Book Nook Review

Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

2010-06-28T18:33:00.004-04:00

The long awaited sequel to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I waited so long for John Matthew's story. From the very beginning, I knew he would have a great story, and the wait was worth it. I actually bought this book a while ago, but just recently got around to reading it. This story is absolutely heartbreaking. It pulls together a lot of the loose ends involving John Matthew, and at the end of the book the reader is left pretty positive that JM is indeed the reincarnation of Darius, and the book flips back and forth between how Darius, Torhment, and Xhex are intertwined with JM and the current-day story. It keeps the book entertaining and thrilling until the end.

First of all, don't read this book unless you've read the previous books, especially Lover Avenged. There, the backdrop for this particular book is set up. All of the characters are very familiar if you've read the series, and it's really nice to see a reprieve by Vishous and Wrath and the crew. We still see lots of tension between Blay and Quinn, but this story focuses more on them than the other books. So it was nice getting to really know them.

In the end of Lover Avenged, Xhex has been kidnapped by Lash and the Lessers. We're left wondering if John Matthew will have a happily ever after or not. I won't go into a ton of the details about the book, because it'd be better to just read it and experience it that way. I've gotta say though, that I was NOT a fan of the JM/Xhex pairing, and by the end of the book, I totally loved them. Definitely worth the read, especially for hardcore fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

J.R Ward is also involved in writing her Covet series right now, but I'm hoping we'll see more from the Brotherhood!

The Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter

2010-06-16T20:29:00.017-04:00

So recently, I became so engrossed in a series that I literally could not stop to write a review. Now, I'm kicking myself because I don't know if I'd be able to write a good review for each book, starting at book one. So I decided to look at the series as a whole. This is a paranormal romance series, so there is a fair amount of sex. It's not ridiculous like some romance novels. It's very much like the structure of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward. Each story revolves around what life-long romance each Lord finds, but has a very intricate and detailed background full of sub-plots that fit in with the rest of the story. If you read this series, don't forget the little mini-installments! The prequel, The Darkest Fire, book #3.5 The Darkest Prison, and book #4.5 The Darkest Angel. Worth the time!

First off, people on www.goodreads.com have been pushing me for months to pick up Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld. I put it off for a while, because I figured if I've read one or two (or thirty) paranormal romance series, there isn't much that can impress me. So I put it off, and put it off, and one day I found a real steal in the Kindle Books section of Amazon. Why pay $5-$7 a book, when you can buy the Gena Showalter Lords of the Underworld Bundle for $9.99? So I figured, meh, for ten bucks I can get the prequel and the first three full installments. Why not. So I went ahead and spent the $9.99, and the Bundle sat on my Kindle for a few more months.

So now you're wondering why I even bothered if I spent that long putting it off. Well, at work, I was bored and had listened to most of my audiobooks, but still hadn't listened to the prequel of the Lords of the Underworld series, The Darkest Fire. I remember on Amazon, people saying, "don't judge the series by the prequel! Keep pushing through to the first full book!" I tried listening to the prequel a few times, and finally got into it. Then I remember, alas, I have the Bundle on my Kindle!

A quick background on my new-and-beloved Lords: Thousands of years ago, the Lords were heavenly guards of the Greek Gods. They made a bad decision, and decided to open Pandora's Box (you learn how the box came to be in the prequel to the series.) When the Box was opened, the High Lords, basically the top demons of Hell, who had been trapped there for an eternity, were released into the world. The Greek God, Zeus, was furious, so he condemned the soldiers who opened Pandora's Box to each house one of the demons inside themselves. Some of our main characters have very very violent demons. Maddox houses Violence, Lucien houses Death, Reyes houses Pain, Sabin houses Doubt, Paris houses Promiscuity...etc. They each have their own specific curse. On the other side of the story, we have Hunters; humans who believe the Lords are the specific reason for all evil in the world, so they are hellbent on destroying the Lords and re-capturing the demons to save mankind. (This is where the argument of human free will comes in.) The Lords have accepted their fate. They don't want to hurt anyone, but want to keep humans safe by housing the demons. Then they find out that the Hunters are led by one of their own...Galen, keeper of the demon Hope.

I re-read The Darkest Fire, then from there didn't put my Kindle down for the remainder of the Bundle. I flew through The Darkest Night. I really love Maddox's and Ashlyn's story. I really love tortured Maddox who was paying for a crime committed thousands of years ago. Each night, Pain and Death had to come and kill Maddox and escort him to Hell, where he is reborn and wakes up in the morning alive. Each night, he dies and each morning, he is reborn. Ashlyn is a "special" human who can hear conversations of anyone who has ever stood where she is standing, and has no idea how involved in Maddox's world she really is. I rated this book five stars. I just loved it.

