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Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.
Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.
But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her.
Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.
But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2013
About the author
Ciye Cho
6 books61 followersCiye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...
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November 26, 2013
From The Sleepy Critic - Book reviews from a sleep-deprived maniac!
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Title: Rory
Author: Ciye Cho
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 hoots
I’ll be honest. The book had its awesome parts and it’s not-so-awesome parts. There were times where I wanted to hug my kindle until it exploded and times where I actually just wanted my kindle to explode.
Rory is a young adult fantasy which throws our protagonist from her disjointed life in the real world to a different realm altogether. An ordinary girl with a love for cake designing, one day, Rory is suddenly abducted by a gargoyle and spirited away to Palladino, a city of ghosts. Here, a Purgatory of sorts, spirits who are not ready to advance to the afterlife create their own semblance of everyday life.
Rory is one of many girls being trained to be “consorts” to the ghost lords in the city…companions to provide memories and human comfort. Palladino, however, hides many secrets, and Rory is soon swept up in its mystique. Who can she trust? Who should she fear? Is there a way out?
The idea of this all intrigued me. A ghost city? Ghost lords? A school to train consorts? Count me in! There is no doubt that this concept is an original one.
I did, however, have a few qualms about the story.
I felt like the book was in terrible need of an editor. Though the writing could be lovely at times, it was drowned out by the technical errors and awkward sentence structures. Take this sentence, for example: “I can’t remember the last time she said that, and this saddens me. I head down the lane, and the sky is now a bright orange. This makes me pause.”
The sentences fall flat and lifeless, and the repetition and choppiness of it kills any of the beautiful imagery it could have evoked. With some editing, however, this book would have been considerably improved. It just needs some polishing, that’s all.
The plot for me, too, was a bit mediocre. I felt like the whole story was only half-developed. By the time Rory is out of prep school, the books is already almost halfway done. In fact, much of the book, I felt, was taken up by events pointless to the plot. Things picked up towards the end, but for me, the reader, I was left feeling disappointed. I mean, I liked the book. It was addictive to read and certainly a page-turner, but at times, it felt like large parts of itcould have been condensed. Other, more important parts of the book, on the other hand, could have been expanded. It’s a bummer when you’re reading a book that you enjoy, and it’s almost done with hardly any plot carried through!
The place in which it ended, too, was a bit awkward. When I finished the story, I felt like it wasn’t complete. There are going to be other books in the series, certainly, but I feel like any book that’s in a series should be able to stand on its own. This book, unfortunately, does not.
From all the negative things I’ve been griping about, it probably sounds like I had a horrendous, seizure-inducing time reading this, but that’s completely untrue! Like I said earlier, writing errors aside, this book is gripping.
The setting is mystical and intriguing (Ghost castles? Count me in!), and the characters are pretty well-developed overall. Rory was a bit too perfect at times, but she was pretty likeable in general. (Now that I think about it, how did she even win out agains the other girls in the first place? She awed everyone and became the object of their envy despite being “not pretty” and completely disadvantaged…She definitely has an invincibility factor about her. But anyways!) Unlike so many other YA heroines out there, Rory actually felt real. She was hardworking, tough, and fun-loving, and her name earns the book an extra 100 points. I freaking love her name.
And Martin. Ah, Martin our ghost-lord-love-interest. He’s also different from so many stereotypical YA characters, and I love that. He’s not the broody-dark-I-love-you-but-I-can’t-have-you type of guy many authors seem to throw into their stories as a quota. He’s quirky, smart, and a bit socially awkward, and the kissing scene is so cute and awkward that I might have died a little inside when I read it.
Cookie, Martin’s talking ghost cat, is also a favorite. He reminds me of some old cartoon cat, though it’s hard to imagine that a cat would say such human things even if it could talk, but…ah, whatever. He’s adorable. Maybe being a ghost has made him more human…? Idk.
Overall, I give this story three hoots. While it is wonderfully unique with interesting new concepts and archetype-breaking characters, it is also riddled with editing errors and a poor plot structure. This could easily be fixed, however, with the help of a good editor.
If you’re interested in paranormal settings, finishing schools, cute ghost lords, talking cats, and likeable female protagonists with totally cray-cray cake-decorating abilities…this is the book for you!
Go check it out if you’re interested. And thank you once more to Mr. Ciye Cho for the free copy and for his limitless patience as I tried to upload this book review!
As for me, I’m going to return to my daily dose of procrastination. Thanks for tuning in, guys! (Even though this isn’t a radio…Or…is it? DUM DUM DUM.)
Click here for more reviews!
Title: Rory
Author: Ciye Cho
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 hoots
I’ll be honest. The book had its awesome parts and it’s not-so-awesome parts. There were times where I wanted to hug my kindle until it exploded and times where I actually just wanted my kindle to explode.
Rory is a young adult fantasy which throws our protagonist from her disjointed life in the real world to a different realm altogether. An ordinary girl with a love for cake designing, one day, Rory is suddenly abducted by a gargoyle and spirited away to Palladino, a city of ghosts. Here, a Purgatory of sorts, spirits who are not ready to advance to the afterlife create their own semblance of everyday life.
Rory is one of many girls being trained to be “consorts” to the ghost lords in the city…companions to provide memories and human comfort. Palladino, however, hides many secrets, and Rory is soon swept up in its mystique. Who can she trust? Who should she fear? Is there a way out?
The idea of this all intrigued me. A ghost city? Ghost lords? A school to train consorts? Count me in! There is no doubt that this concept is an original one.
I did, however, have a few qualms about the story.
I felt like the book was in terrible need of an editor. Though the writing could be lovely at times, it was drowned out by the technical errors and awkward sentence structures. Take this sentence, for example: “I can’t remember the last time she said that, and this saddens me. I head down the lane, and the sky is now a bright orange. This makes me pause.”
The sentences fall flat and lifeless, and the repetition and choppiness of it kills any of the beautiful imagery it could have evoked. With some editing, however, this book would have been considerably improved. It just needs some polishing, that’s all.
The plot for me, too, was a bit mediocre. I felt like the whole story was only half-developed. By the time Rory is out of prep school, the books is already almost halfway done. In fact, much of the book, I felt, was taken up by events pointless to the plot. Things picked up towards the end, but for me, the reader, I was left feeling disappointed. I mean, I liked the book. It was addictive to read and certainly a page-turner, but at times, it felt like large parts of itcould have been condensed. Other, more important parts of the book, on the other hand, could have been expanded. It’s a bummer when you’re reading a book that you enjoy, and it’s almost done with hardly any plot carried through!
The place in which it ended, too, was a bit awkward. When I finished the story, I felt like it wasn’t complete. There are going to be other books in the series, certainly, but I feel like any book that’s in a series should be able to stand on its own. This book, unfortunately, does not.
From all the negative things I’ve been griping about, it probably sounds like I had a horrendous, seizure-inducing time reading this, but that’s completely untrue! Like I said earlier, writing errors aside, this book is gripping.
The setting is mystical and intriguing (Ghost castles? Count me in!), and the characters are pretty well-developed overall. Rory was a bit too perfect at times, but she was pretty likeable in general. (Now that I think about it, how did she even win out agains the other girls in the first place? She awed everyone and became the object of their envy despite being “not pretty” and completely disadvantaged…She definitely has an invincibility factor about her. But anyways!) Unlike so many other YA heroines out there, Rory actually felt real. She was hardworking, tough, and fun-loving, and her name earns the book an extra 100 points. I freaking love her name.
And Martin. Ah, Martin our ghost-lord-love-interest. He’s also different from so many stereotypical YA characters, and I love that. He’s not the broody-dark-I-love-you-but-I-can’t-have-you type of guy many authors seem to throw into their stories as a quota. He’s quirky, smart, and a bit socially awkward, and the kissing scene is so cute and awkward that I might have died a little inside when I read it.
Cookie, Martin’s talking ghost cat, is also a favorite. He reminds me of some old cartoon cat, though it’s hard to imagine that a cat would say such human things even if it could talk, but…ah, whatever. He’s adorable. Maybe being a ghost has made him more human…? Idk.
Overall, I give this story three hoots. While it is wonderfully unique with interesting new concepts and archetype-breaking characters, it is also riddled with editing errors and a poor plot structure. This could easily be fixed, however, with the help of a good editor.
If you’re interested in paranormal settings, finishing schools, cute ghost lords, talking cats, and likeable female protagonists with totally cray-cray cake-decorating abilities…this is the book for you!
Go check it out if you’re interested. And thank you once more to Mr. Ciye Cho for the free copy and for his limitless patience as I tried to upload this book review!
As for me, I’m going to return to my daily dose of procrastination. Thanks for tuning in, guys! (Even though this isn’t a radio…Or…is it? DUM DUM DUM.)
September 21, 2013
Rory is a cake decorator who gets taken by a demon into the land of Palladino, where ghosts and gargoyles and other creatures live. She is forced to train to be graceful and proper so that she can be auctioned off to a ghost lord. While she goes along with the training in order to survive, she secretly plots to escape Palladino even though she has been told it is impossible.
There were a lot of things I didn't like about this book but there were also some things that I did. I felt like there really wasn't enough character development--Rory is thrown into this situation pretty early on in the book and I felt like I couldn't develop a connection to her character at all. There are flashbacks with random characters thrown in that don't really make sense--there are two flashbacks with a neighbor boy that she had a crush on but other than that his character has nothing to do with the rest of the story so it seem forced and out of place. Also, Rory's mother constantly warns her about demons and being out after dark, yet we never find out how her mom even knew about these creatures or why she would suspect that they would come after Rory.
The world building was something that I did like--Cho creates a very vivid world filled with castles and hot air balloons and an array of ghost and creatures. The whole ghost ballerina thing was kind of strange, and I really didn't get the purpose of the girls having lessons on posture and how to hold a fan when supposedly the ghost lords only want them for their memories, but the whole concept of the story was a very original idea.
Overall, Rory was a bit of a strange book that was lacking in some areas but had great world building and an original story. While it was not really for me, I'm sure others may enjoy it more.
There were a lot of things I didn't like about this book but there were also some things that I did. I felt like there really wasn't enough character development--Rory is thrown into this situation pretty early on in the book and I felt like I couldn't develop a connection to her character at all. There are flashbacks with random characters thrown in that don't really make sense--there are two flashbacks with a neighbor boy that she had a crush on but other than that his character has nothing to do with the rest of the story so it seem forced and out of place. Also, Rory's mother constantly warns her about demons and being out after dark, yet we never find out how her mom even knew about these creatures or why she would suspect that they would come after Rory.
The world building was something that I did like--Cho creates a very vivid world filled with castles and hot air balloons and an array of ghost and creatures. The whole ghost ballerina thing was kind of strange, and I really didn't get the purpose of the girls having lessons on posture and how to hold a fan when supposedly the ghost lords only want them for their memories, but the whole concept of the story was a very original idea.
Overall, Rory was a bit of a strange book that was lacking in some areas but had great world building and an original story. While it was not really for me, I'm sure others may enjoy it more.
October 14, 2013
This was a slightly bizarre, unusual and charming book which made me think of Alice in Wonderland.
Rory is an 18 year-old girl with a mother in a psychiatric hospital. All her life her mother believed in demons who take young girls away in the dark of night and made Rory walk around with a torch and a knife, and stay home after dark.
One day Rory can't escape the dark and she is taken away to the ghost town of Palladino, where young girls are groomed and educated to serve The Ruling Lords and give them their memories, so the monsters will remember how to be alive.
The only thing Rory wants to do is to survive and escape, but her bravery, boldness and her talent as a cake maker attract attention of two of The Ruling Lords. One is Herve The Hunter, a dark sadistic monster, who tortures and kills anything surrounding him, and the other is Martin Marius, a whimsical mad hatter, an inventor and a dreamer with a penchant for cats.
Only one of them can set her free, but she is stuck in a tug of war between two enemies in a plot bigger than her escape, plot that threatens the existence of Palladino, the town of ghosts.
I really enjoyed Ciye Cho's writing. It's simple but but at the same time whimsical and beautiful. Also you can't help but fall in love with the descriptions of Palladino and with Rory's best friend - a ghost cat Cookie. Recommended.
Rory is an 18 year-old girl with a mother in a psychiatric hospital. All her life her mother believed in demons who take young girls away in the dark of night and made Rory walk around with a torch and a knife, and stay home after dark.
One day Rory can't escape the dark and she is taken away to the ghost town of Palladino, where young girls are groomed and educated to serve The Ruling Lords and give them their memories, so the monsters will remember how to be alive.
The only thing Rory wants to do is to survive and escape, but her bravery, boldness and her talent as a cake maker attract attention of two of The Ruling Lords. One is Herve The Hunter, a dark sadistic monster, who tortures and kills anything surrounding him, and the other is Martin Marius, a whimsical mad hatter, an inventor and a dreamer with a penchant for cats.
Only one of them can set her free, but she is stuck in a tug of war between two enemies in a plot bigger than her escape, plot that threatens the existence of Palladino, the town of ghosts.
I really enjoyed Ciye Cho's writing. It's simple but but at the same time whimsical and beautiful. Also you can't help but fall in love with the descriptions of Palladino and with Rory's best friend - a ghost cat Cookie. Recommended.
August 12, 2013
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Full review also posted here on TotalTeenFiction.
I really enjoyed the two other books I've read by Ciye Cho, so when I was approached to read and review this one I couldn't resist! Rory follows the title character as she discovers the secret world of Palladino, a land where ghosts train girls to be auctioned off to the Ruling Lords.
This may be a book about ghosts but it was like no other ghost story I've ever read! And I loved that about it. The book starts off in quite a dark place as we're introduced to Rory. We learn her mother is in a psychiatric unit because of the hallucinations she has. Only Rory knows they're read. The opening few chapters definitely had me gripped and there was a lot of suspense. I really loved seeing Rory's worries and fears about her mother.
Soon the story takes a huge twist and we land in Palladino, a heaven-like universe filled with ghosts and magic. This is where the book truly becomes something unique. I adored the world building because you get to see all this crazy, magical stuff and this beautiful landscape filled with castles and hot air balloons. It's very fantastical and whimsical and just carries you away! It felt very Alice in Wonderland-esque and Lewis Carroll's story is actually referenced several times. There was a great focus on dreams and imagination as well which I loved. If you like that kind of wonderful, imaginative setting for a book then I think you'll love Rory.
Rory as a character was very likable, and I loved her development through the book. She's landed in Palladino not by choice so when she gets there she's pretty feisty and I loved that! She has a sharp tongue and a great answer to everyone. It was interesting seeing her relationship with the other girls who have been brought to Palladino. Rory has had a very isolated life due to her mother home-schooling her with little interaction with others. Suddenly she finds herself surrounded by other girls her age and she's a bit of an outcast. I also like her relationship with the skine (a winged demon type creature) Manny and the talking cat Cookie (yes this book has talking cats!).
A lot of Rory's previous life is told through flashbacks which I thought was a really effective technique. I think there were some things just touched upon that I would like to know more about, hopefully in the next book, particularly Rory's neighbour Jai who is mentioned quite often but who you learn very little about. I'd also love to know more of Rory's mother's backstory.
The plot itself had several parts to it. I probably enjoyed the first half the most as Rory adjusts to life in Palladino and prepared for the "unveiling". Some of my favourite scenes were the lessons she's put through by the ghost mistresses where she has to learn to walk elegantly and make magical dust tea that stirs up your emotions. The second half becomes a lot more about the characters she meets there. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Martin, as he seemed to be a character with a lot of depth, and the relationship between him and Rory was fascinating to watch develop. It took a little while to get to the mystery that really drove that second half of the book but once you get there it was worth it, and there was a good sense that something bigger was going on.
I absolutely love Cho's writing which has the ability to suck you in and bring these magical places to life. Rory has a talent for decorating cakes and I can't tell you how many times I got hungry whilst reading about it! I could practically taste the icing. The writing really added to that atmosphere when it came to Palladino as well because the descriptions were so vivid.
This was a truly unique and enjoyable read and a universe I'm looking forward to get back to. The climax to the story was very exciting and left me dying to find out what happens. If you don't like ghost stories then you have to give this a try because it's a ghost story with a difference! And if you like your fantasy whimsical and a little bit mad then don't miss this one.
Find more books like this at TotalTeenFiction!
Full review also posted here on TotalTeenFiction.
I really enjoyed the two other books I've read by Ciye Cho, so when I was approached to read and review this one I couldn't resist! Rory follows the title character as she discovers the secret world of Palladino, a land where ghosts train girls to be auctioned off to the Ruling Lords.
This may be a book about ghosts but it was like no other ghost story I've ever read! And I loved that about it. The book starts off in quite a dark place as we're introduced to Rory. We learn her mother is in a psychiatric unit because of the hallucinations she has. Only Rory knows they're read. The opening few chapters definitely had me gripped and there was a lot of suspense. I really loved seeing Rory's worries and fears about her mother.
Soon the story takes a huge twist and we land in Palladino, a heaven-like universe filled with ghosts and magic. This is where the book truly becomes something unique. I adored the world building because you get to see all this crazy, magical stuff and this beautiful landscape filled with castles and hot air balloons. It's very fantastical and whimsical and just carries you away! It felt very Alice in Wonderland-esque and Lewis Carroll's story is actually referenced several times. There was a great focus on dreams and imagination as well which I loved. If you like that kind of wonderful, imaginative setting for a book then I think you'll love Rory.
Rory as a character was very likable, and I loved her development through the book. She's landed in Palladino not by choice so when she gets there she's pretty feisty and I loved that! She has a sharp tongue and a great answer to everyone. It was interesting seeing her relationship with the other girls who have been brought to Palladino. Rory has had a very isolated life due to her mother home-schooling her with little interaction with others. Suddenly she finds herself surrounded by other girls her age and she's a bit of an outcast. I also like her relationship with the skine (a winged demon type creature) Manny and the talking cat Cookie (yes this book has talking cats!).
A lot of Rory's previous life is told through flashbacks which I thought was a really effective technique. I think there were some things just touched upon that I would like to know more about, hopefully in the next book, particularly Rory's neighbour Jai who is mentioned quite often but who you learn very little about. I'd also love to know more of Rory's mother's backstory.
The plot itself had several parts to it. I probably enjoyed the first half the most as Rory adjusts to life in Palladino and prepared for the "unveiling". Some of my favourite scenes were the lessons she's put through by the ghost mistresses where she has to learn to walk elegantly and make magical dust tea that stirs up your emotions. The second half becomes a lot more about the characters she meets there. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Martin, as he seemed to be a character with a lot of depth, and the relationship between him and Rory was fascinating to watch develop. It took a little while to get to the mystery that really drove that second half of the book but once you get there it was worth it, and there was a good sense that something bigger was going on.
I absolutely love Cho's writing which has the ability to suck you in and bring these magical places to life. Rory has a talent for decorating cakes and I can't tell you how many times I got hungry whilst reading about it! I could practically taste the icing. The writing really added to that atmosphere when it came to Palladino as well because the descriptions were so vivid.
This was a truly unique and enjoyable read and a universe I'm looking forward to get back to. The climax to the story was very exciting and left me dying to find out what happens. If you don't like ghost stories then you have to give this a try because it's a ghost story with a difference! And if you like your fantasy whimsical and a little bit mad then don't miss this one.
Find more books like this at TotalTeenFiction!
August 9, 2013
Rory was absolutely amazing! I am a huge fan of the author’s mermaid YA series, Florence, so I couldn’t wait to get started on Rory. I expected to like it a lot, but I didn’t expect to love it even more than I loved Florence! Ciye Cho is a wonderful and talented author who has a knack for creating the most fascinating worlds and the plots within those worlds. Rory was one of the most unique premises I’ve come across and was absolutely enchanting. As with Cho’s mermaid series, the cover of Rory is gorgeous and represents the book very well.
Aurora, or Rory, was such a likeable character. She was quirky and strong willed. When she was taken to the land of Palladino and placed in a charm school with other young girls, she was extremely out of place. The other girls were charming, graceful, obedient, and had a sort of classical beauty to them. Rory was different, not quite graceful or elegant and had her own charm and beauty that was unique, but she didn’t let herself be intimidated by the other girls. I loved her curiosity and willingness to question everything, even when it was rude to do so. Why was she there? What was the goal? What did she need to do in order to get out?
The charm school was only the beginning of Rory’s adventures in the land of ghosts and perhaps the easiest part. I loved the direction of the plot and how nothing was predictable about it at all. I never knew what would happen next or what everything meant. I didn’t have a bigger picture, so I was right there with Rory trying to piece everything together and figure out her purpose and place in the world. Would she escape, would she pass the tests, would she find someone she could trust? I didn’t expect anything that happened to happen, but I loved every second! I didn’t know what avenues would be explored next and if a moment of attraction, terror, wonder, etc would be forgotten or later expanded upon or if Rory would get herself into trouble or be in the right place at the right time.
Rory surprised me so many times. Her creativity and the way she put so much of herself into her hobby made me admire her. I rooted for her the entire time and found her to be so caring and wary at the same time, loyal and distrusting, and completely challenging. I couldn’t figure out Martin Marius, the tinkering and inventive ghost, and I was just as confused as Rory by the way the ghost cat, Cookie, seemed to describe him and think of him. I loved the other characters, especially Cookie. Everyone was delightful in their own ways, whether they were delightfully terrifying, strange, or sweet. I won’t spoil anything that happens after the charm school, but the second half of the book was my favorite. The ending was spectacular and I’m already impatiently waiting on the second book!
Rory is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, fairy tale type of worlds, magic, or any kind of adventure. While it was darker in the sense that it dealt with ghosts and death, it was also light and full of wondrous things like lanterns of honey with glowing dragonflies and hot air balloons in the sky. It was creative, magical, inventive, and ultimately dazzling. I can’t contain it into just one genre! Even though I praise the story so much for being descriptive, it isn’t overly so or hard to read. I was immersed in the details, wanting to see, touch, and taste the things that Rory was sensing.
Ciye Cho is such a talented author. His worlds are enchanting and the plots within them don’t disappoint. I cannot gush enough about this book or his other ones and I feel like he is so underrated. I don’t hear near enough people talking about his books! I love how his stories are YA fantasy just as I’d want it, but so descriptive, new, magical, and unpredictable. They are like a breath of fresh air when I need it most.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason book review blog.
Aurora, or Rory, was such a likeable character. She was quirky and strong willed. When she was taken to the land of Palladino and placed in a charm school with other young girls, she was extremely out of place. The other girls were charming, graceful, obedient, and had a sort of classical beauty to them. Rory was different, not quite graceful or elegant and had her own charm and beauty that was unique, but she didn’t let herself be intimidated by the other girls. I loved her curiosity and willingness to question everything, even when it was rude to do so. Why was she there? What was the goal? What did she need to do in order to get out?
The charm school was only the beginning of Rory’s adventures in the land of ghosts and perhaps the easiest part. I loved the direction of the plot and how nothing was predictable about it at all. I never knew what would happen next or what everything meant. I didn’t have a bigger picture, so I was right there with Rory trying to piece everything together and figure out her purpose and place in the world. Would she escape, would she pass the tests, would she find someone she could trust? I didn’t expect anything that happened to happen, but I loved every second! I didn’t know what avenues would be explored next and if a moment of attraction, terror, wonder, etc would be forgotten or later expanded upon or if Rory would get herself into trouble or be in the right place at the right time.
Rory surprised me so many times. Her creativity and the way she put so much of herself into her hobby made me admire her. I rooted for her the entire time and found her to be so caring and wary at the same time, loyal and distrusting, and completely challenging. I couldn’t figure out Martin Marius, the tinkering and inventive ghost, and I was just as confused as Rory by the way the ghost cat, Cookie, seemed to describe him and think of him. I loved the other characters, especially Cookie. Everyone was delightful in their own ways, whether they were delightfully terrifying, strange, or sweet. I won’t spoil anything that happens after the charm school, but the second half of the book was my favorite. The ending was spectacular and I’m already impatiently waiting on the second book!
Rory is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, fairy tale type of worlds, magic, or any kind of adventure. While it was darker in the sense that it dealt with ghosts and death, it was also light and full of wondrous things like lanterns of honey with glowing dragonflies and hot air balloons in the sky. It was creative, magical, inventive, and ultimately dazzling. I can’t contain it into just one genre! Even though I praise the story so much for being descriptive, it isn’t overly so or hard to read. I was immersed in the details, wanting to see, touch, and taste the things that Rory was sensing.
Ciye Cho is such a talented author. His worlds are enchanting and the plots within them don’t disappoint. I cannot gush enough about this book or his other ones and I feel like he is so underrated. I don’t hear near enough people talking about his books! I love how his stories are YA fantasy just as I’d want it, but so descriptive, new, magical, and unpredictable. They are like a breath of fresh air when I need it most.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason book review blog.
March 8, 2016
Rory (The Ghosts of Palladino, #1) I have many conflicting thoughts about this book. On the one hand, I think Ciye Cho has an incredible imagination, and I really enjoyed the playful tone of this story. On the other hand, there were a few things that held me back from really falling in love with this book. Let me break it down into some lists.
The Good Stuff
- I was initially intrigued by the synopsis, which told me that Rory is a baker (um, yay!), and there was plenty of pastry fun to be found in this book. All the talk of cakes and cookies made me happy, and there's a dream kitchen that had me giddy with excitement!
- The story was interesting and a lot of fun. At times, I was reminded of Alice in Wonderland, because of all the strange, vibrant people and scenes in this book.
- There is a talking cat in this book (and I don't really think I'm spoiling anything by telling you this). He is no doubt one of the best characters in the book, and probably one of the most fleshed out. Every scene with this cat made me smile or giggle.
- The world of Palladino is quite imaginative, and a lot of fun to picture in one's mind. Cho's background as a graphic designer is evident here, because there are so many times where I just thought to myself, "Oh, cool!"
- There is plenty of humor. I found Rory to be an amusing narrator, and often her inner thoughts would make me snicker, because she was so snarky; I could relate to her a lot of the time.
- Um, the cover? It actually fits the story perfectly and -- gasp! -- even depicts a scene in the book. Imagine that! Again, this is definitely a perk, considering that the author is a graphic designer. (Have you seen the covers for his other books? Also gorgeous.)
The Not-as-Good Stuff
- Remember how I mentioned the baking parts? There were also several times where I was left grumbling to myself. Now, perhaps I'm just a bit of a pastry snob, so I did try to keep an open mind. I won't go into detail (contact me elsewhere, if you must know more), but there were several things that really made me question or doubt the author's knowledge of pastrycraft. It wasn't horrible, but again, maybe I'm just a snob.
- The need for more editing. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not awful or I wouldn't have read the whole thing. I think my issue is just that this book has so much potential to be amazing, to be a 5-star book for me, but it fell short. Amazingly, this is the first indie I've read in which I noticed less than 5 actual typos or grammatical errors (which is obviously a good thing). However, this one also seems to have less sophisticated writing than I prefer. You may (or may not) have noticed me griping about the amount of sentences I counted that began with "That's when..." while reading this book. Sigh.
- I wish the writing had been pushed to the next level. You know how they say "show, don't tell" when giving advice to writers? Oh, friends, I wish so badly that this book had gotten more attention in this department. So much of the narration included short sentences that just told me what was happening. And then, right when I was about to sigh in frustration, there'd be this paragraph that rose above the rest and I could almost feel myself really inside the story. And then it would dip again.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I did enjoy Rory, and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. But I think this is one example of a good book that could have been turned into an amazing book. That being said, if anything about Rory intrigues you, I definitely recommend giving it a shot (especially if you like baking and cats).
[NOTE: I also want to clarify how much I enjoyed the book, despite the few negatives. Please see my comment reply to Shanelle for more.]
The Good Stuff
- I was initially intrigued by the synopsis, which told me that Rory is a baker (um, yay!), and there was plenty of pastry fun to be found in this book. All the talk of cakes and cookies made me happy, and there's a dream kitchen that had me giddy with excitement!
- The story was interesting and a lot of fun. At times, I was reminded of Alice in Wonderland, because of all the strange, vibrant people and scenes in this book.
- There is a talking cat in this book (and I don't really think I'm spoiling anything by telling you this). He is no doubt one of the best characters in the book, and probably one of the most fleshed out. Every scene with this cat made me smile or giggle.
- The world of Palladino is quite imaginative, and a lot of fun to picture in one's mind. Cho's background as a graphic designer is evident here, because there are so many times where I just thought to myself, "Oh, cool!"
- There is plenty of humor. I found Rory to be an amusing narrator, and often her inner thoughts would make me snicker, because she was so snarky; I could relate to her a lot of the time.
- Um, the cover? It actually fits the story perfectly and -- gasp! -- even depicts a scene in the book. Imagine that! Again, this is definitely a perk, considering that the author is a graphic designer. (Have you seen the covers for his other books? Also gorgeous.)
The Not-as-Good Stuff
- Remember how I mentioned the baking parts? There were also several times where I was left grumbling to myself. Now, perhaps I'm just a bit of a pastry snob, so I did try to keep an open mind. I won't go into detail (contact me elsewhere, if you must know more), but there were several things that really made me question or doubt the author's knowledge of pastrycraft. It wasn't horrible, but again, maybe I'm just a snob.
- The need for more editing. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not awful or I wouldn't have read the whole thing. I think my issue is just that this book has so much potential to be amazing, to be a 5-star book for me, but it fell short. Amazingly, this is the first indie I've read in which I noticed less than 5 actual typos or grammatical errors (which is obviously a good thing). However, this one also seems to have less sophisticated writing than I prefer. You may (or may not) have noticed me griping about the amount of sentences I counted that began with "That's when..." while reading this book. Sigh.
- I wish the writing had been pushed to the next level. You know how they say "show, don't tell" when giving advice to writers? Oh, friends, I wish so badly that this book had gotten more attention in this department. So much of the narration included short sentences that just told me what was happening. And then, right when I was about to sigh in frustration, there'd be this paragraph that rose above the rest and I could almost feel myself really inside the story. And then it would dip again.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I did enjoy Rory, and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. But I think this is one example of a good book that could have been turned into an amazing book. That being said, if anything about Rory intrigues you, I definitely recommend giving it a shot (especially if you like baking and cats).
[NOTE: I also want to clarify how much I enjoyed the book, despite the few negatives. Please see my comment reply to Shanelle for more.]
October 24, 2013
Plot:
One thing that I loved about this book was the cover. While I’m not a huge fan of the color pink, I kind of like the shimmering, rainbow iridescence of the artwork. The book, however, could only partially compete with the cover’s splendor. I had many issues with this book; lack of a concrete plot, dialogue that read strange, a cat that busted out in Kung fu moves for no reason and had a strong desire to play hopscotch, etc. Rory could have been a good book, but it was poorly executed.
Rory is a someteen (if her age was stated, it wasn’t made memorable enough for me) age girl from Jacksonville, Florida. Or namely, Avondale, as she so often likes to announce. Her mom has always warned her of demons and how they’ll take her away if she goes out at night, but Rory ignores the warnings and defies her. This results in a demon attack, leaving her mom hospitalized and crazy and Rory immensely guilty.
With her mother out of the picture, you guessed it, the demon comes back for Rory and takes her to Palladino. Basically, a purgatory she can’t escape.
From here, the plot just goes all screwy. First we see her fighting against prim and proper princessy schooling and then she suddenly changes her mind and tries to blend upon a demon’s suggestion (did I mention that some people call him Manny?).
The latter half of the book shows her running errands for a demon lord (actually, he’s a ghost, so I’m not sure where the demon title came from) and trying to determine whether or not she should trust him.
And other than the very beginning of the book, Rory seems to completely forget her desire to escape ghost land.
This is just the beginning of my issues with the book, sadly.
Plot: 1 out of 5
Characters:
I’m sad to say that the character I most liked was the character I was most supposed to hate.
Hervé Moreno was supposedly our antagonist. Though I can’t recall ever being told why. Throughout the book, everyone merely warns Rory to avoid him and we’re given the general impression that he’s no good. Other than the random two or three attacks of his, we’re given next to no insight as to why he’s evil.
Personally, he amused me.
Rory, however, seemed kind of wishy washy. More like she wanted to be tough, when she really wasn’t. She also whined a lot, but that’s people in general, I suppose. However, I found her to be a confusing protagonist to follow, and she didn’t seem very realistic.
Overall, I felt pretty let down by the cast. Either they confused me and seemed to have more than one personality, or they were so flat and washed out that they were nothing but thin sheets of lined notebook paper.
Characters: 1 out of 5
Setting/Writing Style:
Okay, I’ll get this right out front: The writing style stunk. It could have been good, but I get the impression that Cho was trying a bit too hard. It was just repetitive and there was a ton of dialogue that seemed unrealistic.
Moving away from that, I actually thought Cho did an excellent job with the setting. While I found rainbows, mermaids, and bronze colored streets to be odd for a purgatory land filled with demons, he did a great job painting a picture. From talking to my brother about it, he came to the conclusion that it was Dante’s Inferno meets My Little Pony. I’m not so sure that description is true, but I kind of like the sound.
Setting/Writing Style: 3 out of 5
Overall: 2 out of 5. Not one I’d really recommend, but it’s a safe read for most ages that can read MG. As for the demons? Not that scary or intimidating. More like dark things with rainbows for wings. If you’re interested in purchasing, you can buy Rory on Amazon.
I received Rory from the author in exchange for an honest review. As is probably obvious, all opinions are my own and have no affiliation with the author or publisher.
Want to read more reviews like this? Stop on by Verbosity Book Reviews.
One thing that I loved about this book was the cover. While I’m not a huge fan of the color pink, I kind of like the shimmering, rainbow iridescence of the artwork. The book, however, could only partially compete with the cover’s splendor. I had many issues with this book; lack of a concrete plot, dialogue that read strange, a cat that busted out in Kung fu moves for no reason and had a strong desire to play hopscotch, etc. Rory could have been a good book, but it was poorly executed.
Rory is a someteen (if her age was stated, it wasn’t made memorable enough for me) age girl from Jacksonville, Florida. Or namely, Avondale, as she so often likes to announce. Her mom has always warned her of demons and how they’ll take her away if she goes out at night, but Rory ignores the warnings and defies her. This results in a demon attack, leaving her mom hospitalized and crazy and Rory immensely guilty.
With her mother out of the picture, you guessed it, the demon comes back for Rory and takes her to Palladino. Basically, a purgatory she can’t escape.
From here, the plot just goes all screwy. First we see her fighting against prim and proper princessy schooling and then she suddenly changes her mind and tries to blend upon a demon’s suggestion (did I mention that some people call him Manny?).
The latter half of the book shows her running errands for a demon lord (actually, he’s a ghost, so I’m not sure where the demon title came from) and trying to determine whether or not she should trust him.
And other than the very beginning of the book, Rory seems to completely forget her desire to escape ghost land.
This is just the beginning of my issues with the book, sadly.
Plot: 1 out of 5
Characters:
I’m sad to say that the character I most liked was the character I was most supposed to hate.
Hervé Moreno was supposedly our antagonist. Though I can’t recall ever being told why. Throughout the book, everyone merely warns Rory to avoid him and we’re given the general impression that he’s no good. Other than the random two or three attacks of his, we’re given next to no insight as to why he’s evil.
Personally, he amused me.
Rory, however, seemed kind of wishy washy. More like she wanted to be tough, when she really wasn’t. She also whined a lot, but that’s people in general, I suppose. However, I found her to be a confusing protagonist to follow, and she didn’t seem very realistic.
Overall, I felt pretty let down by the cast. Either they confused me and seemed to have more than one personality, or they were so flat and washed out that they were nothing but thin sheets of lined notebook paper.
Characters: 1 out of 5
Setting/Writing Style:
Okay, I’ll get this right out front: The writing style stunk. It could have been good, but I get the impression that Cho was trying a bit too hard. It was just repetitive and there was a ton of dialogue that seemed unrealistic.
Moving away from that, I actually thought Cho did an excellent job with the setting. While I found rainbows, mermaids, and bronze colored streets to be odd for a purgatory land filled with demons, he did a great job painting a picture. From talking to my brother about it, he came to the conclusion that it was Dante’s Inferno meets My Little Pony. I’m not so sure that description is true, but I kind of like the sound.
Setting/Writing Style: 3 out of 5
Overall: 2 out of 5. Not one I’d really recommend, but it’s a safe read for most ages that can read MG. As for the demons? Not that scary or intimidating. More like dark things with rainbows for wings. If you’re interested in purchasing, you can buy Rory on Amazon.
I received Rory from the author in exchange for an honest review. As is probably obvious, all opinions are my own and have no affiliation with the author or publisher.
Want to read more reviews like this? Stop on by Verbosity Book Reviews.
August 8, 2013
I adore Ciye Cho's mermaid series, Florence and Luminaire, so when he asked me to review his new book, Rory, I was definitely intrigued. Then I saw the gorgeous cover and I just knew this was one book I had to read. And Ciye did not disappoint! Rory is just as fun and stunning as I hoped it would be...
Eighteen year old cake decorator, Rory, lives a wary life. All her life, her mother warned her about the demons in the dark that snatch girls away and take them to a place they can't escape. Rory, of course, never believed her mother, that is until a demon with colorful glass wings almost captured her one dark evening. Rory's mother saved her life, but at the expense of her sanity. And on another dark night, Rory is successfully captured by the winged demon and taken to Palladino, a city of ghosts. In Palladino, Rory, like other captured human girls, is trained to be a lady and eventual companion to one of the Ruling Lords.
What I love most about Ciye Cho's books is his imaginative and beautiful storytelling, and Rory is definitely both imaginative and beautiful. Cho has created such an enthralling and original take on ghosts and the afterlife in Rory. I've never encountered a world of ghosts and premise quite like this one! Cho, once again, excels at vivid, layered world-building. The wondrous city of Palladino is laid out and crafted with such fantastic detail and it is eerily enchanting in the most thrilling way. Cho is so great at creating worlds that have the perfect balance of whimsy, beauty, and darkness, and Palladino is a shining example. We don't get to explore all of Palladino in Rory, but the places Cho does take us (particularly Cavendish Castle and the Jade Castle) are bewitching and intriguing with their unexpected nooks and crannies. And I look forward to discovering and exploring more of Palladino in future books.
Another thing I love about Cho's books, is his ability to create such well-developed heroines. Rory is super relatable, capable, witty, and equal parts strong, vulnerable, brave, and impetuous. She feels real and is easy to root for. I like her a lot and can't wait to watch her grow even more as a heroine. There is one, very minor, thing that I found annoying about Rory, and that's her overuse of the word alas...but, again, this is just a small, silly issue and definitely does not distract from her awesomeness. There are several great supporting characters, all well-developed and intriguing, including a faceless winged demon, a talking cat, and a charmingly gruff Ruling Lord. I do, however, wish some of the supporting characters' background information and history were explored more in-depth, but hopefully more is learned in future books. There are only slight, subtle romantic elements (which I totally didn't mind!) in this first book, and I'm excited to see where all the possible romantic entanglements might go.
Rory's journey in Palladino takes her, and us readers, to some unexpected and twisty places. I really enjoyed discovering this ghost-city with Rory, uncovering all its dark secrets and places of breathtaking beauty.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Rory has everything I've come to expect from and admire about Ciye Cho's books: a great heroine, stunning world-building, and a wonderfully imaginative story. Cho is a smart and highly entertaining storyteller, and Rory kept me captivated from beginning to end. Readers looking for a different kind of ghostly tale should definitely give Rory a read!
Eighteen year old cake decorator, Rory, lives a wary life. All her life, her mother warned her about the demons in the dark that snatch girls away and take them to a place they can't escape. Rory, of course, never believed her mother, that is until a demon with colorful glass wings almost captured her one dark evening. Rory's mother saved her life, but at the expense of her sanity. And on another dark night, Rory is successfully captured by the winged demon and taken to Palladino, a city of ghosts. In Palladino, Rory, like other captured human girls, is trained to be a lady and eventual companion to one of the Ruling Lords.
What I love most about Ciye Cho's books is his imaginative and beautiful storytelling, and Rory is definitely both imaginative and beautiful. Cho has created such an enthralling and original take on ghosts and the afterlife in Rory. I've never encountered a world of ghosts and premise quite like this one! Cho, once again, excels at vivid, layered world-building. The wondrous city of Palladino is laid out and crafted with such fantastic detail and it is eerily enchanting in the most thrilling way. Cho is so great at creating worlds that have the perfect balance of whimsy, beauty, and darkness, and Palladino is a shining example. We don't get to explore all of Palladino in Rory, but the places Cho does take us (particularly Cavendish Castle and the Jade Castle) are bewitching and intriguing with their unexpected nooks and crannies. And I look forward to discovering and exploring more of Palladino in future books.
Another thing I love about Cho's books, is his ability to create such well-developed heroines. Rory is super relatable, capable, witty, and equal parts strong, vulnerable, brave, and impetuous. She feels real and is easy to root for. I like her a lot and can't wait to watch her grow even more as a heroine. There is one, very minor, thing that I found annoying about Rory, and that's her overuse of the word alas...but, again, this is just a small, silly issue and definitely does not distract from her awesomeness. There are several great supporting characters, all well-developed and intriguing, including a faceless winged demon, a talking cat, and a charmingly gruff Ruling Lord. I do, however, wish some of the supporting characters' background information and history were explored more in-depth, but hopefully more is learned in future books. There are only slight, subtle romantic elements (which I totally didn't mind!) in this first book, and I'm excited to see where all the possible romantic entanglements might go.
Rory's journey in Palladino takes her, and us readers, to some unexpected and twisty places. I really enjoyed discovering this ghost-city with Rory, uncovering all its dark secrets and places of breathtaking beauty.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Rory has everything I've come to expect from and admire about Ciye Cho's books: a great heroine, stunning world-building, and a wonderfully imaginative story. Cho is a smart and highly entertaining storyteller, and Rory kept me captivated from beginning to end. Readers looking for a different kind of ghostly tale should definitely give Rory a read!
July 5, 2013
Thoughts on the matter: A character that's like a real person? No way! You can't find one of those anywhere...or can you? I like Rory. She's sassy and knows what she wants (until a certain part of the story that it but shhhhhhh...no spoilers). Rory has had real hard times and real pain. In fact, thanks to the fact that it apparently doesn't matter where a group of girls is, they are all still jerks to the odd one out, she still suffers a lot when she shouldn't have to. I felt so bad for her and wanted to reach into the story so I could beat some people up for her.
Actually, all the characters really showed and stayed true. Some were sneaky and could hide coming twists and turns while some you could figure out in a heart beat. Each character was worth their lines, easily. And Martin? What the heck was with that guy? Talk about an enigma. I liked it. Who could forget Cookie? I'd ignore any or my allergies or those of my family for a cat like Cookie.
Sadly, I felt that a lot of time was given to things that may not have been important to the story while not some very important parts seemed to be skimmed over. This bothered me because it meant spending so much time reading over what seems less important but as soon as there is a major conflict, I want more. I wasn't super clear on which part of the story was the most important. This small problem didn't cause me to lose interest or anything, it was just something that I noticed. Okay, okay, it made me kinda sad but at least the writing was clear and didn't require much thought outside of the schemes, plots, and theories that I couldn't stop throwing around in my head.
I was, however, totally distracted from most of the writing style stuff. I'd read novels by this author before (check them out, they are great!) so I knew a bit of what to expect writing wise but I had no idea where the story was going. I was surprised at where it went. The concept for this novel, I thought, was very unique and I love me my unique works. I really didn't know where we would get to by the end of this novel. I didn't see what was coming ahead until it was right there. If I did figure something out before it happened, it wasn't too far ahead of it actually happening. I'm glad it was like that. It kept me focused.
And we've come to the cover. How gorgeous is that cover? All of the covers for this author match, which I love, and they all look incredible. They are as much of a work of art as the novel itself. I love this cover. Apparently, I'm a sucker for colour it would seem.
Basically: This is an easy and enjoyable read. I've not read another book with the same idea. The characters were perfect for their roles but I did feel that some scenes were a bit lacking. I would definitely consider rereading this novel and I recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal, science-fiction, and magic or doesn't mind not knowing whats coming next.
At least you have the benefit of reading this before decided whether or not to read this novel. I just went for it with no idea of what I was getting myself into. Now I'm just sad that I have to wait for the next one.
http://one-chapter-ahead.blogspot.com...
Actually, all the characters really showed and stayed true. Some were sneaky and could hide coming twists and turns while some you could figure out in a heart beat. Each character was worth their lines, easily. And Martin? What the heck was with that guy? Talk about an enigma. I liked it. Who could forget Cookie? I'd ignore any or my allergies or those of my family for a cat like Cookie.
Sadly, I felt that a lot of time was given to things that may not have been important to the story while not some very important parts seemed to be skimmed over. This bothered me because it meant spending so much time reading over what seems less important but as soon as there is a major conflict, I want more. I wasn't super clear on which part of the story was the most important. This small problem didn't cause me to lose interest or anything, it was just something that I noticed. Okay, okay, it made me kinda sad but at least the writing was clear and didn't require much thought outside of the schemes, plots, and theories that I couldn't stop throwing around in my head.
I was, however, totally distracted from most of the writing style stuff. I'd read novels by this author before (check them out, they are great!) so I knew a bit of what to expect writing wise but I had no idea where the story was going. I was surprised at where it went. The concept for this novel, I thought, was very unique and I love me my unique works. I really didn't know where we would get to by the end of this novel. I didn't see what was coming ahead until it was right there. If I did figure something out before it happened, it wasn't too far ahead of it actually happening. I'm glad it was like that. It kept me focused.
And we've come to the cover. How gorgeous is that cover? All of the covers for this author match, which I love, and they all look incredible. They are as much of a work of art as the novel itself. I love this cover. Apparently, I'm a sucker for colour it would seem.
Basically: This is an easy and enjoyable read. I've not read another book with the same idea. The characters were perfect for their roles but I did feel that some scenes were a bit lacking. I would definitely consider rereading this novel and I recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal, science-fiction, and magic or doesn't mind not knowing whats coming next.
At least you have the benefit of reading this before decided whether or not to read this novel. I just went for it with no idea of what I was getting myself into. Now I'm just sad that I have to wait for the next one.
http://one-chapter-ahead.blogspot.com...
June 29, 2014
http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy....
At A Glance
Started out so interesting, then I just got bored and felt annoyed by the end.
The Good
If you were going to read Rory for one reason, it would be for the unique, insanely interesting concept. This is like no other story you have ever read. This is not your typical ghost story. Rory is all kinds of dark, beautiful, and creepy. I straight up got the chills for half this book. A person can go crazy trying to imagine all the secrets that have yet to be revealed in this book. Expect good action/drama, mystery galore, and mesmerizing magic.
The first half was the best part of the book. I haven't bitten my nails in years, but I did while reading this book. I never knew what was going to happen. Some of these characters were so evil, so horrible, and some trick you into thinking they are nice but they would stab their own mother in the back. Then there was those few who showed compassion and it made my heart melt. Oh, I wish, I wish the second half never happened.
The Bad
The first half was great, no complaints, but the second half ruined it all for me. The plot gets confusing. I had no idea where any of this was going and not in a good way. For the second half Rory became the errand girl for Martin, a Ghost Lord. Yeah, not so fun to read about. When the plot took this 180, it felt completely separate from the first half. From here I was bored out of my mind.
Rory was feisty and determined to fight in the beginning and she lost all that gusto in the second part. She made stupid decisions and I just stopped caring about her overall by the end. And Martin was no better. I actually never cared for him because I still don't know him. Bad character development all around.
Almost nothing was resolved by the end and so many questions were left unanswered that I just had to give up caring for this book. I just felt too frustrated with everything that happened that I didn't want to deal with any of it anymore.
The Snuggly
There really is no romance. I guess Rory and Martin might have feelings for each other but I am still not sure. Appropriate for a YA audience.
Final Thoughts
I will not be continuing this series. I don't really care about the characters or what is going to happen next. I still give props for the first half, but the second half was the death of my interest. Not recommended.
Quotes
It all happens so fast. The creature grabs me with his dark hands. His fingers wrap around my waist like thick metal wires. I freeze. A gust of wind rushes around me as the giant wings rise higher. But before I can pull away, the wings arc downward to propel the demon into the air. I open my mouth, but no sound escapes from my throat. I can't move as the demon lifts me up. This isn't happening, I think to myself. This isn't real.
"Begging your pardon, Lady Cavendish, but I didn't come here, I was taken."
She pauses, and her face takes on a cold light.
At last she says, "Yes, so you were. However, I suggest that you work hard to fit in inside my castle." She smiles, then adds softly, "...That is, if you wish to remain here in one piece."
*Free book from author for honest review*
At A Glance
Started out so interesting, then I just got bored and felt annoyed by the end.
The Good
If you were going to read Rory for one reason, it would be for the unique, insanely interesting concept. This is like no other story you have ever read. This is not your typical ghost story. Rory is all kinds of dark, beautiful, and creepy. I straight up got the chills for half this book. A person can go crazy trying to imagine all the secrets that have yet to be revealed in this book. Expect good action/drama, mystery galore, and mesmerizing magic.
The first half was the best part of the book. I haven't bitten my nails in years, but I did while reading this book. I never knew what was going to happen. Some of these characters were so evil, so horrible, and some trick you into thinking they are nice but they would stab their own mother in the back. Then there was those few who showed compassion and it made my heart melt. Oh, I wish, I wish the second half never happened.
The Bad
The first half was great, no complaints, but the second half ruined it all for me. The plot gets confusing. I had no idea where any of this was going and not in a good way. For the second half Rory became the errand girl for Martin, a Ghost Lord. Yeah, not so fun to read about. When the plot took this 180, it felt completely separate from the first half. From here I was bored out of my mind.
Rory was feisty and determined to fight in the beginning and she lost all that gusto in the second part. She made stupid decisions and I just stopped caring about her overall by the end. And Martin was no better. I actually never cared for him because I still don't know him. Bad character development all around.
Almost nothing was resolved by the end and so many questions were left unanswered that I just had to give up caring for this book. I just felt too frustrated with everything that happened that I didn't want to deal with any of it anymore.
The Snuggly
There really is no romance. I guess Rory and Martin might have feelings for each other but I am still not sure. Appropriate for a YA audience.
Final Thoughts
I will not be continuing this series. I don't really care about the characters or what is going to happen next. I still give props for the first half, but the second half was the death of my interest. Not recommended.
Quotes
It all happens so fast. The creature grabs me with his dark hands. His fingers wrap around my waist like thick metal wires. I freeze. A gust of wind rushes around me as the giant wings rise higher. But before I can pull away, the wings arc downward to propel the demon into the air. I open my mouth, but no sound escapes from my throat. I can't move as the demon lifts me up. This isn't happening, I think to myself. This isn't real.
"Begging your pardon, Lady Cavendish, but I didn't come here, I was taken."
She pauses, and her face takes on a cold light.
At last she says, "Yes, so you were. However, I suggest that you work hard to fit in inside my castle." She smiles, then adds softly, "...That is, if you wish to remain here in one piece."
*Free book from author for honest review*
August 13, 2013
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Sometimes, you just gotta take a chance. And I’m glad I took a chance and read Rory. Aside from the pretty cover (the blend of colors is just exquisite!) and the really cool trailer, what convinced me to read this was the peculiar idea of a world of ghosts. I had never heard of such a unique plot- and that was exactly what drew me in and had me reading on.
Rory, the main character, was quite like any other heroine. She was brave, feisty and witty. Cho does’t stick to idealism though, knocking down Rory with imperfections and flaws that allowed her to be more realistic. Rory made mistakes and unreasonable decisions here and there, even throwing a few tantrums. She was also often too valiant for her own good. Nonetheless, she was amusing to read. Being alone in a world she knew so little of, Rory’s actions were understandable.
What I loved about Rory’s character, was the fact that she didn’t get handed down anything. No external force (and by that, I mean luck) helped her. She was on her own most of the time. She had to work towards her goals, and even then, she failed and had to try again. It was refreshing to see a heroine who was unsuccessful and yet was determined to go on.
Because I liked Rory, it felt natural to root for her and want her to overcome whatever endeavor she is up against. Cho throws lots of hardships along her way, and one I found extremely hard was Rory’s time at ‘charm school.’ Really, it wasn’t much of that- you’d actually think it was The Hunger Games arena what with the crazy competition. The catty, mean girls also reminded me of The Selection.
Still, I found myself enjoying reading about all the madness. Cho’s storyline had lots of twists. I was pleasantly surprised by most of them. I also was fond of the secondary characters: Manny, the kind skine, Cookie, the too-adorable-just-wanna-cuddle-with-him-and-giggle-so-badly talking cat and Martin Marius, the cat-loving, hard-to-understand Ghost Lord.
All the characters were well-developed, even the antagonists. I liked reading about Rory’s interaction with all of them especially with Lord Marius. The two definitely had some chemistry! If you compare it with others’ though, the romance felt quite understated. That said, it was palpable.
I was really impressed by Cho by while reading Rory. However, I had a few qualms. Some words and expressions felt redundant. Also, the story was a little too long and a little unrefined. The baking aspect was a fun one but it didn’t feel enough. Rory was quite promising but it lacked something that I couldn’t quite discern. Anyhow, I felt that these were forgivable.
All that said, I really didn’t expect much from Rory so I was real happy to discover it was good. Cho has created a fantastic world- completely surreal. It’s creatively imagined, beautifully adorned with magic and magnificence. Everything was bewitching- the Jade castle, the talking cat, the hot air balloons and the lovely dresses! I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was looking forward to reading the next book. Y’all ought to give Rory a try! :)
Sometimes, you just gotta take a chance. And I’m glad I took a chance and read Rory. Aside from the pretty cover (the blend of colors is just exquisite!) and the really cool trailer, what convinced me to read this was the peculiar idea of a world of ghosts. I had never heard of such a unique plot- and that was exactly what drew me in and had me reading on.
Rory, the main character, was quite like any other heroine. She was brave, feisty and witty. Cho does’t stick to idealism though, knocking down Rory with imperfections and flaws that allowed her to be more realistic. Rory made mistakes and unreasonable decisions here and there, even throwing a few tantrums. She was also often too valiant for her own good. Nonetheless, she was amusing to read. Being alone in a world she knew so little of, Rory’s actions were understandable.
What I loved about Rory’s character, was the fact that she didn’t get handed down anything. No external force (and by that, I mean luck) helped her. She was on her own most of the time. She had to work towards her goals, and even then, she failed and had to try again. It was refreshing to see a heroine who was unsuccessful and yet was determined to go on.
Because I liked Rory, it felt natural to root for her and want her to overcome whatever endeavor she is up against. Cho throws lots of hardships along her way, and one I found extremely hard was Rory’s time at ‘charm school.’ Really, it wasn’t much of that- you’d actually think it was The Hunger Games arena what with the crazy competition. The catty, mean girls also reminded me of The Selection.
Still, I found myself enjoying reading about all the madness. Cho’s storyline had lots of twists. I was pleasantly surprised by most of them. I also was fond of the secondary characters: Manny, the kind skine, Cookie, the too-adorable-just-wanna-cuddle-with-him-and-giggle-so-badly talking cat and Martin Marius, the cat-loving, hard-to-understand Ghost Lord.
All the characters were well-developed, even the antagonists. I liked reading about Rory’s interaction with all of them especially with Lord Marius. The two definitely had some chemistry! If you compare it with others’ though, the romance felt quite understated. That said, it was palpable.
I was really impressed by Cho by while reading Rory. However, I had a few qualms. Some words and expressions felt redundant. Also, the story was a little too long and a little unrefined. The baking aspect was a fun one but it didn’t feel enough. Rory was quite promising but it lacked something that I couldn’t quite discern. Anyhow, I felt that these were forgivable.
All that said, I really didn’t expect much from Rory so I was real happy to discover it was good. Cho has created a fantastic world- completely surreal. It’s creatively imagined, beautifully adorned with magic and magnificence. Everything was bewitching- the Jade castle, the talking cat, the hot air balloons and the lovely dresses! I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was looking forward to reading the next book. Y’all ought to give Rory a try! :)
September 7, 2013
Thank you to author Ciye Cho who provided me with a copy of this to read in exchange for an honest review!
Find my complete review on my blog here: http://rachybee-the-rest-is-still-unw...
Rory is a vividly told story by Ciye Cho and is incredibly unique. I guarantee you—you haven’t read anything like this before!
In all honesty, I’m not completely sure how I feel about this novel. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s wonderfully written. Rory is an insanely unique tale and a real journey, and yet I find myself torn over how much I actually enjoyed this book…..
Author Ciye Cho introduces us to a world so very unlike our own in Rory. The world of Palladino is otherworldly and magical; abounding in colour and life and full of unexpected surprises like talking cats, strange mythical demons and ghosts that prove to be odder than expected. It’s kind of like falling down a rabbit hole with this book…..everything is so outrageous and outlandish; colourful and vibrant and extremely overwhelming.
Cho has done a good job creating a world as vivid as it is descriptive in Rory, as well as giving his own take on ghosts and spirits. I liked what he’s done here—it’s nice to stumble upon something unique, but I felt as though the craziness of the world detracted from the actual story at times.
Our heroine Aurora “Rory” is swept up on a journey she never expected to take when she’s kidnapped by a strange creature and whisked away to the land of Palladino to become a companion to one of the ghosts that call it home. For the most part I liked Rory, but I struggled to become invested in her plight throughout the book as so much of her story seemed pointless and unnecessary to me.
Now, I’m in no way trying to be mean, but the constant array of odd situations Rory was put in seemed unnecessary. It went from one extreme to the other and while the situations may have been interesting enough, I still found myself often bored as our protagonist didn’t seem to be making headway with her plan to get home. I feel like Cho should have skipped many parts and I would have loved the story more.
Rory does manage to find unexpected allies and friends in the form of Manny, a demon-type creature and Cookie a talking ghost cat which I found interesting. Her Ghost Lord Martin Marius was also an enigma; one I wanted to know more about but whom, in my mind, was often lost amongst the array of flair that was Palladino. His relationship with Rory begins and then evolves too strongly for my liking. I would have preferred to see Ciye Cho explore their connection and unexpected friendship more before taking the leap into a romance.
And yet for the issues I had with Rory and her story, I wouldn’t be against possibly picking up the second book at some point in time. Cho ends the story at a crucial moment for Rory, Martin and the land of Palladino and I find myself wondering just what could possibly happen next……
Find my complete review on my blog here: http://rachybee-the-rest-is-still-unw...
Rory is a vividly told story by Ciye Cho and is incredibly unique. I guarantee you—you haven’t read anything like this before!
In all honesty, I’m not completely sure how I feel about this novel. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s wonderfully written. Rory is an insanely unique tale and a real journey, and yet I find myself torn over how much I actually enjoyed this book…..
Author Ciye Cho introduces us to a world so very unlike our own in Rory. The world of Palladino is otherworldly and magical; abounding in colour and life and full of unexpected surprises like talking cats, strange mythical demons and ghosts that prove to be odder than expected. It’s kind of like falling down a rabbit hole with this book…..everything is so outrageous and outlandish; colourful and vibrant and extremely overwhelming.
Cho has done a good job creating a world as vivid as it is descriptive in Rory, as well as giving his own take on ghosts and spirits. I liked what he’s done here—it’s nice to stumble upon something unique, but I felt as though the craziness of the world detracted from the actual story at times.
Our heroine Aurora “Rory” is swept up on a journey she never expected to take when she’s kidnapped by a strange creature and whisked away to the land of Palladino to become a companion to one of the ghosts that call it home. For the most part I liked Rory, but I struggled to become invested in her plight throughout the book as so much of her story seemed pointless and unnecessary to me.
Now, I’m in no way trying to be mean, but the constant array of odd situations Rory was put in seemed unnecessary. It went from one extreme to the other and while the situations may have been interesting enough, I still found myself often bored as our protagonist didn’t seem to be making headway with her plan to get home. I feel like Cho should have skipped many parts and I would have loved the story more.
Rory does manage to find unexpected allies and friends in the form of Manny, a demon-type creature and Cookie a talking ghost cat which I found interesting. Her Ghost Lord Martin Marius was also an enigma; one I wanted to know more about but whom, in my mind, was often lost amongst the array of flair that was Palladino. His relationship with Rory begins and then evolves too strongly for my liking. I would have preferred to see Ciye Cho explore their connection and unexpected friendship more before taking the leap into a romance.
And yet for the issues I had with Rory and her story, I wouldn’t be against possibly picking up the second book at some point in time. Cho ends the story at a crucial moment for Rory, Martin and the land of Palladino and I find myself wondering just what could possibly happen next……
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2015
The first time I noticed Rory was when reading someone’s review. I cannot remember who, or if they even liked the book. I was just in love with the cover. The pretty pink of it all, the rainbow of colours on the title, and Rory’s dress itself. I thought it looked so beautiful, and I wanted to see if the words inside matched the beautiful cover.
And then Ciye emailed me about a review request, and I accepted. I loved the sound of the story, and I really wanted to see if it was something that I would like. And I am happy to say that I did indeed like Rory.
The thing I loved most about Rory was the world building. It was beautiful. When Rory finds herself in Palladino, everything is different to earth. And I think that Cho portrayed that wonderfully. I had no trouble imagining the pink marble of Lady Cavendish’s castle, or the bedrooms where the girls are kept. It was easy to imagine the amber walkway leading to the fountain in the heart of the city. Jade Castle was clear as day in my mind, and well as Lord Moreno’s gates. It was all brilliant, and I felt like I was in Palladino myself. I cannot praise Cho’s world building, and scene setting enough.
The characters were also very vivid in Rory. Rory herself was interesting to read about. I liked her thought processes, the feelings she portrayed, and her attitude towards her predicament. But most of all I loved her kindness. I loved that, no matter how people treated her, she always found it in her heart to help them. I think it was an admirable quality, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.
The other characters that I really liked included Manny (a demon with coloured glass wings), Cookie (a talking ghost cat who is too adorable to even begin to describe), and Marius. Marius is this dark, broody, but total softy at heart ghost who lives in Jade Castle. He’s an inventor, and cat lover, and uber mysterious. I, for one, am a fan of Marius (I simply cannot bring myself to call him Martin), and really hope that we get to learn even more about him in the next book in The Ghosts of Palladino series.
Rory kind of reminded me a little of Beauty and the Beast. I cannot tell you too much as to why it reminds of the classic fairytale, as it would ruin some things, but it really did. A castle, a prisoner, a girl taken from her home, a broody owner of the castle, things that talk that shouldn’t, an evil guy who wants the girl. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that it reminded me of my favourite fairytale – it made it an even bigger joy to read.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading Rory, and cannot wait to read more of Rory’s story in the rest of this series.
© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
And then Ciye emailed me about a review request, and I accepted. I loved the sound of the story, and I really wanted to see if it was something that I would like. And I am happy to say that I did indeed like Rory.
