Monday, July 14, 2014

Mark This Book Monday: Mini Reviews: Fortune's Risk & Atlantia sampler!

Hello & welcome to a new week and another edition of Mark This Book Monday!

This week it's gonna be a double edition, this one with two mini-reviews and another one with a full review for a full book.

For starters I have a novella that bridges the gap between book 1 and 2 of the Star Thief Chronicles and a sampler that I got on NetGalley of Atlantia (thank you for the approval, Penguin and Dutton Juvenile!).



Fortune's Risk (Star Thief Chronicles #1.5)Fortune's Risk by Jamie Grey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A very intertaining short story where we get to know the adorable and sometimes irritating adorable rogue that is Viktis, the Ileth pirate.

I was a fast read, a short story that serves a double purpose: to hold us up till Athena's Ashes and to give us a glimpse at Viktis' past and what lays beyond his scoundrel pirate mask, and to develop the relationship between him, Finn and Keva.

Viktis is planning a scam and take down action against one of the most, if not the most, dangerous mob bosses of the galaxy, Kitty Cordoza.

Despite a fairly cleverly crafted plan, and managing the very hard part of getting Keva and Finn on board to help him, things start falling apart quite soon and Viktis sees himself in a very bad spot.

I don't want to talk about the plot much cause I'd end up spoiling it too easily, but it was really fun to read, very quick and having it told in a different voice from Renna was also refreshing, seeing other POVs and seeing what makes them tick a bit more!

I cannot wait for Athena's Ashes next month! And I wouldn't mind more novellas about Viktis, Keva and other members of the crew!




SNEAK PEEK: AtlantiaSNEAK PEEK: Atlantia by Ally Condie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I read and loved Matched by Ally Condie and even if the whole trilogy wasn't all equally enjoyable, I was still be intrigued by the summary of her new book, so when I got the chance to read a sampler for it on NetGalley, I jumped at it! Thank you Penguin and Dutton books!

Atlantia is a dystopian book, one where things have been changed for a while, one where a choice must be made between the Above and the Below (Atlantia), and it's Rio's story. She wanted to go to the Above but her choice changed when she decided she had to stay with her sister. Then she's thrown for a loop when she finds herself alone in Atlatia.

This sampler is only like the first 42 pages of the book, but it was enough to make me very curious about the world, the city of Atlantia, the Above and all the secrets that seem to abound around. Sirens? Unexplained deaths?

It was also enough to get a feel for the main character, Rio. And here's the part where I wasn't entirely too pleased about. She's been left all alone in a city without family (but not really) and she's got a secret to keep. She wants to find out why her sister left and made sure she'd stay. But she is offered information, she runs away in the opposite direction and decides to make a plan to escape to the Above to find out for herself. Never mind that her plan is non-existent and there are no ways for you to reach the Above, no, she will just run head first...

I'm hoping for a lot of character development and a lot of more curiosity on Rio's part, and I do hope we'll get more information before she ends up running to the surface. Otherwise, she's gonna bug the everlivings off me...

So far, I'm intrigued and interested and I wanna know what happens next, so I think the sampler did its job well!



View all my reviews

12 comments:

  1. The Star Thief Chronicles sounds VERY familiar so I think I need to go look that up on GR asap. I am so sure I've heard of it before and I am definitely curious. I mean mobs? In outer space? You have my complete attention!

    I had no idea there was a sampler of Atlantia on NG but I'll have to check it out. I own the first book in her Matched series but I have decided I am not going to read it because of certain issues with a love triangle. But Atlantia may be better right? At least so long as it doesn't have a love triangle? :P

    Anyway I am glad you enjoyed both books!

    Lovely mini-reviews, Pili!!! :)

    Rashika @ The Social Potato

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    1. I reviewed the first book earlier this year and loved it, Rashika! Great science fiction, book 2 of The Star Thief Chronicles comes out next month!

      And so far, no hints of a love triangle in Atlantia so far... I really liked Matched, despite the love triangle but the other two books... not as much, things got a bit oddly.

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  2. I don't know how I feel about Condie writing another dystopia. I feel that her gentle voice would be better suited for contemporary. But I'm more than willing to give this a try.

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    1. I really liked Matched and I loved her narrative there, but the other two books were a bit more iffy, though I still feel like giving this one a chance!

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  3. Amazing short reviews sweetie. <3 But hm. I don't think I would like Atlantia.. so I don't think I will pre-order it (A) I'm sorry you didn't like the main girl much in the preview :\ Thank you for sharing, though :D

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    1. Thank you, sweetie! I'm hoping the main girl will grow a lil less annoying, cause the book sounds very interesting for me!

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  4. Hmmm . . . I'm still on the fence about Atlantia b/c I wasn't thrilled with the entire Matched series either, but Fortune's Risk looks pretty great. Great reviews! I don't think I'd heard of the Grey either, so I'll have to check it out ;)

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    1. Atlantia I'm very curious about, but that's me and all dystopians... and this one with refences to Atlantis? I don't think I can resist it, even if like you, I wasn't too keen on the Matched series as a whole.

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  5. Hmm, Jamie Grey, again. Still not too familiar with the author or her books! And I didn't like the Matched series, but I like the cover of Atlantia. So we'll see about that one ;D

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

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    1. Jamie Grey is a very cool indie author that writes some cool science fiction! And I liked Matched a lot, but the other too books not as much... so as you said we'll see!

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  6. Aaaah! I really want to read Atlantia. I wasn't a big fan of Cassia in Matched, but still I loved the books, I hope this one is just like that.
    Thanks for the review, Pili!

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    1. You're welcome, Lis! I had my issues with Cassia too, and I hope Rio will be different!

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¡Muchas gracias por vuestros comentarios, leerlos me alegra el día!/ Thanks a lot for all your comments, reading them brightens my day!!