Review: Rory by Ciye Cho

Rory by Ciye Cho

Author: Ciye Cho Website|Twitter
Published: 10 August 2013
Format: Kindle e-book
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Received free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.

Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.

My Review:
I really enjoyed the two other books I've read by Ciye Cho, so when I was approached to read and review this one I couldn't resist! Rory follows the title character as she discovers the secret world of Palladino, a land where ghosts train girls to be auctioned off to the Ruling Lords.

This may be a book about ghosts but it was like no other ghost story I've ever read! And I loved that about it. The book starts off in quite a dark place as we're introduced to Rory. We learn her mother is in a psychiatric unit because of the hallucinations she has. Only Rory knows they're read. The opening few chapters definitely had me gripped and there was a lot of suspense. I really loved seeing Rory's worries and fears about her mother.

Soon the story takes a huge twist and we land in Palladino, a heaven-like universe filled with ghosts and magic. This is where the book truly becomes something unique. I adored the world building because you get to see all this crazy, magical stuff and this beautiful landscape filled with castles and hot air balloons. It's very fantastical and whimsical and just carries you away!  It felt very Alice in Wonderland-esque and Lewis Carroll's story is actually referenced several times. There was a great focus on dreams and imagination as well which I loved. If you like that kind of wonderful, imaginative setting for a book then I think you'll love Rory.

Rory as a character was very likable, and I loved her development through the book. She's landed in Palladino not by choice so when she gets there she's pretty feisty and I loved that! She has a sharp tongue and a great answer to everyone. It was interesting seeing her relationship with the other girls who have been brought to Palladino. Rory has had a very isolated life due to her mother home-schooling her with little interaction with others. Suddenly she finds herself surrounded by other girls her age and she's a bit of an outcast. I also like her relationship with the skine (a winged demon type creature) Manny and the talking cat Cookie (yes this book has talking cats!).

A lot of Rory's previous life is told through flashbacks which I thought was a really effective technique. I think there were some things just touched upon that I would like to know more about, hopefully in the next book, particularly Rory's neighbour Jai who is mentioned quite often but who you learn very little about. I'd also love to know more of Rory's mother's backstory.

The plot itself had several parts to it. I probably enjoyed the first half the most as Rory adjusts to life in Palladino and prepared for the "unveiling". Some of my favourite scenes were the lessons she's put through by the ghost mistresses where she has to learn to walk elegantly and make magical dust tea that stirs up your emotions. The second half becomes a lot more about the characters she meets there. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Martin, as he seemed to be a character with a lot of depth, and the relationship between him and Rory was fascinating to watch develop. It took a little while to get to the mystery that really drove that second half of the book but once you get there it was worth it, and there was a good sense that something bigger was going on.

I absolutely love Cho's writing which has the ability to suck you in and bring these magical places to life. Rory has a talent for decorating cakes and I can't tell you how many times I got hungry whilst reading about it! I could practically taste the icing. The writing really added to that atmosphere when it came to Palladino as well because the descriptions were so vivid.

This was a truly unique and enjoyable read and a universe I'm looking forward to get back to. The climax to the story was very exciting and left me dying to find out what happens. If you don't like ghost stories then you have to give this a try because it's a ghost story with a difference! And if you like your fantasy whimsical and a little bit mad then don't miss this one.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: This is the first book in the Ghosts of Palladino series. Book two is unreleased.
Books like this: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Review: Luminaire by Ciye Cho

Spoiler warning! This is the second book in the Florence Waverley series and may contain spoilers from the first book. Proceed with caution! Or you can read my review of the first book, Florence, right here.

Luminaire by Ciye Cho

[Goodreads page]

Author: Ciye Cho. Website|Twitter
Published: 1 December 2012
Format: E-book
Pages: 250
Amazon: Kindle
Smashwords: E-book
Kobo: E-book

Source: Recieved free review copy from author

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Being the only human in a world of merfolk... isn't easy. Florence Waverley chose to stay in Niemela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness.

My Review:
I really enjoyed the first Florence Waverley book so I was excited when the author offered me the chance to read and review the sequel! Luminaire picks up just after Rolan's coronation. Florence is still in Niemela but she's struggling as Rolan becomes more distant and the population is preparing itself for the upcoming Life Path Tournament.

