The Collar and the Cavvarach - ABB Review

I was flipping through my kindle, trying to decide what to read and considering the amount of books I have THAT is never an easy decision. Now I definitely have my "things" when it comes to what covers attract me.

The Collar and the Cavvarach is not the kind of cover that attracts me. But I read Annie's Prince of Malorn a few years back and loved it so much I recommended it to my husband and bought the paperback. So while the cover wasn't doing anything for me, I know I like Annie's writing. At last, I took the plunge and opened it.

Here is my review:

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

The story starts off with Bensin, a teenage slave who has one mission in life--to save his five year old sister from a life of slavery. Following up on a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would protect his baby sister, Bensin is willing to take any risks or punishments for himself if it means his sister will be free.

How can you NOT root for this kid right from the start? He's so nice and patient to Ellie as he's sneaking her across the city in hopes to get her freedom before their owners put a slave collar on her.

Things go awry and I quickly realized this world is no joke. They have no qualms about punishing slaves, no matter their age. 

It's right at the start and I was already mad. Oh, I just wanted to storm the entire book and rant against the system. LIKE FOR REAL!?

And then this cop guy comes and he's all nice but he's like, "Yeah, man. I can see why you tried this, but it's illegal and you shouldn't have done it. How about you do it the legal way."

I was like WHAT!!! LEGAL WAY! So on his one day off he can get odd jobs(which seems to earn about $50). And he has to save THAT up to buy freedom! So yeah, sure, he's going to buy her freedom in 30 years!!!

Bensin gets a break though when he gets sold off and ends up the property of Steene. Steene's always been against slavery, but finds himself doing something he's morally against when his life is turned upside down by a divorce from his rabid ex-wife.

I mean, that woman is seriously evil. She's a rich snob who managed to roll around in a messy divorce and come out with every hair in place and everything in her pocket. Meanwhile Steene is struggling to pay rent on his crummy apartment!

AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN WANT ALL OF IT! She just wanted to make his life miserable and prove she could take everything. Complete witch and I hope she falls in a mud puddle somewhere. Special space mud that never washes off.

Steene is a coach at a local training academy that teaches kids and adults sports they can enter competitions with. The only one that's really focused on in the book though is the cavvarach and shil sport. Which as far as I could tell was a sword with a backwards hook halfway up the blade and a plastic-like arm shield. 

Anyway, Bensin is actually pretty good at this so they make a great pair. As far as slavery in this world goes, Bensin's got himself the ultimate position.

This is a great story about the grey areas in life. Bensin's got his faults along with his good attributes. Ellie, while adorable, has some of annoying traits that little kids have. She's real. 

Shigo, the Watch officer that talks to Bensin after they're caught hires Bensin to do some work for him and is generally kind to him and supportive. While he's a nice person, he never says he's against slavery or seems to have any issue with it. His comment to Bensin early on about just save up money to buy freedom sums up his views on it. There's a legal way to get out of it and regardless of the practicality of it, go that route. 

While that makes it hard for me to like him, I also see the value in having a character that's not just all bad or all good.

Steene believes slavery is wrong, yet he owns a slave. One of my favorite parts of the book is his struggle with the choice he makes. It doesn't matter how much time passes, his conscience is still bugging him.

He knows his choice is wrong and he tries to validate it. He tells himself why it's different, but the little voice in his head tells him that his reasoning is flawed. 

This is a tale of one boy's love for his sister. It's a tale of friendship and courage. It's a tale full of trying and failing, and picking yourself up and trying again. A story that talks about how a person's value isn't any less than someone of a different status. It's got black and white and shades of grey. It'll make your stomach churn with the reality of slavery and its ugliness and how easily people accept it. And it'll make you cheer for one slave boy who never stops fighting.

Another 5 star book by Annie Douglass Lima. I was cheering for Bensin, railing against the system, lecturing Shigo, and ready to storm the universe chanting freedom!!! This is Bensin, the little Braveheart, who will risk it all for his sister.

On Goodreads

On Kindle and KU

Book-A-Month Sister Challenge

For 2019 my sister and I will be reading a book together each month. It sounded like fun to be able to talk about the same book and be reading at least one book a month. I've also invited some friends to join in as well throughout the year if they see anything interesting.

We spent the first week of January gathering recommendations from readers and authors, plus doing a little browsing of our own. Then we had to take that sizeable list and each of us made a list from that of the ones that we were interested in, which then we compared her interests with mine and took the choices that made it on both lists.

Lastly was the step of narrowing it down even further to have 12 books and then putting them into some semblance of order. Here's the final results!

