she knows the darkness is inside of her, put there by a man trying so desperately to keep his child alive he would break the laws of nature. What is her darkness? What is lurking inside of her? How far will she go to hide it from those she cares about?

More and more YA books are appearing that call themselves retellings or re-imaginings of works of classic literature. Just about every book, in some way, could be considered a retelling. With The Madman's Daughter, it felt very much like a retelling of Wells' classic novel about a dangerous doctor named Moreau and his island of experimentation. Here, Shepherd's new story continues and goes beyond the source material, drawing this time from Stevenson. This is not a true retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but I can see where Shepherd was inspired by it, the moments of Juliet hiding the most dangerous parts of her world from those she cares about. The moments of darkness and fear over what hides inside ourselves.

When I first saw the names Jekyll and Hyde in relation to this book, I was concerned, I worried about how it would come across, but I wasn't surprised. Looking at the first book, the monsters, the experiments, I figured I knew where the author would be going. An exploration into the darker side of Juliet and her experiences. But even with my assumptions I was held captive, turning page after page as quickly as I could, helpless to do nothing but satisfy my curiosity. The ending makes it rather clear which piece of classical literature has inspired the last book, and again I am skeptical, but I'm still very much looking forward to the conclusion of this dark tale.

(I received an advance copy of this title to review from HarperCollins Canada.)

Me on Flame

Title: Flame
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (Macmillan imprint)

Waverly and the other members of the Empyrean have scattered, and their home ship has been destroyed. Their mission to rescue their parents didn't go as planned, and now they're at an even greater disadvantage: trapped with their enemies on the New Horizon, trying to find a way to survive. Kieran has been pulled under Anne Mather’s wing, but is she really trying to make peace, or just using Kieran to build her own power? Meanwhile, Waverly is taken in by a mysterious old man who wants to help her bring Anne Mather down, but the more Waverly cooperates with him, the more dangerous her position is, and the more at odds with Kieran she becomes. Seth's situation is even worse. After setting out from the Empyrean on his own, with only a vague strategy to guide him, he is a fugitive aboard the New Horizon. He's doing what he can to challenge the power of Anne Mather, but he's badly hurt, and getting sicker. Will Seth ever see Waverly again? Will his health hold out long enough to help her topple their enemies? And will Waverly find a way to unite with her friends before they all fall? Nothing is sure and every moment is a risk

Flame is a tense and dangerous conclusion to a series about survival, faith, power and hope. It's a cautionary tale about a future that could be, given the right circumstances and technological advances, a future bleak and harsh where the prize at the end is gained through struggle and personal sacrifice.

Waverly, Kieran, and Seth are all still alive, and they're still fighting back against Anne Mather and her followers who first kidnapped the young girls from the Empyrean then crippled the ship, leaving those on-board to die. Now, on board the New Horizon, they're all fighting back in their own ways. All three have their own problems, their own goals, their own obstacles. They're forced to fight alone, relying on liars and murderers in order to survive, and at any moment things could go the wrong way for them.

I discovered I'd reached a limit with the self-righteousness of Anne Mather, and I thought I'd reached a limit after the first book. In my own opinion, this woman has lost her mind. She's let power go to her head, she's used scripture to her advantage to manipulate the crew of her own ship. She needs to be in control, everyone has to do things her way, all in the name of survival. But she's taken it beyond survival, she's caused too much pain and suffering for me to believe she ever had anything close to good intentions.

I found this series to be tense, dangerous, and rather painful for almost all the characters but especially for Waverly, Seth, and Kieran. Around the halfway mark I found myself wanting the book to end sooner than it did. Just about anything that could happen did happen to these three, they were constantly pushed to their limits, thrown to the ground and dragged along. I was tired of them not being happy or safe, tired of the strain and the pressure of saving the others weighting down on their shoulders. For a third book in a trilogy, it certainly did it's job. The tension was always high, as in the previous books. The stakes were high, no one still knew who they could trust, and the suspense stuck around right until the end. I found it to be a good ending, a proper ending, and hopefully fans of the series will be satisfied at the en of this journey.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Macmillan through Raincoast Books.)

Chroniques Lunaires, tome 2 : Scarlet

Couverture Chroniques Lunaires, tome 2 : Scarlet 
Chroniques Lunaires, tome 2 : Scarlet
de Marissa Meyer
Editeur : Pocket jeunesse
Broché : 476 pages
Prix : 17.90 €

Bien loin de l'asie et du royaume du Prince Kai, la grand-mère de Scarlet Benoit est portée disparue. Scarlet réalise alors qu’elle n’a jamais su qui était vraiment son aînée et quels dangers pouvaient bien la menacer. Quand elle rencontre Wolf, un mystérieux street-fighter qui semble savoir où est sa grand-mère, elle n’a d’autre choix que de lui faire confiance. C’est en menant leur enquête que Scarlet et Wolf croisent la route de Cinder. Ensemble ils se ligueront contre Levana, la vicieuse Reine lunaire prête à tout pour asservir les Terriens et épouser le Prince Kai.

  • Mon avis :
Ce deuxième tome des "Chroniques Lunaires" est une véritable perle. Si j'ai aimé l'histoire de Cinder, je dois avouer que j'ai complètement adoré celle de Scarlet.
L'univers créé par Marissa Meyer dans le quel évolue les personnages est vraiment très intéressant et original. Suite à la quatrième Guerre Mondiale, l'équilibre du monde a changé. Les cyborgs sont monnaie courante, mais ne sont pas bien vus par les humains. Pour la plupart d'entre eux, ces androïdes ne sont qu'une sous espèce. Les humains sont également la proie d'une terrible maladie, la létumose, qui les emporte en quelques jours.
En plus de cette menace, les Terriens doivent également faire face à une race dominatrice et violente : les Lunaires. Ils vivent sur la Lune et sont dotés de pouvoirs psychiques. Ils sont menés par la reine Levana, un vrai tyran qui règne par la force et la contrainte, et qui ne rêve que d'une chose : soumettre les humains.  

Scarlet vit avec sa grand mère dans un petit village près de Toulouse, et elles sont fermières. La vie de Scarlet bascule lorsque sa grand mère disparaît. Au bout de deux semaines, la police classe l'affaire et considère qu'elle a du partir de son propre gré, qu'il n'y a pas matière à enquêter. C'est alors que Scarlet croise le chemin de Loup, un jeune homme combattant des rues au tempérament de feu. Malgré sa peur, Scarlet accepte son aide pour retrouver sa grand mère.

L'histoire est vraiment prenante et ne souffre d'aucun temps mort. Entre l'histoire de Cinder (qui se poursuit après la fin du premier tome) et la découverte de Scarlet, on n'a pas le temps de s'ennuyer. Scarlet est une jeune fille forte et attachante que j'ai tout de suite aimé. Elle est tout aussi téméraire et courageuse que Cinder, pourtant elles sont très différentes dans le fond. De plus, la romance naissante entre Loup et Scarlet n'est pas pour me déplaire :) Il en va de même pour la relation entre Cinder et Thorne qui est souvent drôle.

Pour conclure, Marissa Meyer nous offre une très belle réécriture futuriste du petit Chaperon Rouge. Certaines choses rappellent l'histoire originale, mais l'auteure a su créer tout un univers et une intrigue vraiment prenante. C'est avec impatience que j'attends le prochain tome.

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (161)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Meridian
Author: Josin L. McQuein
Release Date: April 22, 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins imprint)

From Goodreads:

Marina thought that she had solved all of the Arclight’s mysteries. She had found her own history—that she was one of the Fade, that she never should have been human. She knows that the Fade who surround the Arclight don’t want to be the humans' enemies at all. She knows that the leader of those inside the Arc, Honoria Whit, never told the whole truth. But there is so much more that Marina is just discovering. There are more survivors out there. Only Marina—and her friends, all of whom have connections to the Fade they'd never known about—can lead her people to them. But there are also darker dangers, things that even the Fade fear. And Marina slowly realizes she may never have been “cured,” after all. The sequel to Arclight, Meridian is an intense, action-packed page-turner about the lines we draw between right and wrong, light and dark . . . and the way nothing is ever that black and white.