The Darkest Kiss tells Lucien's and Anya's story. Something amusing, is that after I read this book, I looked on my real-life bookshelf...and oh snap! I have this book in hardback. Anyways, Anya's character is hilarious. As the (minor) goddess of Anarchy, she spends most of her time pissing off the Gods, stealing and showing way too much skin, all while harboring her own secret curse. She develops cute names for all the big and bad warriors, such as Doubtey and Painey. I rated this book four stars.

We meet Danika in the first book, but her story isn't told until The Darkest Pleasure, where she meets her match in Reyes, who harbors the demon Pain. Reyes is tormented at every moment. The only way to cope with his demon is to constantly cut himself. He even goes as far as to throwing himself off the fortress tower. To Reyes, pain is the same as pleasure. Until he meets Danika, who proves to be more important to the Lords and their quest to defeat the Hunters than she ever knew. I rated this book five stars, mainly because I was so excited to read it! I loved the spark Reyes felt for Danika from the first book, and was not disappointed!

The Darkest Whisper tells Sabin's story. Sabin rescues Gwen at a Hunter research compound, and soon learns that she has immortal powers of her own. She is an all powerful harpy, also cursed by the Gods, and proves to be one of the strongest fighters among all of the Lords. I rated this book four stars. I really liked it, but Sabin is not one of my favorite characters. Still a great book.

The Darkest Passion turned out to be one of my FAVORITE of the Lords of the Underworld books. I was never a huge fan of Aeron, keeper of Wrath, until this book. Aeron is very distant throughout the entire series. But when he discovers that the being who has been following him is the angel Olivia, he soon has to choose between living for today and choosing love or keeping himself from getting hurt and living forever. Olivia gives up everything for him, choosing to fall from the Heavens rather than following orders to kill Aeron. Olivia has some competition, however; Aeron's demon pet, Legion. If I could rate a book six stars, this book would get it. I read this book as often as I could for two days...didn't put it down. I loved it.

I loved all of the books, but felt the most connected with Maddox's, Reyes, and Aeron's stories. Luckily, there are more to come! Gideon, keeper of Lies' book should be out by the end of June. One story I'm particularly looking forward to is Paris'. I won't give away too many details about Paris, because his story develops throughout the entire series up to this point. Another character that I just loooove is Galen. Yes, the villain, the big bad, the guy who is leading the Hunters under the false pretense that he is an angel. I. Love. Galen. Especially in the last book. While part of me is hoping that he'll get what's coming to him, another part is hoping that Showalter will write something from his point of view.

I highly recommend this series. I couldn't put the books down long enough to write a review! For me, reading the Lords of the Underworld was like experiencing the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward for the first time. It's a magical series that will sweep you off your feet.

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In other news, I finally started reading Lover Mine by J.R. Ward; the most recent installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, which I've mentioned a few times.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

2010-05-15T00:01:00.006-04:00

The Reckoning is the third and final book in the Darkest Powers trilogy, and concludes Chloe's, Derek's, Simon's and Tori's escape from the Edison group.

Some quick back story: Chloe and the group and genetic experiments on "supernaturals". Labeled "trouble children", they're put into a group home called the Lyle House. Chloe soon realizes that she isn't crazy; she can see ghosts. And the people holding her there are observing her, trying to figure out if she should be "terminated" or not. Upon discovering this, she escapes with Derek (a werewolf), Simon (a sorcerer) and Tori (a witch.) They are on the run for most of the first two books. In the third book, The Reckoning, they find a safe place with a friend of Simon and Derek's father. However, they soon discover that perhaps their safe-house isn't as safe and they had hoped.

While I really liked this book, and the whole series, the book ended with a lot of loose ends. Many questions were not really answered. Why does Chloe's necklace change colors? Will she be able to communicate with her mom? What happened with the Pack? Will Liz be able to find peace and perhaps move on? Will Chloe's dad find out that she is safe? They series ended leaving room for a lot of development, which we might see in Kelley Armstrong's next young adult series, starting with The Gathering.

Some parts of the book got a bit confusing, too. After a while, I forgot who was with who, who was on whose side, and which group was which group. The Edison Group is the group who conducted the experiments, but there were teams within the Edison Group that quit and tried to help the supernaturals, and then there were members within that group who were back-stabbing everyone. After a while, it got muddled together. The end of the book was very quick-paced, too...and seemed to come out of nowhere. Chloe uses her demon friend she made in the first book to help her escape the Edison Group compound, so that kind of came as a surprise.