January: 
Slated

KYLA HAS BEEN SLATED - her memory erased, her personality wiped blank. This is the government's way of dealing with teen terrorists: give them a fresh start as a new person. They teach Kyla how to walk and talk again, give her a new identity and a new family, and tell her to be grateful for this second chance.

It's also her last chance, and to ensure that she plays by their rules, Kyla is fitted with a Levo, a bracelet that monitors her mood and will stun - or even kill - her if her levels of anger or violence rise too high.

As she adjusts to her new life, Kyla can see she is different from the other Slateds. She asks too many questions and is plagued by nightmares that feel like memories - even though she shouldn't have memories. Who is she, really? Has her Slating gone wrong? And if only criminals are Slated, why are innocent people disappearing? Torn between the need to understand more and her instinct for self-peservation, Kyla knows a dangerous game is being played with her life, and she's determined not to let anyone see her make the wrong move...

Reasons we picked it: I have a love/hate relationship with dystopian novels. While I love the idea of them, I rarely see them executed well from start to finish. But I can never resist trying another one. My sister is new to the genre and picked this out of the 12 for us to read first, so I'm guessing it looked interesting. (I'm totally writing these segments without putting her on the spot and grilling her for details on her choices!)

February:
Henchgirl

The children of dragons and humans, the dracons, control eighty percent of the world’s governments. Humans worldwide are either subservient or prey. On the small vacation island of Mabi, humans call for war.
Sixteen year old Dakota Kekoa lives a double life. By day, she pretends to be a human to infiltrate Mabi Academy, a 'humans only' high-school. At night, she works as a henchman for her draconic mafia family, utilizing her ability to steal and manipulate emotions.

When Dakota’s human friend is kidnapped, she takes on the mission to find her. This is not just any mission though; she is diving head first into the escalating conflict between humans and dracons. As more girls disappear and some are discovered dead, Dakota realizes her first honorable mission may also be her last.

Reasons we picked it: My family likes to joke about the "ninja chick" trope. You know, the girl who's somehow beautiful and completely tough and ruthless at the same time. The one who we're told is able to take out 20 guys at one time, blind-folded, and injured. But we never see her do that. We just see her get in the way and screw things up with only the occasional super awesome move that's totally eye-rolling in its utter lack of believability.

Well this cover looks like that and it both intrigues me and makes me smile. I mean, come on, the girl is standing there in the typical "ninja chick" attire with her hair all perfect and flowing down. Spotless white shirt. Plus she has a gun AND a fireball. Because one just isn't enough . . .

Personally, I just want to know what the story behind this cover is. The story sounds cool, but the cover makes me laugh. I really hope it's good though.

This is also an Indie book and I love reading and supporting talented indie authors.

March:
Wintersong

The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride....

All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They've enraptured her mind and spirit and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesel can't help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.

But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds--and the mysterious man who rules it--she soon faces an impossible decision. With time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

Reasons we picked it: Uh, because the cover is gorgeous? And yes, it sounds interesting. I'm stupid about covers that have clear objects with random items inside them. I don't know why. My number one cover hook is definitely people. If I see an interesting person on a cover it makes me want to know their story. The see-through object with stuff inside is the runner up though.

I also find the blurb super intriguing, so I have high hopes for this one.

April:
The Keeper and the Compass

When an unstable and determined sorceress kidnaps their parents and hides them in a book, longtime friends Jenny Fletcher and Josh Park find themselves deep in the world of the Compass. It's been their ticket to unprecedented adventure and is now their only hope for finding their families. The Compass can take them into any book, but it cannot protect them from the dangers lurking within the pages. That is up to them. 

The Sorceress has left a ransom note demanding items from five familiar but dark fairy tales in exchange for information on their parents whereabouts. Jenny and Josh must rely on quirky but highly skilled new friends who know all about the Compass for training and support to survive the fairy tales, obtain the required items, and face the Sorceress herself.

While dealing with the loss of their families and the dangerous tasks set before them, they press toward independence and adulthood but also battle inner doubt and fear. It's a constant struggle, wondering if they have what it takes to finish what they've started, maintain their friendship, and stay alive in the process.

Reasons we picked it: This was one of the indie books that was recommended to us specifically for this challenge. This made it high up on both of our lists, so it was an easy choice to make for the final cut. It sounds interesting to for the unique plot. I can't say I've read many stories where the character in the book travel through other stories/books. I can recall a kid's series and then a young adult one, but that's it.

