Cover Reveal: The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1) By Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

Title The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
Authors Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Pages 400 Pages
Genre Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher Scholastic/Double Day
Comes Out September 9 

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst – and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him — a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come… (from Cassandra’s Site) 

On  March 27 USAToday revealed the cover, and an excerpt for “The Iron Trial” The first book of five to the Magisterium series. Although I don't know much about the book yet, the cover does have a Harry Potter feel. With the death eater at the top, and “The Golden Trio” (Ron, Harry, and Hermione) at the bottom. Cassandra Clare did introduced the character trio at the bottom. Meet  Callum (left), Aaron (center), and Tamara (right). I really love this illustrated cover. There’s so much detail on it, for example the hieroglyph-ish symbol within the title of the book, the dagger (assuming this is the “Semiramis”)  that splits the two authors who created this new world, and something glowing in Callum’s hand. I’m pretty excited to see how every little detail will unveil as we read the book. 

Reading the excerpt that Cassandra Clare has so graciously given us. I was very intrigued and really wanted to read more. I was kinda confused about how people were invited to take the test, but I think that will get more explained as we get to read more of the book. I was confused to also learn that Callum was the boy on the left on the cover. I assumed that he was the boy in the middle taking lead. In the excerpt that was given, Callum sounded like he was the main character, I also believed him to be very powerful, because of the earthquake he created when he found out about his power. So my confusion is why would he be hiding behind another boy on the cover? Again I feel like all my questions will be answered in the book.

         The prolong is what got me. When Alastair finds a dying message left by his wife, that says “Kill the child” I was wide-eyed and I was like wait? …is she talking about their baby? And being the optimistic person that I am. I’m thinking that she probably meant another child, or maybe she might’ve meant it in a different meaning. I really want to keep reading to see what she really meant. This series takes off in six months (September 9th) and I'm really looking forward to picking it up. 

Have you guys read the excerpt yet? What do you guys think? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles (Book #1)
Pages: 387
Publication Date:  January 3, 2012 Published by A Feiwel and Friends
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Romance, Fairytale Re-tellings
Part of a Series?: Yes (Book 1 in the Lunar Chronicles Series)
Source & Format: Purchased from BookOutlet, Hardcover

Synopsis: 
     Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by more of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots,hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

     Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an "honor" that no one has survived.

     But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for. 

*Warning*: This does contain a small amount of spoilers. 

Thoughts:
At first I was pretty skeptical on how this retelling of Cinderella was going to work. Cinderella a cyborg?  So I put off picking up this book. Regretting every day my decision, as raved reviews on the book kept popping up on booktube. It wasn't until I discovered BookOutlet. BookOutlet had Cinder up on sale. If you know BookOutlet, you know they sell everything on there for "Read-iculously low prices." So I picked it up, read it, and LOVED it!

Setting: I loved the whole futuristic feel on how the world updated itself to live in a world full of androids and cyborgs. A world that has portscreens, hovers, and ID chips embedded in your wrist. I loved it all! For those of you who read this book and loved the idea of this world, you should definitely watch the television series Almost Human, if you haven't already.

Characters:  I loved the characters in this book.
Cinder = I loved Cinder's character. Her character kinda had an "Anastasia" feel to it. The fact that she was an orphan that didn't know where she came from, when really she was ..... *sigh if you read the book you'll know what I mean. Anyways Cinder felt like she was no one special because of the fact she was a cyborg. People around her despised her and her kind because she was different.  I couldn't understand why. She was freakin awesome. She was a walking computer. She could download blueprints on how to make things and how to use it. Making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. She'll never be lost because she can download maps. She has the ability to know when someone is lying.
Because of the way people have treated her, it made her more and more self-conscious and a bit envious of wanting to be fully human, especially with Prince Kai in the picture. But Cinder is a strong character, and no matter how cruel people were to her, She was still a strong and selfless character.

Prince Kai = OMG Prince Kai! How I loved fan girling with the other characters in this book. Don't laugh, but the Prince Kai I pictured in my head was Tae Yang from Big Bang. (I recommend watching his "Wedding Dress" Music Video)

Of course he doesn't match the description of Prince Kai. But I really don't mind Tae Yang's face popping up in my head whenever Prince Kai made an appearance in the book. I loved how Marissa Meyer had Kai showing up, randomly, out of know where! OMG I was fan girling it out so much! Prince Kai showing up at the market! (AHHH!) Prince Kai in Cinder's face when she wakes up in the research lab  (AHHHH!!) When Cinder is in the elevator and Prince Kai runs in as the doors start to close (AHHHH!!). But in all seriousness I did feel for Kai's character. Everything just came at him so fast. His father catches the plague along with thousands of commonwealth people, Queen Levana pushing for a marriage, Rulers from the other countries and the people of commonwealth expecting so much from him to do the right thing but who really knows what the right thing is? He has no real friends, no one he can really talk to. He is alone. I did love the friendly relationship that he wanted to build with Cinder. Cinder made him feel "normal" she didn't treat him as other girls would. She made him laugh, and at times forget the issues that he was facing. What really charmed me was how sweet and kind he was. How concerned he was when Cinder was in pain. How sorry he was for what Cinder's sister was going through. How he stuck up for Cinder when Pearl was being rude.

Iko: Is just the cutest thing. She has such this comedic personality. The fact that she is an android that so badly wants to be human is what makes her so fun to be around with.

Overall: From beginning to the end I was sucked into the world and cared so much for the characters. So much happened from the plague to the Lunars, yet everything came together. I can't wait to read scarlet.

Rating 4 out of 5 Stars 

Looking forward to see..
- If Kai and Cinder's relationship will progress. I'm still a little clueless, if Kai has any romantic feeling for Cinder. I was pretty sure that he liked Cinder.  But that part when Cinder kisses him and he doesn't kiss back... Why didn't he kiss back? Now I don't know if he really likes her or just sees Cinder as just a friend.
- If Konn Torin will betray Kai. I'm having trust issues with Torin...I don't know why, but I'm keeping a close eye on him.
- Iko coming back!

It's Book Journal Time!

This part is where I'd like to share my book journal entry for the book I reviewed. I'm not a great artist, but I do like to fan girl and sketch fan art from time to time. Hopefully I can inspire some of you to start your own so you can share with me?…. yeah!?!?Anyways here it is...

1. I will begin my entries with basic information of the book I'm reviewing, followed by the rating I give the book. I do hope to also paste a photo of the book cover (which is why you'll see a small space there) but I haven't been able to print me out one.
2. My drawing of Cinder
3. An overview of the entry. This specific entry is three pages long. (Last page is not photoed). The written part of the review starts off with my version of what the premise is about, then I'll write about my favorite parts, my favorite characters. what the book made me feel, etc. etc.
4. My drawing of Dr. Erland and Iko
5. Sometimes I'll put my most favorite quote of the book at the start of the entry.  But instead I put a quote from Marissa Meyer "Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon a Time"- you can also see my drawing of Cinders robotic hand.

I hope you guys enjoy this part of the review as much as I do. I'm hoping to share more of my entries in the future, if you guys would like to see.  :)