I'm rather torn when it comes to this book. I read Arclight last year and found it interesting, fast-paced, and a door into a curious and dangerous future. It read very much like a standalone. But I still want to read this because I'm curious as to what else is out there. And I like the cover, how it contrasts with the darkness of Arclight's. :)

Me on The Almost Girl

Title: The Almost Girl
Author: Amalie Howard
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Strange Chemistry (Angry Robot imprint)

Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. But coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory. She isn't prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. Faced with hideous reanimated Vector soldiers from her own world with agendas of their own, as well as an unexpected reunion with a sister who despises her, it is a race against time to bring Caden back to Neospes. But things aren't always as they seem, and Riven will have to search for truth.

The Almost Girl is a fast-paced science-fiction tale with many layers, layers of motives, missions, and truths. A soldier from another world is on a dangerous mission, one she can't fail, one she won't let herself fail. One that will reveal what she never thought could be true.

Riven has one purpose, one job. She must find Caden somewhere on Earth and take him back to Neospes. Cale needs him, and Riven will do anything for Cale. She's a soldier, harsh, unyielding, strong, skilled. She will not fail. But certain people appear, some from her past, some with questions and answers, and Riven begins to question what she knows. Is what she knows to be true still true? Is Caden just a mission? Is she just a soldier?

She's pulled in multiple directions at every turn. Her mission for Cale, her best friend. The similarities and connection she appears to have for Caden when she knows he's just a job. The reappearance of her sister, how they both trust and hate each other. She has doubts about almost everything and everyone right up until the end, until she learns something rather specific about herself. Until she then doubts herself.

I found the story to be interesting, but I found something missing that I think stems more from my own reading experience (reading this on an e-reader as opposed to reading a physical book). I think that's why this book didn't grab my attention as much as I thought it would. I still found the pacing to be good, it kept up with the action. Going into this book, I didn't know it was the first in a duology. The ending was left open for the second book, but I was hoping this would be a standalone. Still, I'd like to know what happens to Riven in the next book.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Angry Robot through NetGalley.)

Time Riders, tome 6 : Les brumes de Londres

Couverture Time Riders, tome 6 : Les brumes de Londres 
Time Riders, tome 6 : Les brumes de Londres
d'Alex Scarrow
Editeur : Nathan jeunesse
Broché : 437 pages
Prix : 15.90 €

Traqués par des cyborgs venus du futur, les Time Riders doivent abandonner New York. Ils finissent par trouver refuge à Londres, à la fin du XIXème siècle. Juste au moment où sévit Jack l'Éventreur...

  • Mon avis :
Je vous conseille de ne pas lire mon avis si vous n'avez pas lu les précédents livres.

Les Time Riders ne sont plus en sécurité dans leur arche temporelle de 2001. Des androïdes sont à leurs trousses et ils doivent trouver une solution pour s'en sortir, tout en protégeant leur secret ainsi que leur mission de protecteurs de l'Histoire. Toutefois, en chemin, les Time Riders vont découvrir des choses qui vont ébranler leurs convictions...

J'ai adoré et dévoré ce 6e tome de la série, qui est différent des autres. L'auteur réussi à nous surprendre en utilisant un schéma narratif différent, et il ravive notre intérêt avec de nouveaux personnages récurrents, et de nouvelles révélations. Londres et Jack l'éventreur n'interviennent que tard dans le récit, mais au final, cela a du sens.
Les mystères des tomes précédents prennent sens dans ce 6e opus. C'est un roman très riche en rebondissements et émotions. Pour certains secrets, je dois avouer que je ne m'y attendais pas.

Au regard des événements qui surviennent, les personnages ne sont que plus attachants.  On se demande comment ils vont réussir à s'en sortir, aussi bien physiquement que moralement. D'ailleurs, on sent bien qu'ils ne seront pas tous sur la même longueur d'ondes.

Avec ce sixième tome, les choses ont irrémédiablement changées. J'ai hâte de découvrir ce que nous réserve l'auteur dans le 7e tome de la série.  

No Man's Land, Loïc Le Pallec

Pour l’acheter :

Les librairies près de chez vous
Coup de ♥
Edition: Editions Sarbacane
Genre : Jeunesse, Science Fiction
2013, 317 pages, 16 euros


Synopsis
"Après la catastrophe qui a annihilé l’humanité, ils se sont retrouvés dans cette petite ville déserte, berceau de leur origine commune. Hier encore, ils n’étaient que des robots ; mais ils se découvrent capables de penser et même… de ressentir des émotions. Que vont-ils bien pouvoir faire sur cette Terre désertée ? S’interroger, bien sûr, à propos de ce qu’ils croient éprouver, car un robot peut-il prétendre échapper à sa programmation ? Peut-il apprendre à vivre en communauté, créer, rire et qui sait ? à aimer ? C’est toutes ces questions que vont se poser Archi, le robot biblio qui tient le journal des événements, le turbulent Meph, Domo le colosse, Nobel, Cérébro, Éliza et les autres. Qui sontils, et pourquoi se trouvent-ils réunis dans cette agglomération oubliée au milieu des terres dévastées ?"