May:
The Girl in the Mask

Set in Georgian England, fifteen-year-old Sophia is trapped by the limitations of living in a man's world. Forced by her father to give up everything she loves, Sophia is ordered to make a new life in Bath. By day, she is trapped in the social whirl of balls and masquerades. By night, she secretly swaps her ball gowns for breeches, and turns to highway robbery to get her revenge ...When one man begins to take a keen interest in her, Sophia must keep her distance, or risk unmasking her secret life.

Reasons we picked it: We both enjoy historical fiction, so there was no way we weren't going to pick at least one from that genre for the list. This author's work has come across my radar a few times and I've really wanted to try her. I've been stalling based on the lack of availability of her material. (no ebooks and no copies within my state's library system) But now I'm going to track down a hard copy and buy it so IT BETTER BE GOOD! Hopefully we picked a good one to start with.

June:
The Green Ember

Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world.
Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.

Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?

Reasons we picked it: My sister has heard a bit about this book and was intrigued. She suggested it and I've enjoyed a few animal character books over the years (anything from Watership Down to the Redwall series) so I was like yes, let's do this.

July:
Selkie's Song

A selkie’s song can enchant a man and tame the sea . . .

Naia’s unusual love for human things led her to become the sole artisan in her clan. But when this passion leads to her abduction, she loses more than contact with the sea when her pelt is taken. Unable to shift forms or return to the sea without it, she knows she will die if she cannot recover the pelt soon. Cut off from her family, Naia must appease the human king while persuading his lovesick son to honor past arrangements.

Malik has loved and lost before, an experience leading him to shy away from love. When Naia is stranded, however, he risks everything to find her. Together they uncover a plot that would sweep up humans and selkies alike in a war that would destroy the Five Kingdoms and possibly all of Sonera.
When the enemy acts, can they save sea and land . . . and each other? 

Reasons we picked it: We've both read previous work by Rogers and when we were scrambling to finish this list and needed one more, I went, how about this one? I love retellings and thought it means I'll now have to wait to read this *eye twitches* it'll be worth it to drag my sister along with me. I was going to read it sometime January, but I guess I'll stare longingly at it on my Kindle until then.

And of the other last minute choices I threw out there, this was the one my sister liked best. Fingers crossed. We picked this one off the list of suggestions for indie authors as well.

August:
Flower


Kitrin always assumed her overprotective parents were just paranoid—until the trees started talking to her.

For sixteen years, Kitrin has longed for freedom from her parents' secluded manor. However, one day her emotions trigger flowers to bloom, roots to grasp, and trees to bend. Unable to control her unexplained abilities, she finds an anchor in a young man with sad eyes and his own secrets. A man who sends sparks through her, but who might be tied to her destruction.

Palace outcast and nephew of the king, Prince Bryce lives under the shadow of his father's execution for treason. To escape the toxic court, he takes comfort in the company of the kindhearted Kitrin. However, as the mysteries in both their pasts are revealed, he realizes the girl he loves is someone his family wants dead.

Reasons we picked it: This was another one that was at the top of my sister's list. I'm going to hazard a guess and say this is one of the ones she is the most excited about. (Just a hunch). I already had it on my Kindle so that worked out perfectly. I was like yep, you know I'm interested. It's sitting right here in my epic pile. And this makes #3 for a selection taken from the indie recommendation list.

September:

Retrieve

What if the job you took to stay alive might be what kills you?

Kade knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it's like to lose everything and everyone around him.

His job in a Stormer Unit guarantees not just his survival in the decimated country of Azetaria, but his sister Meg's. Even if it means facing the Numachi warriors baying for his blood, he'll do what it takes to keep her safe.

Hadley is alone and surviving the only way she knows how. By hiding where predators won't find her and scavenging enough just to keep her alive.

When desperation drives Hadley to search for her missing brother, she mistakenly accepts the offer of recruitment into the Stormer's camp, only to be partnered with Kade and sent as a scout into Numachi territory.

The intimidating young Stormer may just know where her brother has gone. But can they stay alive long enough to find him?

Reasons we picked it: I just love this cover, and the blurb. This was another one that ended up at the top of both of our lists when we put them together. Also one of the indie books recommended to us for the challenge.

October:
The Mermaid Summer


About a hundred years ago, they say, a mermaid ruled the cold sea that washed around northern lands. She was beautiful and dangerous, and the fishermen of those parts were careful to speak well of her. All but Eric Anderson, who scorned her very existence - until the day the mermaid smashed his fishing boat against the rocks, nearly killing him and his crew. Eric bid his family good-bye, for after that, no one would sail with him. His grandchildren, Jon and Anna, never stopped missing him; so from the moment they saw the mermaid for themselves, they knew it was up to them to tame her and bring their grandfather home again...