I loved how easy it was to get straight back into the world and I was reminded just how much I enjoyed the really imaginative setting. The descriptions are so vivid and colourful! Niemela has a lot of history and I really liked reading more about some of the legends and discovering more places such as the archives. I think it's great how the book is written in chapters from Florence's perspective, but then adds "interludes" from Rolan's perspective which show what is happening elsewhere. It really makes a difference to the storytelling and keeps the pace spot on.

This book focuses on the Life Path Tournament, where young mer-people in Niemela must try and qualify for the maze where they will face a barrage of obstacles in order to be able to follow their chosen life path. It felt kind of like the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter which is absolutely a compliment! The whole book had that feeling of being a quest for Florence as she tries to overcome everything, not only relating to the tournament but her position in Niemela as well which made me want to keep reading and rooting for her. I liked getting that glimpse into Florence's skills in the first book so it was good to see that built on.

One of my favourite parts Luminaire was the relationship between Rolan and Florence. Rolan has become distant and is pushing Florence away, but it's clear there's more going on there and I really enjoyed their interractions. The two characters bounce really well off each other. As with the first book I enjoyed the friendship between Florence and Yolee and it was really interesting to see that relationship tested slightly as the two of them both try to qualify for the tournament. One of my favourite characters in Luminaire was probably the new character Wynn who was just a really nice guy and added a great dynamic to the group. There are some fantastic villains too with the tournament director and his daughter stirring up trouble for Florence and the gang which made it even more interesting.

The only thing I was hoping for more of was maybe more exploration of the fact Florence is still missing from the human world. She did reflect a lot about her life on the surface but I'd like to see that addressed in the story a bit more.

Luminaire has plenty of action and great characters, all of whom get a chance to shine. It definitely lived up to the first book, in fact I think I enjoyed this one more! I'd definitely recommend this series if you like escaping into another world.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Shiewo: A Fantasy Flight to Adventure by Ciye Cho, book 1 in the Shiewo's Odysesy series
Books like this: Ingo by Helen Dunmore

Review: Florence by Ciye Cho

 Florence by Ciye Cho

[Goodreads page]

Author: Ciye Cho. Website|Twitter
Published: 28 June 2012 (Studio Amazepop)
Format: E-book
Pages: 203
Amazon: Kindle
Smashwords: E-book
Kobo: E-book

Source: Recieved free review copy from author


Plot Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

My Review:
I was very kindly sent a copy of this book by the author before Christmas, but I've had a bit of a backlog and so I've been waiting to have time to read it. I was really excited to get started because it's about mermaids, and that's a genre within YA I haven't read before! Florence tells the story of Florence Waverley, who ends up discovering a hidden underwater land when she is captured by mermaids.

I think the main thing I loved about this book was Florence herself. She's a bit of a misfit and her classmates see her as strange. The book starts out with her on a school trip and so we get to see her in that environment and it really makes you feel for her. As the book goes on and she finds herself amongst the mermaids, it becomes clear that she doesn't really fit in there either, because she's human. I thought that was a nice theme running throughout the book - not being able to fit in - and is something that everyone can relate to. I really enjoyed her relationship with Princess Yolee as well. I thought the two of them worked well together - despite coming from completely different places/backgrounds.

I liked the underwater world Ciye Cho has created, and there was a lot of description of all the different places within Niemela, the underwater city where the mermaids live. Some of the touches such as the way the mermaids interact with the animals were really imaginative and made it a great book to just get lost in! The writing was really engaging throughout.

I feel like it spends a lot of time establishing the world and the setting, and as this is the first book in a series I understand you need a bit of that, but I think it'll be more interesting later on to see where it leads. The first half of the book was a bit gentler in pace I thought, and as you move into the second half you really get to the action. I found some of the plot twists a bit confusing in places, as there were questions over some of the characters' loyalty and I couldn't quite keep up. But the e-book copy I had was only just over 200 pages so it's a nice quick read! I think I preferred the first half of the book but overall it was still an entertaining read.

I'd definitely be interested in reading the next book in the series and it makes me crave more mermaid stories! It was a great introduction to that world for me. I look forward to reading more.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Luminaire by Ciye Cho, book 2 in the Florence Waverley series
Books like this: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks