Review: Burning Kingdoms

Burning Kingdoms
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Published: March 10th, 2015
Hardcover, 320 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Danger descends in the second book of The Internment Chronicles, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chemical Garden trilogy.

After escaping Internment, Morgan and her fellow fugitives land on the ground to finally learn about the world beneath their floating island home.

The ground is a strange place where water falls from the sky as snow, and people watch moving pictures and visit speakeasies. A place where families can have as many children as they want, their dead get buried in vast gardens, and Internment is the feature of an amusement park.

It is also a land at war.

Everyone who fled Interment had their own reasons to escape their corrupt haven, but now they're caught under the watchful eye of another king who wants to dominate his world. They mat have made it to the ground, but have they dragged Interment with them?

Lauren DeStefano has a beautiful, brilliant writing style. I know she could make a grocery list sound wonderful and make me wonder what would happen next. Her Chemical Garden trilogy was amazing, the second book in the trilogy moving the story in a way I didn't think was possible. The second book in her Internment Chronicles proves she knows how to make a story move in the right direction. No longer on the island of Internment, Morgan and her friends find themselves hauled off as soon as their feet hit the ground. They are taken to the hotel that the advisor to the king owns and move in with his family. It had a bit of a Sound of Music feel with the kids on different ages and the strict father who looked after them without a mother. I loved it. Quickly, we find out that not all the kids behave the way they should. They sneak out to speakeasies and the theatre and we all know how well sneaking out works out. Most of the book circles around the group getting used to being on the grounds, seeing snow, eating new food and discovering new things.

There was a lot of tension, with Morgan and Pen, Morgan and Basil, and Morgan and her brother. It's there in the background the entire time, but rarely did it take centre stage. There isn't really a big plot in this one either, they are on the ground, they explore, and bad things don't start happening until the last quarter of the book. To me, it didn't matter too much because the writing was beautiful and DeStefano knows how to make a sentence become the most beautiful thing in the world. And I hope it means that Book Three will be action packed and involve the king more and having them potentially make their way back up to Internment. As a second book, I know there sin't much that will happen, this tends to be the way it goes, they are not always the strongest in the series, I wish there had been more moments between everyone. conversations to let us know how everyone was feeling now that they were off Internment and more inner dialogue with Morgan. There was so much focus on them being on the ground that I found I wasn't sure how they all felt about being down there. I was a also a little shocked when Morgan had a moment with someone who was not her betrothed and I'm not sure how I'll feel if that becomes a bigger plot line in the next book.

There are secrets, lies, tension and changes and it seems like so much is going to happen in the third book and I can't wait to ind out where our characters end up. Will they stay on the ground, no loner dreaming of living in the sky? Or will they find a way back up there and forfeit everything they've worked so hard to get away from? I for one can't wait.

"There is a need, in every world, to believe in things that cannot be seen."

Review: Perfect Ruin

Perfect Ruin
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Published: October 1, 2013
Hardcover, 356 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

There are stories that you read where the setting is a character all on its own. Stories that whisk you off to a faraway land. Some of these lands are wonderful places where dreams come true, but others may look beautiful and magical from the outside, but inside they are no different than ours. Internment, a city in the sky, is a perfectly run community. A train keeps everyone inside and people know not to go to the edge. Those who go to the edge never come back the same, if they come back at all. Morgan is content not knowing about what's over the edge. She is excited to start her adult life with her betrothed, Basil, But when a girl ends up murdered, suddenly life on Internment is not as magical as it once was. There are lockdowns, rumours, and more murders. Suddenly the edge doesn't seem so bad after all.

DeStefano has proven her ability to create dystopian societies. Her Chemical Garden trilogy drew a picture of a world where everyone dies young and a girl fighting to change that. Her characters are strong and curious, eager to know why things are the way they are. Morgan is no different. She is a dreamer fighting the urge to do what her older brother did, find the edge and try to leave Internment. Through her eyes, we see how she first feels about Internment: safe, happy, free. After the murders and attempts on her family's lives, the only thing she wants to do is leave. The character development is solid. The first half of the book reads like a life, day to day activities that seem mundane but all have hidden meanings. Internments is magical, a city in the sky claimed by the Gods to create a new, better society. When people start to doubt the Gods, the city turns to shambles and the only way Morgan can be save is to leave the island. 

The wonderful thing about this book is the way the words flow through the pages. Morgan's voice is almost old fashioned and the subtle look of things on Internment creates a picture so clear in my mind. Simple hints of steampunk turns what could be an ordinary city into an illusion of greatness. Each year, Internment has a Festival of Stars, where each resident puts a wish on a wishing tree as a prayer to the Gods. This simple tradition makes Internment what it is and reminds us that they are on a floating city high above the clouds, far from anything else. I was drawn to Internment, wishing I too could live up in the stars, but as the story went on and Morgan discovered more about the place she was living, I understood why she would want to leave. When there is that hope of something more, something different, we as humans have an instinct to explore it. When the ground suddenly seems like the only choice, it's no wonder Morgan takes the opportunity to find it.

This book was the perfect beginning to a new series. I know the next book will be completely different, but I'm excited to see where DeStefano takes these characters and how they survive after what they've already been through. She has a fantastic ability to take readers into a magical world, make us fall in love with it, and that turn it into something we dread. Either way, I'll still look up into the sky and dream of a city high above the clouds where you can see the stars up close. 

“We accept gods that don't speak to us. We accept gods that would place us in a world filled with injustices and do nothing as we struggle. It's easier than accepting that there's nothing out there at all, and that, in our darkest moments, we are truly alone.” 

Contest: Floating ARC of Perfect Ruin

I'm sure you've heard by now, Lauren DeStefano, author of the amazing Chemical Garden Trilogy, has a new series coming out soon called The Internment Chronicles. Perfect Ruin, the first book in the series has just been announced for release on February 11, 2014. I can't tell you how excited I am for this series. Wither is one of my favourite books, such a dark dystopian that stands apart from the rest. So when I read that Lauren was having an early ARC contest, I had to enter!

Here's a sneak peek at Perfect Ruin:

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 15-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Sounds awesome right? As part of the contest, we were told to write a flash fiction depicting someone who lives on Internment, 30,000 feet above the earth. So here's my little story!

I’ve always wondered what the edge of the world looks like. I’ve never dared crossing the fence separating us from the sky below, until now. One step forward would be nothing. I hear him call to me and I know I should turn back. I press my foot harder into the ground and take a step forward. He screams. I fall. The air is cold and I close my eyes against it. I’m finally free from this prison. Suddenly there is a net around me, keeping me from plummeting. I’m flown back up to the island. I will never escape. 

If anyone else is interested in the contest, here's the link to enter!