I liked the tentative romance between Derek and Chloe. I was rooting for them from the start--I really like Derek as a character. He's loyal (woof) and will do anything to protect Chloe and his brother. Chloe's character also develops enormously over the series. She goes from a meek, stuttering, shy girl...to a girl who can defend herself and make her own decisions. She didn't start out as it, but she ended as a strong young woman who will potentially fit well with Derek.

All in all, the book was good. I enjoyed this young adult series. It started out a bit slow for me, but once I go into the first book, it was addictive!

Burned by P.C Cast

2010-05-10T12:35:00.004-04:00

Burned by P.C and Kristen Cast is the seventh book in the House of Night series, and takes place after Zoey’s soul has shattered and she is trapped in the Otherworld. I gave it three stars, because while I enjoyed the story line and the theme of the book, I felt it could have been written better. A lot better.

The House of Night series follows a group of friends who meet at the House of Night after becoming fledglings. In the series, young teens are “marked” and enter the pre-vampire stage where their bodies change into full vampire. They move to the House of Night where they learn Vampire ways and customs, and how to live among humans. The series follows Zoey Redbird, who progresses faster than others to becoming a vampire and has an affinity for water, air, fire, earth and spirit, and her friends Stevie-Rae, Damien, Jack, Shaunee and Erin. In previous books, the friends have worked together to overcome normal teen problems, but the books get progressive darker when an immortal, named Kalona, is awakened from his earth-grave and tries to take over the world.

In the previous book, Zoey witnessed Kalona kill her human love, Heath, and as a result her soul is shattered and she exists in a world in between life and death.

I’ve been a big fan of the series, despite negative reviews that the books are written poorly and the language is very child-like. This hasn’t bothered me until this book. I’ve always been able to enjoy the story line enough that the other flaws haven’t bothered me, and while I liked this book, there were certain elements that made it difficult to read.

The writing style is something that stuck out this time that bothered me. There was WAY too much dialogue, and the conversations were extremely cheesy and childish. While reading the dialogue, I’m left thinking “who even talks like this?” Stevie-Rae, who customarily has a southern accent and comes up with interesting phrases, even confused me. I felt that it was way overdone. And Kramisha has always been a character that really bothers me. Really…speak English. I had a difficult time reading her because the "ebonics" was taken to an extreme level.

That being said about Kramisha, most of the characters didn’t bother me, but I did miss the regular gang. Damien, Erin, and Shaunee were literally not in the story at all. I believe they were mentioned once or twice, and described as weeping over Zoey’s vacant body. After all that Zoey has done for them, wouldn’t you think they’d at least try to help her? A little, even? Aphrodite and Stevie-Rae were two of the main characters in Burned. I’ve always been a fan of Aphrodite, because she is real. She says it like it is and doesn’t care what people think of her. Her language is pretty awful, though. Swear words left and right.

The Stevie-Rae/Rephaim thing was the most interesting part of the book, for me. I really like where this is going. Rephaim is the most favored son of Kalona, and is a Raven Mocker. He has the body of a giant, human sized raven, with legs, arms, and eyes of a human. He is the offspring of Kalona’s vicious rape on the Cherokee women. Even though he was created of Darkness, he has formed an unexpected alliance with Stevie-Rae. They imprinted accidentally after Stevie-Rae saves him after the attack on the House of Night in the fifth book, and for that, he’s saved her numerous times. What I like that is that she didn’t fall head over heels in love with a Raven Mocker, but their strange relationship has developed over three books to a point where they rely on each other, and even like each other a little bit. Stevie-Rae is struggling to keep him a secret while trying to figure out her feelings for him.

Honestly, this book is a prime example of why you can’t have too many story lines going on at once. Some things felt unresolved and unclear. Some examples of multiple story lines include Zoey being trapped in the other world, Stark trying to find a way to save her, Stevie-Rae trying to keep the Raven Mocker secret, Stevie-Rae trying to deal with the rogue red fledgings, Heath being dead, Kalona/Neferet trying to take over the world, and the vampire high council. It was too much, and certain parts just didn’t click. The Stevie-Rae/Rephaim story line was my absolute favorite, but I felt like they could use their own book.

Overall, the book was okay. I liked the theme of the book, because I’m a fan of the House of Night series. If you can push through the poor dialogue and cheesy lines, it’s an important part of the House of Night series, and it’s not really something you can skip. I was a little disappointed because of how much I was looking forward to it, but overall, it wasn’t bad.