Je remercie encore une fois Claire Stacino et les éditions Sarbacane pour leur grande patience et leur gentillesse face à mon retard de chronique ! 

Mon avis 
Il m’a fallu un temps fou pour me décider à me lancer dans No Man’s Land. Le résumé m’avait intriguée et me semblait novateur, cependant je restais dubitative et avec les cours et le mémoire je n’ai cessé de repousser ma lecture. Je ne pensais pas avoir une aussi belle surprise avec ce livre. 

Dans No Man’s Land la terre a été dévastée et le règne des Hommes est terminé, ils n’existent plus. Des robots se sont « réveillés », construits pour des tâches particulières par l’Homme, ils sont les seuls survivants et ils développent des capacités cérébrales, des sentiments, une existence propre qui n’a plus rien à voir avec celle de servitude d’auparavant. 

C’est Archi qui est le narrateur principal du roman. Un ancien robot archiviste de bibliothèque qui souhaite écrire ses mémoires de ce nouveau début de civilisation. Il vit en communauté avec d’autres robots qui se sont mystérieusement réunis dans la même ville et s’organisent peu à peu. On apprend à connaître chacun d’entre eux au fur et à mesure des pages et, chose très rare, je me suis attachée à tous les personnages, des principaux aux très secondaires. Ils ont tous un caractère précis, agréable et qu’on aime découvrir. Je n’ai donc aucune préférence à ce niveau, je les aime tous autant les uns que les autres. 

L’écriture de l’auteur m’a aussi beaucoup plu, elle est pleine de sensibilité et je ne me suis pas ennuyée un seul moment. C’est simple, j’ai dévoré son livre en une journée seulement. Ce début de civilisation est touchant et captivant. La visée écologique évidente est fraîche mais percutante, et puis, finalement, on en vient à se dire que peut être ces robots sauront faire hommage à notre belle planète bleue bien mieux que les Hommes ont pu le faire au fil des siècles. Contrairement à d’autres, je n’ai pas trouvé que l’épilogue était un point négatif, au contraire il va dans la logique des « et si » qui viennent à l’esprit de Archi et ses compères (dont je ne vous dirais rien pour vous laisser le suspens). J’ai donc été très triste en le lisant, mais je le trouve presque dans la logique des choses.

En Bref
C’est un beau coup de cœur pour ce roman qui m’a réconciliée avec les histoires de robots. Bourré de sensibilité et d’humour, avec des personnages plus qu’attendrissant, No Man’s Land est une magnifique fable robotique qui nous offre une belle réflexion philosophique sur ce que nous faisons subir à la Terre, et qui allie subtilement la genèse d’une civilisation.  
Je recommande à : Tout le monde, sauf peut être les plus jeunes qui ne se retrouveront pas dans les discours parfois assez complexes des personnages.

Ma note

Le roi des ronces - Yûji Iwahara

Tomes 1 à 6


Résumé :


De plus en plus de personnes, tout comme Kasumi, sont victimes du virus Medusa, une maladie qui calcifie les cellules du corps. Choisie pour faire partie d’un programme scientifique, elle est séparée de sa soeur jumelle Shizuku, afin d'être cryogénisée pour se réveiller une fois un remède trouvé. Le réveil du coma artificiel dans lequel elle et 159 autres personnes ont été plongées va être brutal: confrontés à un environnement hostile inattendu, rongés par la maladie, poursuivis par des bêtes féroces, peuvent-ils seulement espérer survivre ?




Mon avis :


Vous devez croire que ne lis que des mangas, hein ? Bande de salades.
Mis à part cela, aujourd'hui on se penche sur un shônen !
On est embarqués ici dans un survival un peu futuriste mais pas trop.
A vue de nez, le scénario paraît classique : Une méchante maladie ravage le monde, une séparation tragique, une héroïne torturée... Ca, je ne le nierait pas !