The thing I loved most about Rory was the world building. It was beautiful. When Rory finds herself in Palladino, everything is different to earth. And I think that Cho portrayed that wonderfully. I had no trouble imagining the pink marble of Lady Cavendish’s castle, or the bedrooms where the girls are kept. It was easy to imagine the amber walkway leading to the fountain in the heart of the city. Jade Castle was clear as day in my mind, and well as Lord Moreno’s gates. It was all brilliant, and I felt like I was in Palladino myself. I cannot praise Cho’s world building, and scene setting enough.
The characters were also very vivid in Rory. Rory herself was interesting to read about. I liked her thought processes, the feelings she portrayed, and her attitude towards her predicament. But most of all I loved her kindness. I loved that, no matter how people treated her, she always found it in her heart to help them. I think it was an admirable quality, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.
The other characters that I really liked included Manny (a demon with coloured glass wings), Cookie (a talking ghost cat who is too adorable to even begin to describe), and Marius. Marius is this dark, broody, but total softy at heart ghost who lives in Jade Castle. He’s an inventor, and cat lover, and uber mysterious. I, for one, am a fan of Marius (I simply cannot bring myself to call him Martin), and really hope that we get to learn even more about him in the next book in The Ghosts of Palladino series.
Rory kind of reminded me a little of Beauty and the Beast. I cannot tell you too much as to why it reminds of the classic fairytale, as it would ruin some things, but it really did. A castle, a prisoner, a girl taken from her home, a broody owner of the castle, things that talk that shouldn’t, an evil guy who wants the girl. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that it reminded me of my favourite fairytale – it made it an even bigger joy to read.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading Rory, and cannot wait to read more of Rory’s story in the rest of this series.
© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
July 11, 2013
This is the third book I have read by Ciye Cho and I find myself falling more and more in love with his writing every time. He has an amazing talent for creating these, enchanting, alluring worlds that are also intimidating and terrifying at the same time. Ciye Cho has the ability to use his words like a paintbrush and create the most vivid and colorful imagery. He really knows how to set the stage and it makes the story that much more enjoyable when you can picture everything around them and it just looks incredible and or haunting depending on the situation at hand.
So in this new series Cho has created a world that is kind of like a purgatory. It is full of ghosts who have not passed on into the afterlife. Rory manages to find herself in this world because these ghosts happen to have demon consorts who capture humans for them. They bring them to their world and feed off of their memories as most of them can't remember anything of their human life or what it was like to be human with emotions and experiences.
Despite being the main character in a seriously paranormal world Rory is the most down to earth, relate-able character I have had the pleasure to enjoy in a while. She is literally just your average girl with faults, quirks, fear, and confidence issues. But she also carries a strong fearlessness when she feels that there is injustice being done. She was great, and I loved watching her navigate her way through this insane, brand new world. It was obviously not the best place for a young girl to be trapped but she did mange to find a silver lining when she could and I admired that as well.
Rory wasn't the only character I fell in love with. All of the characters in the story were wonderfully portrayed and expertly written. Especially the adorable talking kitty, Cookie! Intimidation, fear, and awe were all very real feelings that I experienced while watching the characters play out their parts on the pages.
This is the start of a series I know that I am going to love. It was a great introductory book that absolutely sinks it's claws into you. I can't wait to read more about the world of Palladino and the adventures of Rory within. The hardest part now is to wait until the release of the next book in the series. The pace in the story was perfect, not too fast as well as not being to slow or boring at any time. Thank you to Ciye Cho for sharing his new novel with me, I can't wait to see what comes next! This book is set to be released one month from today, so be sure to make a note of it and grab it when it comes out, you want want to miss this new inventive and unique series from Ciye Cho!
So in this new series Cho has created a world that is kind of like a purgatory. It is full of ghosts who have not passed on into the afterlife. Rory manages to find herself in this world because these ghosts happen to have demon consorts who capture humans for them. They bring them to their world and feed off of their memories as most of them can't remember anything of their human life or what it was like to be human with emotions and experiences.
Despite being the main character in a seriously paranormal world Rory is the most down to earth, relate-able character I have had the pleasure to enjoy in a while. She is literally just your average girl with faults, quirks, fear, and confidence issues. But she also carries a strong fearlessness when she feels that there is injustice being done. She was great, and I loved watching her navigate her way through this insane, brand new world. It was obviously not the best place for a young girl to be trapped but she did mange to find a silver lining when she could and I admired that as well.
Rory wasn't the only character I fell in love with. All of the characters in the story were wonderfully portrayed and expertly written. Especially the adorable talking kitty, Cookie! Intimidation, fear, and awe were all very real feelings that I experienced while watching the characters play out their parts on the pages.
This is the start of a series I know that I am going to love. It was a great introductory book that absolutely sinks it's claws into you. I can't wait to read more about the world of Palladino and the adventures of Rory within. The hardest part now is to wait until the release of the next book in the series. The pace in the story was perfect, not too fast as well as not being to slow or boring at any time. Thank you to Ciye Cho for sharing his new novel with me, I can't wait to see what comes next! This book is set to be released one month from today, so be sure to make a note of it and grab it when it comes out, you want want to miss this new inventive and unique series from Ciye Cho!
August 10, 2013
This review was first posted on Music, Books and Tea.
I have been a fan of Ciye Cho since reading the first two books in his Florence Waverly series last year, so when he asked me if I was willing to review Rory, the first book in a new series of his, it was a no-brainer really. Rory is a unique take on a typical ghost story, and one that I really could not get enough of.
I really liked Rory as a main character, and I think it was because she was portrayed in such a realistic way. She was definitely a fighter, and wasn’t willing to meekly accept her fate. She was determined to fight tooth and nail to get back to earth and be reunited with her mother, who is stuck in hospital, something that Rory hasn’t forgiven herself for. Yes, on occasion she did some silly things that made me want to knock a little sense into her, but we all have our moments. I loved her relationship with Cookie the cat, he brought so much humour into the story and it was nice for Rory to have someone she knew she could rely on straight away.
The world that Ciye Cho has created in Palladino was fantastic. I loved reading about all the different aspects of the city, and was desperate to learn more about it. It was great to explore it through Rory’s eyes as well, as she was experiencing the city for the first time. His take on ghosts was so interesting as well – they were corporeal beings who could touch, but couldn’t eat, and would be able to easily blend into human society – or at least, that was what I took from the book. Demons also play a large role in the book, with each house of Palladino being given demons who take on different roles depending on their master. Everything that was mentioned in the book had its own set of tiny details, which I loved.
I wasn’t expecting the romance in Rory to happen, but it was worked into the story well, without taking away anything from the main storyline, which was Rory escaping Palladino and getting back to her mother. I can’t wait to see how the romance pans out throughout the rest of the series, as I have a feeling that it’s going to play a huge role in the rest of the books. Martin was such an intriguing character, it was easy to see why Rory was so attracted to him. I liked how he respected Rory, trusting her enough to do the tasks he had set out for her, and he didn’t really undermine her, which was so pleasant to see.
Rory marked the start of a very exciting new series that I cannot wait to read more of. If you’re looking for a book that has a unique twist on ghosts along with a realistic main character, look no further than this book. You won’t be disappointed!
I have been a fan of Ciye Cho since reading the first two books in his Florence Waverly series last year, so when he asked me if I was willing to review Rory, the first book in a new series of his, it was a no-brainer really. Rory is a unique take on a typical ghost story, and one that I really could not get enough of.
I really liked Rory as a main character, and I think it was because she was portrayed in such a realistic way. She was definitely a fighter, and wasn’t willing to meekly accept her fate. She was determined to fight tooth and nail to get back to earth and be reunited with her mother, who is stuck in hospital, something that Rory hasn’t forgiven herself for. Yes, on occasion she did some silly things that made me want to knock a little sense into her, but we all have our moments. I loved her relationship with Cookie the cat, he brought so much humour into the story and it was nice for Rory to have someone she knew she could rely on straight away.
The world that Ciye Cho has created in Palladino was fantastic. I loved reading about all the different aspects of the city, and was desperate to learn more about it. It was great to explore it through Rory’s eyes as well, as she was experiencing the city for the first time. His take on ghosts was so interesting as well – they were corporeal beings who could touch, but couldn’t eat, and would be able to easily blend into human society – or at least, that was what I took from the book. Demons also play a large role in the book, with each house of Palladino being given demons who take on different roles depending on their master. Everything that was mentioned in the book had its own set of tiny details, which I loved.
I wasn’t expecting the romance in Rory to happen, but it was worked into the story well, without taking away anything from the main storyline, which was Rory escaping Palladino and getting back to her mother. I can’t wait to see how the romance pans out throughout the rest of the series, as I have a feeling that it’s going to play a huge role in the rest of the books. Martin was such an intriguing character, it was easy to see why Rory was so attracted to him. I liked how he respected Rory, trusting her enough to do the tasks he had set out for her, and he didn’t really undermine her, which was so pleasant to see.
Rory marked the start of a very exciting new series that I cannot wait to read more of. If you’re looking for a book that has a unique twist on ghosts along with a realistic main character, look no further than this book. You won’t be disappointed!
February 9, 2015
Read more reviews like this at http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com!
When I heard the synopsis for Rory I knew that I had to read it! The whole story sounded right up my alley and I was excited to see what this novel had in store for me. I was engaged by the first sentence and I really enjoyed reading about the world of ghosts that Cho had created.
I really liked the idea behind Rory and I was fascinated by the demons and the world of Palladino. Rory was a fun character to read about and I loved her spunk and determination. Not only was Rory a great character but I also enjoyed the unique cast of secondary characters Cho created; from Manny the demon and Martin the inventor/love interest/ghost. I was absolutely fascinated by the portion of the novel taking place in the charm school, with potentially deadly challenges and scary headmistresses. The charm school was a great way to introduce the world of Palladino and it really drew me into the story.
However, even though this book started off well enough I just lost interest after Rory completed charm school. The rest of the book seemed to drag on and on and on and I was bored by most of the events that took place. The end of the novel started to pick up a little bit when Rory finally started learning more about Martin and his inventions, however it just took so long to get there that I had already lost interest in the characters and it was hard to get that interest back. There was a lot of potential for exciting events it just felt like every time something happened it was cut short or had a solution that seemed almost too easy.
Although I was a little put off by the pacing Cho did a great job writing the novel. There were a few spots here and there but overall I though the novel flowed extremely well and the writing pulled me into the story. The characters were wonderfully developed and I loved learning more about each of them. I just wish the pacing had been a little bit better, with a better pace I definitely would have given this novel a higher rating than I did.
Overall Rory was an enjoyable book though a little slow in the middle. The ending sets up the story for an interesting sequel and I’m interested to see where this goes. Fans of indie YA and paranormal reads may want to check this one out, it has a lot of potential!
When I heard the synopsis for Rory I knew that I had to read it! The whole story sounded right up my alley and I was excited to see what this novel had in store for me. I was engaged by the first sentence and I really enjoyed reading about the world of ghosts that Cho had created.
I really liked the idea behind Rory and I was fascinated by the demons and the world of Palladino. Rory was a fun character to read about and I loved her spunk and determination. Not only was Rory a great character but I also enjoyed the unique cast of secondary characters Cho created; from Manny the demon and Martin the inventor/love interest/ghost. I was absolutely fascinated by the portion of the novel taking place in the charm school, with potentially deadly challenges and scary headmistresses. The charm school was a great way to introduce the world of Palladino and it really drew me into the story.
However, even though this book started off well enough I just lost interest after Rory completed charm school. The rest of the book seemed to drag on and on and on and I was bored by most of the events that took place. The end of the novel started to pick up a little bit when Rory finally started learning more about Martin and his inventions, however it just took so long to get there that I had already lost interest in the characters and it was hard to get that interest back. There was a lot of potential for exciting events it just felt like every time something happened it was cut short or had a solution that seemed almost too easy.
Although I was a little put off by the pacing Cho did a great job writing the novel. There were a few spots here and there but overall I though the novel flowed extremely well and the writing pulled me into the story. The characters were wonderfully developed and I loved learning more about each of them. I just wish the pacing had been a little bit better, with a better pace I definitely would have given this novel a higher rating than I did.
Overall Rory was an enjoyable book though a little slow in the middle. The ending sets up the story for an interesting sequel and I’m interested to see where this goes. Fans of indie YA and paranormal reads may want to check this one out, it has a lot of potential!
August 1, 2013
This was a very interesting ghost story and it was really different from a lot that I've read. I really like the different take the author took. In this book we meet a girl name Rory who is aducted from earth and taken to this place called Palladino. There she's put through tons of tests to become some sort of companion to one of the Ghost Lords. I thought the world of Palladino was very well written and unique. This place where ghosts live and they kidnap human girls and put them through hell with no way to escape because the city has a barrier around it. There were all these unique elements put together in a way that made the world seem so vivid.