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

2010-05-04T11:47:00.005-04:00

Radiant Shadows in the fourth installment in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, and follows another off-shoot of the Ash/Keenan/Seth arc. In this story, we see more of Devlin, who is featured in Fragile Eternity as Sorcha's Bloody Hands (aka Assassin) and Ani, who is the Dark Court hound halfling.

Devlin is the first male faerie, made of Sorcha and Bananach. Sorcha is the embodiment of Reason and Logic and Queen of the High Court, and Bananach is the embodiment of War and Discord and a member of the Dark Court. They are meant to balance each other. But when Sorcha re-created Seth into a fae using her own essence, the balance was thrown off because she then carried some human emotion. Sorcha has been mourning Seth's presence in the mortal world, and therefore she is no longer the exact opposite of Bananach.

Ani has a secret. While her court has a reputation of "feeding" off of human emotions, Ani can also feed off of faerie emotions. She's also losing her mortality by the day, and is becoming more and more fae. On top of that, she is "skin starved", meaning she needs touch to nourish her, as well. This seems to be a Hound trait, but being a halfling, she really shouldn't be able to do any of this. Her and Irial have been doing tests on her blood to see what it is that makes her so different, and so important to Bananach.

Devlin's prior secrets are coming back to get him. He was ordered years ago to kill the pup Ani, who has been under the prior Dark King's protection, but chose not to. When Ani is confronted by Bananach and ordered to kill Niall and Seth, her and Devlin start a journey across country to try to outrun Bananach's chase. But plans change when they find out that Faerie is falling apart while Sorcha chooses to remain in a dream until Seth returns.

Devlin and Ani realize that something must be done to regain the balance between the High Court and the Dark Court.

I am a big fan of Mellisa Marr, but when I heard this book would be another "side installment" of the series, I wasn't too excited. Ink Exchange just wasn't that good for me, and I never really got into the whole Dark Court thing.

This book totally changed my opinions on the series. I. Loved. This. Book. It had everything a great book should have; it was exciting, it had moments of romance and moments of suspense, and the main characters were fun to read. Everyone can fall in love with Devlin, because he's been sheltered in Faerie for so long, and he's finally realizing that he wants to choose his own path. Ani is witty and dangerous and strong.

Fragile Eternity focused a lot of Sorcha and the High Court, and I probably like that arc MORE than I do the Summer Court/Winter Court arc that is supposed to be Wicked Lovely, Fragile Eternity, and the soon-to-be-released fifth book. I like reading about the High Court, and now the Dark Court, too. (I think it was the whole Niall/Irial/Leslie thing in Ink Exchange that really turned me off from it.)

I'm really hoping the series is continued past a fifth book. Every installment, there are new developments and new characters involved. With the way Radiant Shadows ended, I don't see how the entire series can be wrapped up in just one more book.

I highly recommend this young-adult series. Just make sure you read the entire series! Yes, even Ink Exchange. :)

Everworld: Entertain the End by K.A Applegate

2010-04-27T20:59:00.006-04:00

***spoiler alert: the final book in the Everworld series***

While Book 11 really held the final battle between Senna/Sennites and April, Jalil, Christopher, and David, this book is the wrap up; the conclusion.

At the end of the battle in Book 11, Senna is deemed no longer a threat. The gateway is closed. But now what? With the gateway closed, will April and her friends ever get back to the real world? Do they even want to anymore?

They are fading away. Jalil, David, and Christopher are fading in the real world. They've made their choice; they belong in Everworld. Jalil simply put it, "how can we live in the real world after experiencing Everworld?"

In this book, after leaving Ireland completely defeated, Etain along with April and her friends realize they need to free Baldur and Thor from Hel's domain if they're ever going to beat the Sennites and Ka Anor. They venture to Dwarven lands, where Etain offers her hand in marriage (breaking Christopher's heart) to the Dwarven king in order for help building a tunnel into Hel's kingdom. With the help of the Dwarfs and Merlin, they reach Hell and rescue the imprisoned Gods. For the first time, they are in charge and the Gods aren't fighting over who gets to kill them.

Ka Anor is still a big problem, as are Senna's minions. The only slightly disappointing thing about the end of the series is the lack of closure. It ends with the Gods realizing they have to unite to save Everworld. It sparks hope, but not victory. It leaves the end open for each individual reader. But in a way, I like that. You see how the main characters have grown since the first book, and how they've all found their place.