Cependant, contrairement à la plupart des survival suivant cette formule, la maladie en question n'est pas la zombification ! ( Enfin ! ) Le vilain petit virus transforme peu à peu les gens en pierre, mais au fur et à mesure de l'histoire, on verra que ce n'est que la partie visible de l'iceberg, et que c'est vraiment, vraiment plus énorme que ça.

Niveau personnage, je n'aime vraiment pas Kasumi, elle inspire plus une triste pitié qu'autre chose.
Par contre, Marco, le perso' secondaire, est extrêmement charismatique, il change du jeune homme frêle et pâle auquel le genre manga nous a habitué, et il y a enfin des muscles, des tatouages, pas de barbe cependant ( dommage... ) On s'y attache très vite, on l'adore, parce que : "Il est quand même vachement classe". Ensuite viennent les autres personnages secondaires, ils sont tous plutôt bien foutus, chacun opposés aux autres, aussi bien physiquement que mentalement, une vraie bouffée d'air frais !

Le style de dessin est assez particulier, très carré et brut, il me donne un peu l'impression que la plume "taille" le papier comme un marteau taillerait la pierre. Au niveau des visages, rien à redire sur les expressions, mais celui de Kasumi est en contraste avec le reste du manga, très rond et avec de gros yeux... Non décidemment je ne l'aime vraiment pas !

L'atmosphère de la série est assez particulière, on est dans le futur, mais pas trop, le début va extrêmement vite, et puis c'est le mystère total. Les pièces du puzzle s'enchaînent de manière naturelle... Et il y a des saloperies de dinosaures ! On sent, sur le coup, que l'auteur ne s'est privé de rien !

Jusqu'au tome 5, tout est bien, tout semble parfait et alléchant, et puis...
Et puis vient le tome 6. Le dernier tome.
Ah, je n'ai jamais été autant déçue par une fin, et pourtant j'en ai lu pas mal. Le ton change totalement, il passe au sentimental. Dans certains cas isolés, je ne dis pas que c'est une chose négative, mais le fait est que cela brise totalement la magie, le mystère, la noirceur de la série, un choix absolument regrettable. L'auteur semble bâcler l'aboutissement, et j'en suis venue à regretter de ne pas m'être arrêtée au 5ème tome.

Mais évidemment, c'est avec ce dernier tome que le scénario se boucle, et les éléments apportés valent le coup de le lire. En définitive, Le roi des ronces est un très bon manga que la conclusion entraîne vers le bas, mais je ne peut que le conseiller, son intrigue est géniale et vous tiendra en haleine jusqu'à la dernière page.

Ma note : 08/10


Dwiin

[Chronique] Chroniques lunaires, tome 1: Cinder de Marissa Meyer

Auteur: Marissa Meyer
Titre VO: Lunar Chronicles, book 1: Cinder
Genre: Science fiction, Jeunesse
Editions: Pocket Jeunesse
Pagination: 413
Prix: 17€90

Synopsis: Humains et androïdes cohabitent tant bien que mal dans la ville de New Beijing. Une terrible épidémie ravage la population. Depuis l'Espace, un peuple sans pitié attend son heure...
Personne n'imagine que le salut de la planète Terre repose sur Cinder, brimée par son horrible belle-mère. Car la jeune-fille, simple mécanicienne mi-humaine, mi-cyborg, détient sans le savoir un secret incroyable, un secret pour lequel certains seraient prêts à tuer...

Mon avis:

Les contes de fées… Ce sont grâce à eux que j’ai découvert la lecture, eux qui ont animé ma passion dévorante et aujourd’hui à 25 ans, je garde un souvenir impérissable de chacun d’entre eux. Alors, quand j’ai découvert que Marissa Meyer, avait revisité ces contes, offrant à chacun une nouvelle vie, un second souffle futuriste, je n’avais qu’une envie, les découvrir sous cette nouvelle facette. Un pari risqué et audacieux pour l’auteure, a-t-elle réussi à me transporter comme l’ont fait à l’époque les frères Grimm ?