When it comes to characters, I really liked Rory. She was tough and had great survival instinct, but at the same time she liked to put herself in danger. All her life, she thought her mother sort of crazy because she always spoke of creatures coming to kidnap Rory in the dark. Her mother was paranoid of the dark and she always wanted Rory to stay in at night and to always carry flashlights with her. But one day Rory was caught in the dark and was taken. She didn't think her mother was so crazy after that! When Rory got to Palladino all she could think of was escaping back to Earth and I admired the fight that she had. I don't really know how I feel about the Ghost Lord Martin, but I really liked Manny the Skine :) He was a great addition to the story and I really liked how he would help Rory. But I wish there was more there or more of him. And then we had the TALKING CAT, Cookie! Oh My Goodness, that cat was hilarious. He brought a whole new element to the story that I really enjoyed.
Romance wise, I don't know if there was any. Was there suppose to be something with Manny or Martin, I couldn't tell you to be honest. You could a connection, friendship wise, to both characters but I don't know about romance. The action of the story was pretty good, not too much, but also not too little. I really enjoyed the story and thought it was a very interesting read. I can't wait to check out the next in the series :)
I received a copy for review from the author. All thoughts are my honest opinion!
When it comes to characters, I really liked Rory. She was tough and had great survival instinct, but at the same time she liked to put herself in danger. All her life, she thought her mother sort of crazy because she always spoke of creatures coming to kidnap Rory in the dark. Her mother was paranoid of the dark and she always wanted Rory to stay in at night and to always carry flashlights with her. But one day Rory was caught in the dark and was taken. She didn't think her mother was so crazy after that! When Rory got to Palladino all she could think of was escaping back to Earth and I admired the fight that she had. I don't really know how I feel about the Ghost Lord Martin, but I really liked Manny the Skine :) He was a great addition to the story and I really liked how he would help Rory. But I wish there was more there or more of him. And then we had the TALKING CAT, Cookie! Oh My Goodness, that cat was hilarious. He brought a whole new element to the story that I really enjoyed.
Romance wise, I don't know if there was any. Was there suppose to be something with Manny or Martin, I couldn't tell you to be honest. You could a connection, friendship wise, to both characters but I don't know about romance. The action of the story was pretty good, not too much, but also not too little. I really enjoyed the story and thought it was a very interesting read. I can't wait to check out the next in the series :)
I received a copy for review from the author. All thoughts are my honest opinion!
April 28, 2014
I just put my Kindle down and all I can say is "Wowie-wow-wow!!!! Where's the next book?!?"!
This is the second Ciye Cho book I've read. And what I love best about this author is his incrediby imaginative worlds. Cho's books are amazingly colorful and RORY takes that to a whole other level. The world of Palladino is so far beyond unique that Alice's wonderland has got nothing on it. It's scary and beautiful and filled with secrets. Without slowing the story pace down, Cho is able to paint a fantastical world that fills your mind's eye with wild colors, textures and forms. I'm floored by Cho's creativity!
Besides the awesome world built by Cho, RORY has an incredible story that grabs you and pulls you in, making it quite difficult to stop reading. Aurora (nicknamed Rory) has a challenging life to begin with in the human world before being kidnapped and brought to Palladino. I did wonder why Aurora and her mother were aware of the "demons" who kidnap girls while the rest of the human world seemed oblivious? Also, why does mom know so much about Palladino? I'm not sure if these are things we will understand better later in the series, or if this a plot hole issue, but I'm eager to see if mom has secrets of her own. There's a lot of danger and challenges that face Rory as she begins life in Palladino. I love the mystery and the sense of not knowing who she can trust. I also love how the whimsical and the violent are juxtaposed in Palladino. Rory is both believable and likable: being frightened yet brave, reckless yet caring; she is a memorable character that I immediately could care for and cheer on. There are many other intriguing characters in Palladino; quirky and brooding Martin and his many cats, Cookie --whom I LOVE-- the adventuresome ghost cat and Manny the conflicted kidnapper. It's an outstanding cast in an amazing setting telling a wondrous story.
Really my only complaint was the huge cliff hanger ending. What the heck?!? You simply cannot leave a girl hanging like that!!! So expect a review of book 2 as soon as the author gets the ARCs out. I will be stalking him until he is done **evil grin**
This is the second Ciye Cho book I've read. And what I love best about this author is his incrediby imaginative worlds. Cho's books are amazingly colorful and RORY takes that to a whole other level. The world of Palladino is so far beyond unique that Alice's wonderland has got nothing on it. It's scary and beautiful and filled with secrets. Without slowing the story pace down, Cho is able to paint a fantastical world that fills your mind's eye with wild colors, textures and forms. I'm floored by Cho's creativity!
Besides the awesome world built by Cho, RORY has an incredible story that grabs you and pulls you in, making it quite difficult to stop reading. Aurora (nicknamed Rory) has a challenging life to begin with in the human world before being kidnapped and brought to Palladino. I did wonder why Aurora and her mother were aware of the "demons" who kidnap girls while the rest of the human world seemed oblivious? Also, why does mom know so much about Palladino? I'm not sure if these are things we will understand better later in the series, or if this a plot hole issue, but I'm eager to see if mom has secrets of her own. There's a lot of danger and challenges that face Rory as she begins life in Palladino. I love the mystery and the sense of not knowing who she can trust. I also love how the whimsical and the violent are juxtaposed in Palladino. Rory is both believable and likable: being frightened yet brave, reckless yet caring; she is a memorable character that I immediately could care for and cheer on. There are many other intriguing characters in Palladino; quirky and brooding Martin and his many cats, Cookie --whom I LOVE-- the adventuresome ghost cat and Manny the conflicted kidnapper. It's an outstanding cast in an amazing setting telling a wondrous story.
Really my only complaint was the huge cliff hanger ending. What the heck?!? You simply cannot leave a girl hanging like that!!! So expect a review of book 2 as soon as the author gets the ARCs out. I will be stalking him until he is done **evil grin**
August 9, 2013
Rory was a wonderfully imaginative read. Palladino is not your normal afterlife: it's a beautiful city for ghosts who were afraid to move on, and who require human companions to remind them of what living was like. In some ways, this book reminded me of
The Selection
: young girls move into a castle to be trained, and only the top girls move on to the next "round." Of course, the young ladies at the charm school have to learn far more interesting things than proper etiquette, which is where some really neat creations come into play. Cho's background as a graphic designer is evident in the vivid descriptions of Palladino; they were so much fun to visualize and made it quite easy to get lost in this enchanting world.
Aside from her overuse of the word "alas," Rory is a wonderful narrator with just the right amount of snark in her "voice." She's brave, impulsive and strong, yet also vulnerable and insecure. And the fact that she bakes and decorates cakes for a living is really neat and makes her stand out among the female YA protagonists.
The secondary characters are just as well-developed and intriguing. I really liked Manny the skine and the Ghost Lord Martin, though Cookie the talking cat stole the show whenever he was in a scene. I can't wait to explore more of these characters' histories in future books.
I can't finish my review of Rory without mentioning the cover, which was designed by Cho himself. It's absolutely gorgeous and relevant to the story.
Overall, Rory was a really enjoyable, inventive read. It may have been the first book that I've read by Ciye Cho, but it certainly won't be the last. I look forward to reading the sequel!
This review can also be found at The In-Between Place. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Aside from her overuse of the word "alas," Rory is a wonderful narrator with just the right amount of snark in her "voice." She's brave, impulsive and strong, yet also vulnerable and insecure. And the fact that she bakes and decorates cakes for a living is really neat and makes her stand out among the female YA protagonists.
The secondary characters are just as well-developed and intriguing. I really liked Manny the skine and the Ghost Lord Martin, though Cookie the talking cat stole the show whenever he was in a scene. I can't wait to explore more of these characters' histories in future books.
I can't finish my review of Rory without mentioning the cover, which was designed by Cho himself. It's absolutely gorgeous and relevant to the story.
Overall, Rory was a really enjoyable, inventive read. It may have been the first book that I've read by Ciye Cho, but it certainly won't be the last. I look forward to reading the sequel!
This review can also be found at The In-Between Place. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2013
I jumped at the chance to read another Ciye Cho novel. I adored his two Florence Waverley books (Florence and Luminaire) and I absolutely adore books with ghosts.
Rory tells the story of eighteen year old Aurora, a cake baker who diligently visits her mother in hospital every day before dark. Her mother had always warned Rory that the shadows are no her friend but until an incident in the night breaks Rory’s mother’s fragile mind, Rory never really understood the dangers. Now Rory is left alone in the world… and things just keep getting weirder.
Kidnapped in the night, Rory now finds herself in the realm of Palladino. Here girls are taken away from the world and forced to train at a bizarre type of finishing school before they are auctioned off to become companions to the ghosts who live there. Ghosts who live forever and require their companions to remind them what living was like.
This book was crazy – in the best kind of way. There’s creepy ghosts, strange teachers and some very cool inventions of Cho’s – like Dust Tea which invokes memories. Rory was a fantastic heroine. She’s brave and interesting. Her willingness to stand up for her beliefs and others was fantastic. But best of all, she was awkwardly perfect with her flaws. Quirky with a quick temper, Rory is real. The other characters were great to read too but none of them were quite as vivid and authentic to me as Rory.
Cho outdid himself with the world building. He has such a way with words that even the otherworldly eccentricities of Palladino were described in a way that felt like I could see them just as Rory did. And not just the world, but the feelings too. Rory’s memories evoked by the tea were beautifully expressed.
I had a great time reading this book and can’t wait for the next book in the series to rejoin Rory and the ghosts in Palladino.
PS. The cover and book trailer are absolutely stunning!
Rory tells the story of eighteen year old Aurora, a cake baker who diligently visits her mother in hospital every day before dark. Her mother had always warned Rory that the shadows are no her friend but until an incident in the night breaks Rory’s mother’s fragile mind, Rory never really understood the dangers. Now Rory is left alone in the world… and things just keep getting weirder.
Kidnapped in the night, Rory now finds herself in the realm of Palladino. Here girls are taken away from the world and forced to train at a bizarre type of finishing school before they are auctioned off to become companions to the ghosts who live there. Ghosts who live forever and require their companions to remind them what living was like.
This book was crazy – in the best kind of way. There’s creepy ghosts, strange teachers and some very cool inventions of Cho’s – like Dust Tea which invokes memories. Rory was a fantastic heroine. She’s brave and interesting. Her willingness to stand up for her beliefs and others was fantastic. But best of all, she was awkwardly perfect with her flaws. Quirky with a quick temper, Rory is real. The other characters were great to read too but none of them were quite as vivid and authentic to me as Rory.
Cho outdid himself with the world building. He has such a way with words that even the otherworldly eccentricities of Palladino were described in a way that felt like I could see them just as Rory did. And not just the world, but the feelings too. Rory’s memories evoked by the tea were beautifully expressed.
I had a great time reading this book and can’t wait for the next book in the series to rejoin Rory and the ghosts in Palladino.
PS. The cover and book trailer are absolutely stunning!
July 23, 2013
Synopsis: "Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.
Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.
But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her."
My Review: First off I love this cover and it takes a while to get to the scene where it comes in, but so beautiful! I have read the first two books of the Florence Waverley Series by Ciye Cho and loved how he was able to keep me in the world and make it very clear that they were underwater. With Rory the setting was almost so obscure I had a hard time following some of the descriptions and events. I had a difficult time remembering Cookie was a cat as opposed to a young child. With all that said, the characters were so interesting that I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know where the story was going and the twists kept jumping out. Something is always going on even when it seems there isn't much plot movement, everything builds up to something. Each event and detail is important. Poor Rory is stuck in a world where she can't figure out who to trust, and you can't either. Every one could be a bad guy but they could also be good guys. Be forewarned, big cliffhanger ending!
Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.
But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her."
My Review: First off I love this cover and it takes a while to get to the scene where it comes in, but so beautiful! I have read the first two books of the Florence Waverley Series by Ciye Cho and loved how he was able to keep me in the world and make it very clear that they were underwater. With Rory the setting was almost so obscure I had a hard time following some of the descriptions and events. I had a difficult time remembering Cookie was a cat as opposed to a young child. With all that said, the characters were so interesting that I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know where the story was going and the twists kept jumping out. Something is always going on even when it seems there isn't much plot movement, everything builds up to something. Each event and detail is important. Poor Rory is stuck in a world where she can't figure out who to trust, and you can't either. Every one could be a bad guy but they could also be good guys. Be forewarned, big cliffhanger ending!
December 9, 2013
Rory
“Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.” – Rory
Rory: The Ghosts of Palladino book one follows 18-year-old Rory, a cake decorator from the small town of Avondale as she tries to find her way back to earth and away from the hell that is Palladino.