Everworld ends with hope. While there are open ends (didn't they mention a scroll that wrote the framework of Everworld? What happened with that? With the goddess Brigid?), individual readers can decide if April, Jalil, Christopher, and David disappearing forever from the real world good or bad, and if they'll take part in changing Everworld and putting the Gods back in charge.

All in all, I rated the Everworld series rather high, and that's mainly because of the emotional attachment I had with them from my early teen years. However, I can see why they get rather low ratings on Goodreads. They are not brilliant stories; far from it actually. But you have to realize they are written for 8th - 10th grade. So they were easy reads, but really enjoyable once you get into them.

Everworld is a story about fantasy; a story about adventure and finding out who you are. It's a story about Gods and Goddesses and mythological folklore, who can't possibly exist, but do. Welcome to Everworld.

Everworld: Mystify the Magician by K.A Applegate

2010-04-23T23:39:00.002-04:00

Mystify the Magician, again told in Christopher's point of view, was probably the best book so far in this series. As I've said in other reviews for the series, Christopher is one of my favorite characters, and with this installment, the reader can really see how he's grown as a character throughout the series. He's matured, but has maintained his wit.

This book starts with the crew finding themselves in the Everworld version of Ireland. Yes, Ireland. Complete with faeries and an elven queen. This is literally the best place they've found so far, and the irony of it shows its ugly face in the end of the book. Christopher is smitten with the princess, Etain, who nurses him back to health when he's injured in battle.

We see more of Senna. We see how far her greed has taken her, and how she's turned into a true monster. She's been busy recruiting Neo-Nazi "losers", as Christopher puts it, to do her dirty work for her. And the reality that a gateway can be used both ways comes into play.

A good chunk of this book has to do with battle between the Nazi's and the Fae and Christopher, April, Jalil, and David. While straight battle doesn't usually entertain me, it certainly does from Christopher's point of view. The battle scenes are specifically what make you realize how far he's come, and how he'll be a better person for it all.....if he can survive Senna's bewitchment.

Everworld: Understand the Unknown by K.A Applegate

2010-04-23T23:37:00.001-04:00

We're nearing the end of the Everworld journey!

In this book, we're in David's point of view again. After escaping Egypt and the very angry and defeated amazons, David, April, Jalil, Christopher and Senna find themselves victim of Neptune's rage, and are sucked below the surface of the ocean. David is familiar with the seas, so he automatically fears he's drowning. But no! W.T.E. (Welcome to Everworld) They find that because of Neptune's magic, they can all breathe underwater. The adopt their original cover, minstrels, and put on a show for the watery, and psycho, God to save their lives. Eventually Merlin shows up, and they need to escape. But as we know in Everworld, one danger always leads to the next, and you are never safe. After escaping Neptune's guards, they find themselves arrested for illegally entering Atlantis, where they meet a very "real-worldish" mayor who, surprise!, is from the Real World.

This book was okay for me. Not quite as exciting as some of the other novels, but that's okay. I enjoy reading from David's point of view, but I'd say Christopher's is probably my favorite.

It was a good book...very much like the others. Not great works of literary genius, but entertaining reads in very vivid detail and color.

Everworld: Inside the Illusion by K.A Applegate

2010-04-23T23:32:00.004-04:00

Finally, this book is told from Senna's point of view.

I love Senna. She is cruel, calculating, and no-one's friend. She is basically brilliant, and has the whole game figured out, or so she thinks.

Inside the Illusion begins with Senna, April, Jalil, Christopher, and David insulting a minor Egyptian God, Sobek, who has been outcast by Isis. Senna is on her way to find her mother to try to find a way to get the Coo-Hatch home, and figure they'll help Sobek in exchange for their lives. They free the Nile, which has been dammed by Dwarfs (funny how these kinds of occurrences are starting to seem...normal) but find the Egypt is not the glamorous Egypt it used to be. The Gods are nearly statues and forgotten by all except their priests. The Goddess Isis is described as huge, sitting on a throne, but cob-webbed and observant-not taking any part in ruling. The Pharoah is a four year old in diapers in the body of a twenty-nine year old, thanks to generations of in-breeding and genetic mutations. The Amazons have taken over.

The teenagers find Senna's mother, but also find that they really can't leave. The Amazonians are in control, and are extremely lethal. Will seeing Senna's mother for the first time in 10 years melt some of her frozen heart?

Not likely.

