Divergent - Veronica Roth

Divergent is the first book of a trilogy (Insurgent the second and the third book is coming in October 2013). The book's about a sixteen-year-old girl named Beatrice or short Tris. She lives in a city (after reading the bonus material I found out the city is meant to be future Chicago) which is divided in 5 parts; Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, Amity and Erudite. Each faction has their own personality and their own tasks in their society. The factions are created, in order to separate people with different personalities from each other, so they can't start a war. Beatrice is born in Abnegation, but every year teenagers at the age of 16 can choose another faction. So when the story starts, Beatrice had to choose in which faction she wants to spent the rest of her live.

One of my first thoughts when I was reading this book that it was fun to read, but it gave me the same feeling as when I was reading The Hunger Games. The similarities are for example: both about a brave sixteen-year-old girl with an clear opinion, the book describes a future America in which the authorities have created an system to prevent war and the writing style was the same as in the The Hunger Games-trilogy. Nevertheless I liked the book. It's an easy read, it makes you think what faction you would choose and if the system really works and the book is entertaining. The storyline was sometimes pretty predictable which was a shame, because I think that those predictable moments could be changed easily.

So I recommend Divergent to people who liked The Hunger Games (or another book about a world with a disturbed system (I found out there are quite a lot about those books)) and don't mind to read another book with the same features.

-L

Pages: 487
Genre: Young-Adult/Science-Fiction

A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords is the 3rd book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. There is still a war in the Seven Kingdoms. Robb Stark, the King in the North and of the Trident, still wants the Throne. The cruel, young King Joffrey wants to hold the Iron Throne. His uncle King Stannis was defeated by Joffrey (or better Tyrion Lannister), but doesn't want to give up. And there is of course Queen Daenerys, who's planning in another country to take the Throne with her -and the only- three dragons.

In this book you follow the same persons you'd followed in the previous book, A Clash of Kings. New is that some chapters are written in the perspective of Jaime Lannister and Samwell Tarly. I really liked those new perspectives, because in A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings you read all about them, especially Jaime. It was interesting to follow Jaime and it was just fun to follow Sam. Sam is this shy coward that makes sometimes quite funny comments. So I was really glad he became a more important person in the book.

In hadn't last long after I finished A Clash of Kings, because I was just really curious about what would happen next, and I have to say I'm not disappointed. It's quite a large book and there's happening a lot. In the beginning you meet new persons. but they don't last long, which is a pity, but you keep reading the book because of the major events (especially at the end). The end of the book is unexpected and a bit shocking, but that was probably on purpose. The only thing I didn't really like was the epilogue. It was vague and it made my brain hurt, so I hope it will be explained and thus more clear in the coming books.

So if you liked the other books, you will definitely like (or love, if it's not your favorite character who dies) this part. It isn't an easy read and it will take you a while before you have finished this book, but I think it's worth it.

-L

Pages: 1128 (without appendix)
Genre: Fantasy

Maskerade - Terry Pratchett

Maskerade is the 18th book in the Discworld series. A short introduction for people who don't know the discworld: The Discoworld is an imaginary world conceived by Terry Pratchett. It's a flat disk that stand on 4 elephants who stand on a giant turtle, called A'Tuin. The turtle floats through space. On the Discworld live fantasy creatures like trolls and witches, but also human beings. The main characters differ by book.

In Maskerade you follow a The-Phantom-of-The-Opera-ish story about an opera house, placed in Ankh- Morpork, where an unknown person murders people. At the same time are Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, two well-known witches, searching for Agnes Nitt. Agnes is auditing to become actress at the Opera House. When Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg arrive in Ankh-Morpork and found out about the mysterious killings, they're determined to catch the killer.

Compared to every Discworld novel I read so far, this was one of my favorites. The plot wasn't really shocking and pretty predictable, but the story was easy to read en also very entertaining (btw, like more Discworld novels). I've read several Discworld novels and sometimes I think they're a bit vague (perhaps because English isn't my mother tongue, I don't know), but this novel was very clear.

If you haven't read any Discworld novels before I recommend you to read first other Discworld novels like The Colour of Magic (the first Discworld novel (you can also search on the internet for other suitable novels to begin with)), otherwise I think the story isn't interesting due to the new world, the other creatures etc. If you have read other Discworld novels before (and enjoyed them, of course) and haven't read this one yet, I think you will find this novel very funny and entertaining, just like I did.

-L

Pages: 381
Genre: Fantasy