Ciye Cho is amazing! Rory is such an interesting and different kind of story. I’ve never read anything quite like it. Having a world that was built specifically for ghosts to live out their afterlife without crossing over was such a cool idea.
Cho was able to describe Palladino in such a descriptive way that I was able to imagine all the wonders of the world. When I first started reading this book I wasn’t crazy about Rory as a character. She felt a bit immature for an 18-year-old, but as the story progressed we got to see many sides to her.
I adored Martin Marius! He was so mysterious and proper and yet every once in a while you got a little peek into what made him tick. His inventions were so cool and Cookie, oh my god, most adorable cat ever! I loved his relationship with Rory and the way he was like a little child instead of a cat. Manny was also another one of my favorite characters. I’d love to learn a bit more about him too.
Outside of the characters, who I think were great and hope we learn more about in the next book, I really loved the setting. Palladino seems like such a magical place with it’s hot air balloons, ghost lords, alchemy. I really enjoyed reading this story and I can’t wait until the next part comes out! I’d highly recommend Rory to anyone looking for a unique paranormal novel to read.
“Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.” – Rory
Rory: The Ghosts of Palladino book one follows 18-year-old Rory, a cake decorator from the small town of Avondale as she tries to find her way back to earth and away from the hell that is Palladino.
Ciye Cho is amazing! Rory is such an interesting and different kind of story. I’ve never read anything quite like it. Having a world that was built specifically for ghosts to live out their afterlife without crossing over was such a cool idea.
Cho was able to describe Palladino in such a descriptive way that I was able to imagine all the wonders of the world. When I first started reading this book I wasn’t crazy about Rory as a character. She felt a bit immature for an 18-year-old, but as the story progressed we got to see many sides to her.
I adored Martin Marius! He was so mysterious and proper and yet every once in a while you got a little peek into what made him tick. His inventions were so cool and Cookie, oh my god, most adorable cat ever! I loved his relationship with Rory and the way he was like a little child instead of a cat. Manny was also another one of my favorite characters. I’d love to learn a bit more about him too.
Outside of the characters, who I think were great and hope we learn more about in the next book, I really loved the setting. Palladino seems like such a magical place with it’s hot air balloons, ghost lords, alchemy. I really enjoyed reading this story and I can’t wait until the next part comes out! I’d highly recommend Rory to anyone looking for a unique paranormal novel to read.
August 17, 2013
I have to say that this was one of the most unique and quirky books I have read in a long time. Rory is taken by a demon to an alien world in which the girls are forced to attend a charm school. Yes, forced into taking classes on good behavior, ballet, grooming and tea to just name a few.
Rory is not as beautiful, and statuesque as the rest of the "students" but was brought there because of a unique quality that she does have. She clashes with all of the instructors and has to try harder than most of the other girls just to make it through each day.
With absolutely nowhere to go and no way back home, these girls quickly adjust to the very strict new ways of their lives. Even though most of the girls are somewhat helpful when she has difficulties with the teachers, she is far from making any real and true new friends. Although of course some connections are made.
Not only is she stuck in a strange new place, forced to take lessons on how to be more lady-like to suite the Lords. There is also a large amount of other events that take place including magic, ghosts, cats (that can communicate with her) and a focus on her love of baking, cakes especially. There was one moment when she squirts icing in the face of an animal to set off a distraction where I literally laughed out loud thinking that had to have been one of the most bizarre things I have ever read.
Although the story is really more of a serious series of events, there are moments that took me off guard and having to re-read the paragraph to make sure I caught it all right. Making me smile with the imaginative storyline that surprised me at very unexpected times throughout the story.
Rory is not as beautiful, and statuesque as the rest of the "students" but was brought there because of a unique quality that she does have. She clashes with all of the instructors and has to try harder than most of the other girls just to make it through each day.
With absolutely nowhere to go and no way back home, these girls quickly adjust to the very strict new ways of their lives. Even though most of the girls are somewhat helpful when she has difficulties with the teachers, she is far from making any real and true new friends. Although of course some connections are made.
Not only is she stuck in a strange new place, forced to take lessons on how to be more lady-like to suite the Lords. There is also a large amount of other events that take place including magic, ghosts, cats (that can communicate with her) and a focus on her love of baking, cakes especially. There was one moment when she squirts icing in the face of an animal to set off a distraction where I literally laughed out loud thinking that had to have been one of the most bizarre things I have ever read.
Although the story is really more of a serious series of events, there are moments that took me off guard and having to re-read the paragraph to make sure I caught it all right. Making me smile with the imaginative storyline that surprised me at very unexpected times throughout the story.
March 27, 2014
Beneath the Moon and Stars Review
I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. It was a little hard to get into. I did end up enjoying it. It was very original!
Rory is living a fairly normal life when a demon kidnaps her and takes her to Palladino. She's expected to become elegant and graceful but is unsure why. When a crazy inventor shows interest in her, Rory learns more than ever about the strange world she's found herself.
Rory was a pretty good character. It was easy to relate to her. I liked how strong she was. She may not have liked where she was but she still tried. I loved her adventurous side. She also had a caring side. I loved Martin. I loved how unique he was. I loved that we had to wait to learn all about him. I loved all his inventions. I'm gonna be honest and say Cookie was my favorite character. He was the cutest thing ever!
This had an interesting storyline. It was almost like two stories in one. The charm school was one, Martins castle was the other. I enjoyed both but they didn't quite match up. They didn't have that flow. This story has a ton of unique aspects. I could never guess what was coming next. Once the story got going, it was very fast paced and action packed. The world building was great. I loved the different settings. Overall this was pretty good. I can't wait to read more!
I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. It was a little hard to get into. I did end up enjoying it. It was very original!
Rory is living a fairly normal life when a demon kidnaps her and takes her to Palladino. She's expected to become elegant and graceful but is unsure why. When a crazy inventor shows interest in her, Rory learns more than ever about the strange world she's found herself.
Rory was a pretty good character. It was easy to relate to her. I liked how strong she was. She may not have liked where she was but she still tried. I loved her adventurous side. She also had a caring side. I loved Martin. I loved how unique he was. I loved that we had to wait to learn all about him. I loved all his inventions. I'm gonna be honest and say Cookie was my favorite character. He was the cutest thing ever!
This had an interesting storyline. It was almost like two stories in one. The charm school was one, Martins castle was the other. I enjoyed both but they didn't quite match up. They didn't have that flow. This story has a ton of unique aspects. I could never guess what was coming next. Once the story got going, it was very fast paced and action packed. The world building was great. I loved the different settings. Overall this was pretty good. I can't wait to read more!
December 9, 2013
3.5/5 stars
As always, Mr. Cho's imagination shines brightly in this new series. As with his previous books, he takes us on a fascinating ride.
That said, I have to admit that while there are some really fantastic sections of this book, there are some that I could have done without. Although there are probably plenty of people who love the parts that felt to me as if they were dragging their feet.
One of the mysteries we're presented with at the start of the book - Rory's mother insisting Rory wasn't safe in the dark because of the monsters who come to spirit away young girls - was never explained. We have no idea exactly what her mother knew and how she knew it. I'm hopeful this will be resolved in the next book and is one of those tidbits meant to draw us on to the next chapter of the story.
This is a bit of a quirky read, and I mean that in the best way possible. And I really enjoyed the way Rory wasn't able to abandon who she was and fall in line with the other girls, it made her more realistic. Also, I loved the cake decorating talent!
As always, Mr. Cho's imagination shines brightly in this new series. As with his previous books, he takes us on a fascinating ride.
That said, I have to admit that while there are some really fantastic sections of this book, there are some that I could have done without. Although there are probably plenty of people who love the parts that felt to me as if they were dragging their feet.
One of the mysteries we're presented with at the start of the book - Rory's mother insisting Rory wasn't safe in the dark because of the monsters who come to spirit away young girls - was never explained. We have no idea exactly what her mother knew and how she knew it. I'm hopeful this will be resolved in the next book and is one of those tidbits meant to draw us on to the next chapter of the story.
This is a bit of a quirky read, and I mean that in the best way possible. And I really enjoyed the way Rory wasn't able to abandon who she was and fall in line with the other girls, it made her more realistic. Also, I loved the cake decorating talent!
September 20, 2013
Reading the novel Rory is like falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. A strange tale that starts off in our world and ends up in a world I would have never imagined. Mr. Cho is a gifted writer and has a way with words that is just astounding. He weaves a tale that is so interesting it is hard to put down.
One night Rory is kidnapped by one of the demons her mother has tried to protect her from. She is taken to Palladino a place described as neither Heaven nor Hell but in between where the ghosts live. Here she is forced to go to a special charm school to learn unusual talents. Now she is bought by one of the Ghost Lords Martin and lives with him in his mysterious castle with all of his cats. She must do what she can to survive and find a way back home…
This is a unique kind of story that had many different kinds of twists in it. It did not end the way I thought it would. This is such a different kind of ghost story and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
One night Rory is kidnapped by one of the demons her mother has tried to protect her from. She is taken to Palladino a place described as neither Heaven nor Hell but in between where the ghosts live. Here she is forced to go to a special charm school to learn unusual talents. Now she is bought by one of the Ghost Lords Martin and lives with him in his mysterious castle with all of his cats. She must do what she can to survive and find a way back home…
This is a unique kind of story that had many different kinds of twists in it. It did not end the way I thought it would. This is such a different kind of ghost story and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
March 18, 2021
In a word: Wonder-filled.
Alright in a hyphenated word.
It was such a great adventure in a great new world. I'm definitely looking forward to going back there.
I spent a lot of time with the Persephone myth last year and when I started reading I couldn't help but think this was kind of reminiscent of that. Now around it started reminding me of Beauty and the Beast.
Same difference though, we all got that right?
I don't know if that's what the author had in mind, but looking at it like that kind of made it special to me.
Even with the similarities, which are minor, this is a one of a kind story.
Palladino is such an imaginative place. It's like no other. And while it's most likely not a place you'd want to live, I'm sure it'd be nice to visit.
There's so many interesting characters. I honestly never thought I'd fall for a cat!
Or a cat person.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Alright in a hyphenated word.
It was such a great adventure in a great new world. I'm definitely looking forward to going back there.
I spent a lot of time with the Persephone myth last year and when I started reading I couldn't help but think this was kind of reminiscent of that. Now around it started reminding me of Beauty and the Beast.
Same difference though, we all got that right?
I don't know if that's what the author had in mind, but looking at it like that kind of made it special to me.
Even with the similarities, which are minor, this is a one of a kind story.
Palladino is such an imaginative place. It's like no other. And while it's most likely not a place you'd want to live, I'm sure it'd be nice to visit.
There's so many interesting characters. I honestly never thought I'd fall for a cat!
Or a cat person.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2013
Oh my God! is the first thing that pops up into my head when I think of Rory! This book was incredible, a combination of magic and action that works together to make an incredible combination! Reading Rory was discovering a new world filled with fantastic creatures among other things. The city of Palladino is the most original place I have read since Alice in Wonderland, every single aspect of this book was new and wonderful nothing was a rip off of other books (which is hard to find this days).
Regarding the characters they were all very well developed, I can see that Ciye took the time to give each character a story.
Overall I can say that this book was so good it felt like a small window from which I could take a pick of the amazing and wonderful world that is Palladino.
Visit my blog for FREE e-book downloads
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Regarding the characters they were all very well developed, I can see that Ciye took the time to give each character a story.
Overall I can say that this book was so good it felt like a small window from which I could take a pick of the amazing and wonderful world that is Palladino.
Visit my blog for FREE e-book downloads
http://thebookfinder.blogspot.com/
August 10, 2013
I couldn't be dangling further off the edge of a cliffhanger!
It ended in a spot where I literally kept pressing the down button on my Kindle, to no avail.
Even though there were a couple of moments reading that felt repetitive, it didn't kill the story for me. This story is unlike any any others I've read. A ghost story, but not a ghost story. A touch of romance that you would love to see turn into an embrace, and action that will keep you turning the page. Or in my case, pressing the next button.
I got to tell you about the cats. Well, one cat in particular, Cookie. He is the star when in the scene so be prepared to love the little furball. And this is coming from a dog person!
Can't wait for the next book. Seriously, Ciye, hurry up. :-)
It ended in a spot where I literally kept pressing the down button on my Kindle, to no avail.
Even though there were a couple of moments reading that felt repetitive, it didn't kill the story for me. This story is unlike any any others I've read. A ghost story, but not a ghost story. A touch of romance that you would love to see turn into an embrace, and action that will keep you turning the page. Or in my case, pressing the next button.
I got to tell you about the cats. Well, one cat in particular, Cookie. He is the star when in the scene so be prepared to love the little furball. And this is coming from a dog person!
Can't wait for the next book. Seriously, Ciye, hurry up. :-)
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