Mini Reviews: Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios & Stray by Elissa Sussman

Exquisite Captive

Author: Heather Demetrios
Series: Dark Caravan Cycle #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: ebook
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Source: egalley received from publisher via Edelweiss
Rating: 3 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

My Review:

Exquisite Captive was a book full of magic and intrigue. It will transport you to a faraway place full of jinnis (more commonly spelled genie), dark magic, and the horrors of slavery. Here's why I liked this book: 

1. Excellent world-building: Heather Demtrios is a master. No question was left unanswered. Even though we never actually visited the jinni realm, we still got a clear picture of how it was structured and the history behind Ardjinna. 

2. Uniqueness: Is that a word? Well, I just made it one. This book was extremely unique. I haven't read a single book about jinnis before and I loved reading about these exotic and mysterious people. 

3. The main character: Nalia was an interesting and complex character. She's broken and harbors a lot of guilt. She blames herself for things that happened in the past and she has a lot to work through. I loved watching her struggle through her circumstances and develop. 

4. The villain: Malek. Oh, Malek. One of my favorite things ever is when an author can get me to feel for the villain. To question whether they are good or bad. Malek is a bundle of confusion and emotions. I never knew what to think of him or what to expect from him. 

What I didn't like: 

1. The pacing: This was the piece that frustrated me the most. The pacing was so slow. At times it dragged so badly that I was practically skimming to get back to the action. Up above I talked about the world-building being excellent. Well, it was also a bad thing because it definitely slowed the pace down. It could have been woven in a bit better. 

2. Instalove: There was a mad case of instalove in this book. They seriously knew each other for two days and were already throwing the L word around. Just no. This frustrated me so much because all of the other relationships seemed well-developed. This one just materialized from thin air and I never once believed in it. 

Overall, this book was pretty good. It had a lot of really cool things going for it and a pretty decent cast of characters. I could have used a little more action and a little less instalove, but other than that I really enjoyed it and will definitely be continuing with the series.

Stray

Author: Elissa Sussman
Series: Four Sisters #1
Publisher: Greenwillow
Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairytale Retellings
Format: ebook
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Source: egalley received from publisher via Edelweiss
Rating: 2.5 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“I am grateful for my father, who keeps me good and sweet. I am grateful for my mother, who keeps her own heart guarded and safe. I am grateful for my adviser, who keeps me protected. I am grateful for the Path, which keeps me pure. Ever after.”

Princess Aislynn has long dreamed about attending her Introduction Ball, about dancing with the handsome suitors her adviser has chosen for her, about meeting her true love and starting her happily ever after.

When the night of the ball finally arrives and Nerine Academy is awash with roses and royalty, Aislynn wants nothing more than to dance the night away, dutifully following the Path that has been laid out for her. She does not intend to stray.

But try as she might, Aislynn has never quite managed to control the magic that burns within her-magic brought on by wicked, terrible desires that threaten the Path she has vowed to take.

After all, it is wrong to want what you do not need. Isn’t it?

My Review:

Stray was a book that had a lot of potential, but ultimately fell flat and left me feeling disappointed. 

Here's what I liked: 

1. Where the plot was heading. I liked the basic premise and idea of a fairytale land where magic is dangerous, only women have it and if they use it they are considered wicked. It had a great base to be a fun and slightly dangerous fairytale. 

Here's what I didn't like: 

1. The voice of the main character was very young and immature. Now, this could be because she was brought up to believe that women were dangerous and had wicked hearts and she needed a man to keep her safe. I can see how that would stunt growth and maturity. But it just didn't work for me. 

2. Instalove. Why, why, why???? It's like you just can't escape instalove in a book these days. I am so sick of characters barely talking and then just professing their love for one another. I can't. I'm feeling ragey. 

3. Almost nothing happens. And this, my friends, is what pissed me off the most. Next to nothing happens in this book. We get no answers, zero information and are left on what I believe was supposed to be a cliffhanger, but honestly, it wasn't even a cliffhanger to me because at that point I just didn't care. I hate when you are reading a book and you keep thinking, okay the action is starting now or, okay we're about to get answers now, and then you're just left hanging with nothing to go on. 

Overall, this book was a disappointment. I love fairytale retellings and while this one had all the potential to be a great one with magic, fairy godmothers and a wicked queen, it ultimately felt flat. An immature heroine, instalove, and a slow-moving, plot that revealed no information all contributed to me not liking this book and not wanting to continue the series. 

Have you read either of these books? What were your thoughts on both? Did you like the jinni world Heather Demetrios created? Did you find there to be instalove in both of these books?