Book reviews: The Young Elites | Nattens cirkus | This is How You Lose the Time War

Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu
Original title: The Young Elites
First published: 2014
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: The Young Elites #1
Publisher: Putnam
Format: Paperback
Pages: 355
Finished: 22/11/2019
Summary: Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever marked by a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Branded as a malfetto - an abomination - she is cast out from all she has ever known and loved. Adelina finds sanctuary with other malfettos and discovers that the disease has left her with more than just a scar - she has a mysterious and powerful gift. She is a Young Elite.
But Adelina's ability is stronger than any Young Elite before her. And unless she can control the vengeful darkness growing inside her heart Adelina could be a danger to them all.

My thoughts: I picked this up after struggling with another book for a solid 2+ weeks and getting no further than 60 pages. That book was "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs, and I ended up putting it down for now after realising that it just wasn't the sort of book I was in the mood for. Instead, I drew inspiration from the monthly theme of reading a book with a weapon on the cover and chose this.
This story started out good. I honestly had no idea it would be historical high fantasy fiction, but it turned out to be just that. However, for being a mix of genres that I ordinarily enjoy a lot, this didn't deliver. Yes, the story was promising (though perhaps a bit basic), and the main character started out interesting. However, as I kept reading, it quickly became clear what kind of style the story was written in, and that soon turned into an annoyance for me. What was the fault? Over-telling. The author was constantly telling the reader what they should be thinking, rather than letting the reader think and imagine on their own. There was also an abundance of telling rather than showing, which also put me off, as usual. These things alone made this book lose very much potential, which is disappointing since I'd started getting my hopes up.
What's more, Adelina turned out to be a self-pitying, sour, low-intelligent, and downright rude character. I understand that we're seeing the perspective of an "evil character", but I've read such stories before, like "Vicious" by V.E. Schwab, that actually make good work of that idea. "The Young Elites" didn't go in the same direction. I rather felt like the author was the evil character for writing such an awful protagonist. With that said, Adelina is not the worst I've read, but I often became very frustrated with her and had a hard time understanding her reasoning and course of action. I think she could've been written far better, and the same goes for most other characters in the book.
What's positive about this novel is that by actually following the perspective of an evil protagonist, it manages to break some of the YA fantasy norms. I also somewhat enjoyed the setting, especially since I dreaded a futuristic dystopian setting when going into the novel. It was also easy and quick to read, and I never really felt genuine hate for the book. It could still be enjoyed to a certain level, and I might read the rest of the series if I can get my hands on the second novel, and hope I don't forget this one until then.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: Nattens cirkus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Original title: The Night Circus
First published: 2011
Genre: Fantasy, Historical
Series: --
Publisher: Nordstedts
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 421
Finished: 27/11/2019
Summary: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

My thoughts: I had the absolutely wonderful pleasure of reading this novel along with two dear friends over the course of two months. It was about time for me to finally get through this book, I think. I've had it for years and I've been meaning to read it for half an eternity (only a slight exaggeration). So now that I've read it, what did I think?
Morgenstern managed to create an atmosphere that felt unique to this novel, and that's something I really liked when reading it. The circus is a mysterious and exciting setting that we get to see through the perspective of several different characters. The historical setting adds to the, almost, eeriness of the environment we find ourselves in as readers. It is this that I enjoyed most about "The Night Circus".
I found some pleasure in following the different characters, though I never really found myself rooting for or against anyone in particular. This was not because the characters were too morally 'grey' to like, but purely because I didn't feel that any character appealed to me much. Most of them were interesting narrators, though, I'll give them that. Otherwise, I find myself indifferent.
The plot could've been stronger. It's a slow burn and feels longer than the book actually is. The narrations teased me into thinking I was headed for a grand finale, but alas, I found the climax a rather anti such. The romance wasn't much for me, either. I wasn't blown away by the writing style. Still, despite that, I didn't dislike the book or the story. I simply found it lacked the elements that could've made this book as great as I thought it would be. I still enjoyed the story to an extent, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read a decent historical fantasy with some engaging intrigue. Just don't expect it to take you on a roller-coaster ride.

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: This is How You Lose the Time War
Author: Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
Original title: This is How You Lose the Time War
First published: 2019
Genre: Sci-fi, LGBTQ+, Adult
Series: --
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 198
Finished: 30/11/2019
Summary: Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. And thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Except discovery of their bond would be death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That’s how war works. Right?

My thoughts: Along with "Wayward Son" by Rainbow Rowell and "The Priory of the Orange Tree" by Samantha Shannon, this novella was one of my most anticipated 2019 releases. I first found out about this book from Cece at ProblemsofaBookNerd on YouTube, and knew immediately that I wanted to read it. So when Book Depository included it in a campaign, I took my chance and bought it.
"Beautiful" is the word that comes to mind when I think of this story. For it is; beautiful in every way I could wish it to be. It's grand in a way that perhaps other novels aren't. The story of these characters is not written to be exciting, though it's in the setting of a time war. It's not meant to be funny or shocking or action-packed. It's meant to soften your heart when it needs comfort, to wet your eyes when they are dry, to embrace you when your body freezes, and to fill you with wonder at the way words can actually make you feel.
"This is How You Lose the Time War" is written in an utterly stunning way that I did not expect to find in something published in 2019. Reading it felt like being present, but also in the past. I guess it suits the theme of time travel well. I fell in love with the lovers and will do so again when I next read this book once more in the future. Until then, I hope you'll enjoy this novella as much as I did, if you get the chance.

Rating: 5/5