Review - Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Title: Invictus

Author: Ryan Graudin

Pages: 465

Publisher: Orion Children's Books

Release Date: 21st September 2017

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Time flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past.

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

 

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My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley*

Farway Gaius McCarthy has no birthday - he was born outside of time on a ship. His mother is a time traveller and his father was a Roman gladiator.

When Far fails his final exam to become a time traveller his thinks that he'll never fulfil his dream of being a time traveller. But Far is offered the chance to be the captain of his own ship and travel through time, stealing valuable items from the past to be sold on the black market.

Then while on a heist on the Titanic, a mysterious girl beats Far to his prize.

Who is she? Why does she want to join the crew of the Invictus?  

I was really excited to read Invictus - it sounded like a time travelling version of Firefly (one of my favourite TV shows). However, I'm left feeling a bit underwhelmed. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because the story didn't go they way I thought it would. Or because there weren't as many heists as I expected.

I liked all of the main characters, but Imogen could be a little annoying at times. I would love to have a pet red panda.

The plot was mostly good and went in a direction that surprised me, but I did get a little bored and lost interest at one point.

The writing style was easy to follow but it didn't keep me gripped.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

 

Review - Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Title: Wolf by Wolf

Author: Ryan Graudin

Pages: 400

Publisher: Orion Children's Publishing

Release date: 5th November 2015

Blurb from Goodreads:

 

Once upon a different time, there was a girl who lived in a kingdom of death. Wolves howled up her arm. A whole pack of them-made of tattoo ink and pain, memory and loss. It was the only thing about her that ever stayed the same. Her story begins on a train.
 
Germania, 1956. Over ten years since the Nazis won the war. 18-year-old Yael is part of the resistance, and she has just one mission: to kill Hitler.

But first she's got to get close enough to him to do it. 

Experimented on during her time at Auschwitz, Yael has the unique ability to change her appearance at will. The only part of her which always remains are the five tattooed wolves on her arm; one for each of the people she's lost. Using her abilities, she must transform into Adele Wolfe, Germany's most famous female rider and winner of the legendary Axis Tour; an epic long distance motorcycle race from Berlin to Tokyo, where only the strongest (and wiliest) riders survive. If she can win this, she will be able to get close enough to kill the Fuhrer and change history forever.

But with other riders sabotaging her chances at every turn, Yael's mission won't be easy. . .

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley*

3/5 stars

It is 1956. It's been ten years since Hitler won the war.

Yael was sent to a concentration camp as a child where she was experimented on by a German doctor. As a result, she can change her appearance at will.

Now part of the resistance, Yael is given a mission - win the Axis motorcycle tour with the face of Adele Wolfe, a previous tour winner, so that she will have the chance to dance with Hitler. And kill him.

Wolf by Wolf was an intriguing read.

The thought of Hitler winning the war was a scary one and I thought that the world the author created was realistic. I also thought that what happened to Yael was believable - the Nazis did experiment on people - and I thought the subject was handled well.

Yael was a good protagonist. I felt really sorry for her and enjoyed learning about her past, especially the reason behind each of her wolf tattoos.

The plot was interesting and held my attention.

I liked the writing style and wanted to read on.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Review - The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Title: The Walled City

Author: Ryan Graudin

Pages: 432

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release date: 4th Novemeber 2014

Blurb from Goodreads:

There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run.

Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. Teens there run drugs or work in brothels—or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US 

My Review:

 

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley*

3/5 stars

For those living in the Walled City there are three rules - run fast, trust no one and always carry your knife.

The Walled City is run by thugs and drug lords, and children struggle to survive by selling their bodies or being drug mules. Three of the teens are Jin Ling, a girl disguising herself as a boy to avoid the brothels while she searches for her sister, Mei Yee, Jin's sister who is a prostitute, and Dai who is running out of time to clear his name.

Firstly, I just want to say that I LOVE the cover.

The Walled City was an intriguing book and it's worrying that there was once a city like it.

It was interesting to have the story told from the point of view of three characters. While they were all likeable and had their own unique stories, I didn't feel that I connected that well with any of them. Out of the three Jin Ling was my favourite as I admired her determination.

The writing style was easy to read and follow. The plot was alright but didn't grip me.

I wasn't a fan of the insta-love but it wasn't too overdone.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.