Néo Beijing fait partie de la Communauté qui a vu le jour peu après la Quatrième guerre mondiale. Si les conflits sont un lointain souvenir, puisque la paix perdure depuis cent vingt six ans sur Terre, les citoyens doivent faire face à une terrible menace depuis douze longues années. Une maladie, la létumose, qui décime peu à peu les habitants de la Terre sous le regard impuissant de ses dirigeants. Et depuis l’Espace, un peuple sans pitié attend son heure pour investir entièrement la Terre…
Cinder, simple mécanicienne, mi-humaine, mi-cyborg, brimée par son horrible belle-mère va voir sa vie complètement bouleversée après sa rencontre avec le Prince Kai. Car la jeune femme détient un secret qui pourrait être le salut de la Terre mais pour lequel certains seraient prêts à tuer…

Sensationnel et époustouflants, Marissa Meyer nous offre un conte futuriste parfaitement bien amené et intelligemment imaginé où les clins d’œil aux véritables contes sont nombreux et variés, qui sauront assurément vous faire sourire…

Bien que l’auteure ait repris dans les grandes lignes le conte de Cendrillon, nous découvrons une histoire complètement différente. Les humains, les androïdes et les cyborgs cohabitent sur les ruines de Pékin, appelé New Beijing. Cinder fait parti de ses humains modifiés, dont diverses parties de son corps ont été greffés des membres mécaniques. Elle doit là aussi, faire face à une horrible belle-mère, bien que différente de celle que l’on connaît. Le prince « charmant » est aussi de la partie tout comme ses sœurs et le fameux bal, mais là s’arrête les similitudes. Pour le reste nous sommes face à un roman futuriste où la menace extraterrestre plane sur les humains. Les Lunaires sont froids, arrogants et meurtriers, la notion de pitié leur est complètement désuète chez eux et la reine Levana qui est à la tête de ce peuple étrange est digne de la pire sorcière des contes de l’époque. Ce roman est un conte de fées et un récit de science-fiction, dont ces deux caractéristiques surprenantes, se mélangent avec brio.

J’ai vraiment pris plaisir à découvrir cette nouvelle version, j’ai eu un mal fou à le lâcher. La plume de l’auteure est fluide, agréable et parfaitement imagé ce qui permet de se plonger complètement et sans difficulté dans l’univers captivant que Marissa Meyer nous offre.

Concernant les personnages, j’ai adoré découvrir ou plutôt redécouvrir différemment chacun d’entre eux. Cinder représente à merveille notre Cendrillon du futur. Tout comme celle du passé, elle est sous la coupe d’une belle-mère détestable et irascible mais elle sait se montrer différente à bien des égards. C’est une jeune femme attachante et touchante, sa condition de cyborg lui est difficile puisqu’elle doit subir et affronter le regard des autres. Je me suis vraiment attachée à ce personnage et quelque part, je suis un peu déçue que la suite soit centrée sur une nouvelle héroïne.
Le prince Kai a su me charmer, il est parfait dans son rôle. Gentil, touchant et adorable, il sait aussi se montrer intransigeant et déterminé. J’ai aimé qu’il puisse souhaiter une tout autre vie que la sienne, comme Cinder finalement, que son rôle de prince soit quelque part un fardeau même s’il l’accepte avec beaucoup de respect. C’est un personnage vraiment intéressant et j’espère de tout cœur pouvoir le retrouver dans la suite de la saga, tout comme Cinder d’ailleurs. Voilà pour nos personnages « principaux », d’autres m’ont plu tout autant, le Dr Erland par exemple ou encore Peony mais je vous laisse le soin de les découvrir par vous-même.

Malgré tout ces points positifs, il s’agit ni plus ni moins qu’un roman Young Adult donc forcément on se retrouve avec quelques petits défauts. L’intrigue reste tout de même très prévisible, tout comme le cheminement de la trame mais ce n’est pas pour autant que je n’ai pas pris plaisir, bien au contraire !

En conclusion, Cinder est une très belle découverte, que je conseille fortement à tous les amoureux des contes des frères Grimm. Un conte revisité avec talent, un côté science-fiction qui fonctionne à merveille pour nous emporter dans une histoire palpitante et innovante. En bref, une véritable réussite et je serai bien évidemment au rendez-vous pour découvrir la suite consacrée au personnage du chaperon rouge toujours versé dans l’univers de Néo Beijing. Foncez, ça vaut le détour ! Bonne lecture à tous ;)

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