Fallen

Fallen
Author: Lauren Kate

Front Cover

This book was introduced to me by my best friend and I'd have to say that this genre really got my attention. Fallen, written by Lauren Kate is a young adult fantasy, romance novel. The books that I find myself reading would not be about werewolves, vampires, and angels so this is the first time reading a fantasy book.

We start off with our character, Lucinda Price. She's a girl that has seen "shadows" all her life and her parents worried about her, therefore sending her to psychiatrists and therapists. The shadows that come before her scares her all the time, but the problem is, nobody else sees them, but only her. She gets put into a school with strange teens about the same age as her, and she never felt like home there and always missed her life before.

She falls in love with this boy, Daniel Grigori but also has her eyes on Cam Briel. Daniel is the dark, mysterious type of boy, while Cam is the outgoing, loud and cocky that tries to get Luce's attention all the time. Luce's attention diverts back and forth from Daniel to Cam and from Cam to Daniel.

In her journey trying to survive the strange school, she find some disturbing yet fascinating facts about Daniel from the internet, and the books. She admits that she finds herself creepy for stalking Daniel. There was something just different about Daniel that made her want to find out more. She runs around with her new found friend, Penn, that knows her way around the school. Every corner, every security camera, everybody.

She then finds out that Daniel is not what he seems, he is something that is out of the ordinary for this world. Something that does not belong. But so beautiful, and so mysterious, Luce just can't keep her eyes off him. They become closer to one another and love each other more and more. Daniel just keeps his feelings to himself all the time and makes Luce crazy, wondering how he feels for her. If he feels the same.

In the end, there was a big battle between angels and fallen angels.

To be honest, the way this author writes books aren't something I would usually read, so I wasn't really comfortable with the slang she uses to describe people and feelings. This book reminds me of the Twilight Saga and it's not surprising or shocking for me in any part of the book. Everything was pretty cliche.

I would give this book a rating of 2/5 stars.

Empress Orchid

Empress Orchid
Author: Anchee Min

Front Cover

"Love is survival. Seduction is power. And treachery a way of life." The quote on the front cover of this book caught my attention to buying it in a nearby vintage book store. I've always had the interest of the Asian historical culture and so, the front cover of a traditional looking chinese lady hooked my interest.

I found this book really interesting because Min really dug deep into the life of a peasant in the mid 1800's.

The book starts off as the present Empress Orchid, speaking about her journey in the past to get to her position now. The suffers that Orchid has to go through throughout her life is unbearable. It made me think about the times back then in early China, the women basically had no power to do anything to serve in court, or have their own say in things. It was all up to the men to make all the biggest decisions and the women's job was to stick to their embroideries.

At the age of 17, she competes to be one of the 7 wives for the Emperor of China. She completes all the stages to become one of the wives.

"The eunuchs checked our birth signs, star charts, height, weight, the shape of our hands and feet, our hair. They counted our teeth. Everything had to match the Emperor's own charts." (pg.27)

One of the many reasons I found this book good, is that there were things I had never thought of that popped up in the book that surprised me. It was the part of history that I have never learned before.

Orchid had a main eunuch (servant) by her side that was very loyal and faithful. An-te-hai would snoop around the palace just for the latest news and he knew exactly how to cheer her up, how to help her when she is distressed. An-te-hai is probably my favorite character in the book.

I was fairly happy with what turned out to be when Orchid had a boy as a child that pushed her ranking to the same as the first wife for the Emperor. Orchid proved to be a responsible woman that can think for herself and all of China. She worked really hard to try to bring up her only son correctly instead of lavishly with gifts and golds. She would want her son to watch his father suffer on his death bed for him to remember how it is like to suffer in life if he does not work hard as an Emperor in the future.

What really disappointed me, was that Orchid and An-te-hai didn't get together afterwards. I wished that they did because An-te-hai could be the best husband ever. An-te-hai offered to do so many things that could cause an immediate death sentence but he does everything for his master anyway. But no, Orchid falls in love with a commander instead (sad face).

The ending was also disappointing me because for one thing, An-te-hai left his overcoat on her future coffin beside the dead Emperor when Empress Orchid had a chance to big farewell to her husband before the people outside closed the tomb. I believe An-te-hai left the overcoat there for her to wrap herself in if she ever decided to stay with her husband inside. Orchid had had thoughts about staying in the warm tomb when she was looking at the coffins. Or... An-te-hai left his overcoat for Orchid to stay behind just a while longer for the commander, Yung Lu to go inside and push Orchid out of the tomb. When Yung Lu came in, they had a sexual interaction and I wasn't sure if An-te-hai wanted that to happen.

The ending did not give me a full understanding of the Empress Orchids' son's death. In the beginning of the book, she had mentioned that her son, Tung Chih had later on, died. Things weren't really cleared up in the end but it might be because Min wanted people to read her sequel to this book.

This book is great for people who love reading romance, and historical books. I was really engaged with this book from the hardships described for a woman during the early ages in China. I still really wished that Orchid and An-te-hai had done something together as lovers, it would've been interesting to see what would happen.

Overall, I give this book a 4/5 stars.