Everworld: Brave the Betrayal by K.A Applegate

2010-04-15T19:12:00.004-04:00

Brave the Betrayal begins with Jalil, April, Christopher and David leaving Olympus in search for Senna's mother, who may be in "Egypt", and who can possibly send the Coo-Hatch back to their own world. The book follows their journey through the Sahara desert in the Everworld-Africa. They meet an old man called Eshu, who beings as their guide but soon Jalil and the others discover Eshu is not who he appears to be.

All in all, the group is collectively tired of dealing with Gods and demi-Gods who are self-centered, selfish, and treat mere mortals as play things. While the Olympians were by far the best of the Gods we've met, the Orishi Gods demand sacrifice to appease them. When April refuses a sacrifice to a God who is not her own, and Jalil refuses to be bullied out of his beliefs, the group finds themselves in an upside down land where the grass is blue and the rivers are purple, and everything is literally upside down.

We see the Vikings again, who I just love. They are so funny, and really the only decent set of beings in Everworld. The book ends with a battle of wits and determination that nearly kills Jalil, April, Christopher, Senna and David. Now, they're on their way to find Senna's mother, who is a priestess of Isis.

And seriously. What is that thing, you may be asking. That, my friends, is a Coo-Hatch. Spot on perfect with what matched up in my head before this book.

Everworld: Gateway to the Gods by K.A Applegate

2010-04-13T20:28:00.005-04:00

Gateway to the Gods follows April's point of view again. At the end of the previous book, April, Christopher, David, and Jalil find themselves on their way to Olympus. Yes, Mount Olympus, home of the great Greek gods. In the way that Enter the Enchantment touched me with Galahad's story, I also went through high school (and college) fascinated with Greek mythology. So this was really fun. We see how the teenager's perspectives of the Gods is both proven right and wrong. The Gods are spoiled, selfish, and ruthless. But for the first time, April and her friends aren't in direct danger. They're actually safe, for once! Well, for the most part.

In this installment of the Everworld series, they find themselves placed in a war between the Olympians and the Hetwan. With Ganymedes' death still fresh in their mind, they apply modern day technology to the Olympians battle methods and try to defeat the Hetwan. Senna is still an issue, but once she relinquishes her control on David, he proves to be a good general in battle.

This book follows the splendor of Mount Olympus, the wrath of Zeus, and the pettiness of the Gods. Most of it is battle between the Greeks and the Hetwan. April, Christopher, Jalil, and David are now seeing that what they're going through in Everworld is much bigger than the four of them. Can they ever get home, and if they can, what price will the world pay?

Everworld: Fear the Fantastic by K.A Applegate

2010-04-13T20:10:00.006-04:00

So far for me, this has been the weakest book in the series. I still read it very quickly, but it wasn't as exciting. Yes, there was immense danger at every corner, but the majority of the book involved running from the Hetwan. Run run run, almost die, run run run, meet a Greek god, run run run. Now, I'm trying to remember what it was like to read it for the first time when I was 16. It was exciting then, so even though this wasn't my favorite book so far, it was still important in telling the story.

This story is told from Christopher's point of view. Christopher is one of my favorite characters: he's witty, extremely cynical and very jaded. So hearing his thoughts is always entertaining. He's also found himself in trouble in the "real world", and for the first time we see that maybe his home life isn't as perfect as other may think, and because of this, he may be on a destructive path.

I won't give away any spoilers, but there are certain events that occur at the end of the book that really help one understand Christopher's character a bit more. It makes him a bit more likable, and it also makes the reader feel bad for him.

I'd rate this book three stars. It was okay, but not quite as exciting as the other books. Dionysus is a funny character, though...and his banter helps bring some laughter to the story. Still, important to the storyline and a fast read anyways. And I think I've said this every review so far, but the cover art is incredible. That (above...the big bug thing) is exactly how I see the Hetwan in my mind. Kind of like giant ants. Where this book may lack in excitement and storyline, the sharp crystal clear images are still amusing and vivid.

Upcoming...

2010-04-13T12:01:00.007-04:00

The Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick cover was just released. I think it's gorgeous. Can't wait for this sequel to Hush, Hush...but it seems I'll have to wait until November 16th.

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of
her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Everworld: Discover the Destroyer by K.A Applegate

2010-04-08T19:25:00.006-04:00

What I really liked about this book, told from David's point of view again, was that it was much more lighthearted than the previous four.

