The Traitor's Game

I am a little behind (maybe a lot behind) on updating my book blog. I will try and catch up on what I have been reading as soon as I can. Let's start by talking about 'The Traitor's Game' by Jennifer A. Nielsen. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into with this book, but I have read 'The Ascendance Trilogy', which is by the same author, and I loved that series so thought I would give this a try. Let me tell you what, it did not disappoint! I was completely caught up with the action, characters, and trickery. It kept me up late at night and has me craving more. There are so many details and twists that I am sure I'll have to read it again before the second in the series is released in February 2019. Here is a gist of what the book is about:

Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won't stop her from being drawn back into her father's palace politics. He's second-in-command to the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this -- and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.

The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. One of the rebels, Simon, has his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both have to decide what -- and who -- it is they're fighting for.

A Wrinkle in Time

'A Wrinkle in Time', by Madeleine L'Engle is the story of how Meg Murry travels through time and space to find her father who has gone missing. She has the help of her younger brother, a boy from school, and three strangers- Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which. Meg goes on some remarkable adventures and meets some unbelievable characters along the way.

I once had a roommate in college tell me that 'A Wrinkle in Time' was her very favorite book. It has been on my "to read list" for many years, and now that it is being turned into a movie, I figured it was time to check this one off. I went into it with high expectations, which may have been the problem, because I was somewhat underwhelmed with the plot. It felt anti-climatic to me. There was so much build up, and then it just kind of ended jaggedly. The author did a wonderful job of giving voice to her characters and detail to her settings, but it's the flow of the story that left me a little disappointed. This just may be one of those rare occasions when the movie actually turns out better then the book- I will have to wait and see on that conjecture however.  It is worth reading, but I definitely would not put this book on a list of favorites by any means.