Reasons we picked it: My friend Heather Hayden mentioned how much she loved this book a few years back and it's been lingering on my to-read list since then. This was our other last minute addition and I'm like, now's the time to finally get around to reading that!

November:
Dragon Kin: Sapphire and Lotus

The ancient prophecy speaks of the five, those who will come to save all of dragonkind. Like most prophecies, it leaves out a lot of the important details…

The very ordinary elf girl who runs for the hills—and gets lost in a forest instead. The dragon egg, precariously perched high in a tree on a dark winter’s night.

And what happens when egg meets girl.

Reasons we picked it: Dragons? Do we really need more reasons? I didn't think so. 


December:
Battle for the Throne

The sword quivers in Alaina's hand. With one final stroke she can slay the gladiator, win back her freedom ... and lose the trust of her people forever. 

The Kingdom of Falyncia is caught in a war between a guardian spirit and a powerful demon. Alaina barely escapes with her life, yet she vows to one day claim the throne. When she finally returns home, the enemy has her in his grasp. Now she must choose between freedom and staying true to her people. If she fails to kill the gladiator, torture awaits. Can she find the courage to face it? Or will the demon triumph again?

Reasons we picked it: This was our final choice from the list of indie books we had recommended to us. I found the blurb interesting and it sounds like it's going to be a nice medieval fantasy/adventure romp. 

And that's our 12 for the year! 

2018/2019 Reading Challenge(s)

Welcome to 2019!

I'm going to start by wrapping up how my 2018 reading challenges went.

I had two challenges for 2018. One was a challenge of 50 books overall. I surpassed that with 63! Last weeks post highlighted my favorites from that group.

The other was my classic challenge. This marked the first year where I did not finish that. Originally I had 8 books. Around July my life got way busier(something I knew ahead of time and should've planned for), that combined with the density of some of my choices made me realize it wasn't going to happen and I ended up moving some of them to the next year.

Here's how those panned out.

• Persuasion - A pleasant read. I gave it 4 stars and enjoyed it. I found it different from the other works I've read by Austen, and yet it held the same charm that draws me to her writing. I love her characters and this held up to that standard of intriguing and three dimensional characters.
  
  
  
  
  
• Diary of Anne Frank - This is the only book I dropped after much consideration and strongly believing(as I stared at it on my dresser) that I wouldn't find it to my taste.
• A Christmas Carol - This was the only book on my list that I've read the full, unabridged version of before. It definitely has held up since my childhood and gave me all the warm fuzzies. Was the perfect Christmas time read. 5 stars for this.

• David Copperfield - Though I started this one early in the year, I put it aside and left it unfinished. Well-written, but I'd made the stupid choice of watching the movie shortly beforehand and the story was too fresh in my mind to launch right back into it. The movie is extremely close to the book, making it like re-reading the same thing back to back. This is one I've moved to my 2019 classic challenge.
• The Secret Garden - As a child I loved this book. The thought of a secret garden, a life with no school, no adults, and friends was like . . . the best. I thought that'd be so much fun. All the animals and the garden that was beautiful and hidden away.
  
  As an adult, reading the unabridged version, I was bogged down with the rather lackluster story. I found myself frustrated with the stupid accent. It wasn't easy to read and then the kids thought it was "So cool" that they used it in addition to the characters who actually had a moors accent.
  
   
  It's also not a very exciting book and there's not much for characters outside of the three kids. Reading about three little kids playing outside does not intrigue me as an adult. I already knew what was going to happen which didn't help either.
  
  I gave this 3 stars because I do feel it's a good book (the abridged version where the accent is gone) for little kids who'd love to dream of their own special garden, but for adults it was very, very dull.

• A Tale of Two Cities - Another one I didn't get to in 2018 and will now be on my 2019 list.
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Soooo, I basically hated this book. This netted one star and if it wasn't for the fact that I try to finish my classic challenge books and I was reading it at the same time as Elise over at magicwriter.com I would've put it in my did-not-finish pile.
  
  The extremely short version is that the book is boring as rock watching and full of inaccuracies regarding marine life and other ocean-based facts.
  
  The long version can be found in my ABB post.
• War and Peace - I also didn't have time for this one and it's now on my list of 3 for 2019.

So there you are! For 2019 my classic challenge will be A Tale of Two Cities, War and Peace, and David Copperfield.

Added to that will again be my usual 50 book general challenge through Goodreads! And also my Book-a-Month Challenge with my sister(more on that next week!).

I'd love to hear what you're hoping to read this year and if you have any book challenges!