David, Jalil, Christopher, and April have escaped Hel's truly terrifying domain, only to find themselves in the dragon Nidhoggr's lair. The dragon is sad because the leprechauns (yes, Christopher said it was bound to happen, and it did.) stole four of his prized possessions. Did I mention that Nidhoggr lives in a GIANT pile of gold and treasure? The fairy folk have stolen 4 fae relics from the dragon, so in exchange for their lives, David offers to bring back his relics. Nidhoggr exchanges David's, Christopher's, April's, and Jalil's hearts for solid rubies as "good faith money", so to say. If they don't return with the dragon's relics in 6 days, their hearts will explode in fire. (Funny enough...Senna gets to keep her heart...Nidhoggr need a diamond to replace her hard heart.)

This book follows the five human teenagers into the fairy realm of Everworld where they build , bargain, and try to rescue April when Senna turns on them again.

Good book. Not as exciting or deadly as some of the previous ones, but after their trip into Hell, something like this was needed.

Everworld: Realm of the Reaper by K.A Applegate

2010-04-07T16:06:00.004-04:00

In Realm of the Reaper, we continue our journey through Everworld through the eyes of Jalil, the logical, level headed, and OCD science wiz.

Jalil, April, Christopher, and David find themselves trapped in Hell...well, trapped in Hel's Hell. They come face to half-dead-eaten-face with Loki's daughter, Hel. She sends her eunuch guards across Everworld to collect young, healthy men to entertain her in her harem.

This book was pretty good. It reminded me of Land of Loss in the sense that you experience the main characters terror is very bright, sharp detail. Like the second installment in the Everworld series, the group is faced with a fight or flight situation where if they make the wrong decision, they'll die a very painful torturous death. But they stick together, and deal with being trapped in Everworld, if they should trust Senna or not, and their own personal qualms. David is still dealing with his hero complex, Jalil is fighting his personal demons, and Christopher is becoming more and more obsessed with leprechauns.

I've said before how beautiful the cover art is on each book. It's not obscure at all: the cover on each book really gives you an idea of what you'll be encountering. Hel's description in Realm of the Reaper matches PERFECTLY to the cover. (um, ew.)

Like the rest of the Everworld books, Realm of the Reaper is painted in vivid detail, which is why each book really only covers one scene, usually only lasting a day or two. Will the four teenagers ever be safe? Or are they destined to die in Everworld?

Everworld: Enter the Enchanted by K.A Applegate

2010-04-07T15:51:00.003-04:00

Book III of Everworld, told from April's point of view.

So we have Vikings...Norse Gods...giant wolves...heart-eating Aztecs...why not add the Knights of King Arthur's Round Table?? This book introduces us to some of the more "human" members of Everworld. We learn more about Merlin, Galahad, Gawain, and the other grail-seeking Knights.

When Battle approaches over Senna, April, Jalil, David and Christopher have to decide if they want to fight, and if so, who they are fighting for. Even though Merlin might technically be more human than Loki or Big H, he can be just as dangerous.

This book a bit slower than the previous book for me, mainly because Land of Loss was so graphic and horrific. But it's still an excellent installment in the Everworld series. Another reason I liked it is because the Arthurian legends are very near and dear to my heart. I love them. I love stories of the Holy Grail, Galahad, and Camelot. So naturally, I love stories about Merlin.

Another thing I liked about this book is that is starts to define what direction the series is taking. Senna is obviously a very mysterious piece of the puzzle, and seeing her through each David's, Christopher's, and now April's eyes helps us to define where she fits in.

The covers and inside illustrations are also really awesome in this series. Now that I'm re-reading, I'm finding that I've forgotten most of the details from 10 years ago, but I remember the covers!

Everworld: Land of Loss by K.A. Applegate

2010-03-31T19:05:00.007-04:00

I'm so happy I decided to re-read this series. I finished this book in just a few hours. It's such an easy, enjoyable, and exciting read.

In the second installment in the Everworld series, the foursome continue their journey through Everworld, desperate to find a way out. This book starts out where the prior left off. David, Christopher, Jalil, and April are in BIG trouble. They are in the mists of a war between the Vikings and the Aztecs. As if escaping Loki's castle wasn't bad enough, now they have to escape the heart-eating God! We meet some new characters, such as the Coo-Hatch aliens and the famous wizard Merlin.

I liked that this book was in Christopher's perspective. You get to learn more about him, what is thought process is that makes him so snappy. He's the "funny guy" who can sometimes come off as a real jerk. But after reading the story from his view, you understand what he thinks about the others (mainly his distaste for David) and you learn a little bit about his relationship with Senna.

Something I really like about these books is how detailed they are. Most of the first half of the book takes place during and following the Aztec battle. I guess some people wouldn't like that because some scenes really get drug out, but I really like it. I can see this book play in my head like a movie. Action packed, a bit of horror, and a ton of fantasy.

Everworld: Search for Senna by K.A. Applegate

2010-03-31T16:22:00.006-04:00

In the first Everworld book, we meet the main characters: David, Christopher, April, and Jalil. They are swooped into the deadly Universe called Everworld when they all inexplicably meet at the lake. They have little in common, except for one detail: Senna. Beautiful, mysterious, and dangerous - she is what the God Loki is after. She is his witch, and probably more.

We meet Vikings, an Aztec God, a bus-sized Wolf, and the slightly manic God Loki. We see our beloved characters (who everyone can really relate to) escape certain death, fool a troop of trolls, fall 500 feet in slow motion, realize they aren't as far gone as they thought, and come to the realization that their only chance of survival is to stick together - all in vivid detail scripted by K.A. Applegate. Doesn't all fit together in the real world, you say? This isn't the real world. This is Everworld.

I read this series when I was probably 14 or 15, and really loved it. It's a series that inspired me to read, write, and day-dream about lost worlds. For a while, I forgot about it, until one night a few weeks ago I was sitting in bed reading The Iron King, when for some reason this book popped in my head. The word *epic adventure* rang there for a second. I went ahead and ordered the entire series on eBay, and am now re-reading.

Stopping Time by Melissa Marr

2010-03-27T15:49:00.007-04:00

This review covers bot Part I and Part II of Stopping Time by Melissa Marr.

I just love free books. Free e-books are even better, because then both my Kindle and myself are very happy. Overall, I was pleased with this little mini-series. These take us back to Irial, Niall, and Leslie. We see where she has come and what has developed since Ink Exchange.

First of all, I love the Wicked Lovely series. I love the universe, the characters, and where the story is going. That being said, Ink Exchange was my least favorite installment in the series. I don't know why, but it was just okay for me. When I recently re-read the series, I skipped it over.

Part I of Stopping Time focuses on Leslie. She's been getting weird calls and always feels like she's in danger. Niall and Irial are still looking after her, though. They have several fae guards who follow her around to make sure she is safe. From where Ink Exchange left off, Leslie is doing better. She's living on her own, taking responsibility, and is attending school. She's getting better, and that's good, because what we learned in Ink Exchange was that she didn't lead an easy life, and her involvement in the Dark Court complicated that. She feels a pull to both Irial and Niall, but realizes that both will destroy her. So she keeps her distance. She watches Irial from afar...sort of. They have weekly meeting where they both pretend to not notice each other, but secretly stare. Yea, creepy, I know. She tells Niall she loves him, but she ignores five out of his six calls, and isn't sure if she's lusting after Irial or not. What's weird is that Niall and Irial really aren't even fighting over Leslie. There is zero competition. I really think they'd be perfectly okay to share her. >.> Awkwarrrdddd.

I don't get the Irial/Niall thing. It really does not sit well with me. A good chunk of Part II of Stopping Time involves them talking about what was past...involves a (platonic?) kiss between the two sexy hunks of Ink Exchange...and I don't like it. I'm not sure if I should like or dislike Irial, and the Niall in Stopping Time, to me, is not the same Niall from Fragile Eternity.

So for me, I'd give Part I and Part II .

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

2010-03-25T14:03:00.012-04:00

This is the third book in the Wicked Lovely series, and is the direct sequel to Wicked Lovely. I am a big fan of Wicked Lovely, so naturally I loved this book too.

Fragile Eternity picks up where Ink Exchange left off. Nothing too drastic has changed between Keenan and Ash, except that summer is drawing closer and because of that, they feel this pull towards each other. Ash is beginning to feel responsibilities for her fae, but is still having a hard time identifying with them. She enjoys the perks of being fae, but wants to hold on to her mortal life, as well.

This book really focuses on Seth. (Um, Yummy.) He's having a really hard time dealing with Keenan and Ash's relationship, even though Ash promises that it's platonic and only a "job". Fae can't lie, remember? He's determined to find some way to spend eternity with Ash, and it seems like everyone else is just as determined to keep him mortal. In a world where everything can hurt him and he's always in harms way, Seth truly is a weak link in Ash's life. Seth ventures deeper into Faerie to find some way to be with Aislinn.

When Seth disappears for 6 months, Ash needs to decide whether to choose to be happy or to mourn Seth. Decisions are made that will change everything, and relationships are changed forever.

One thing I really liked about Fragile Eternity is how the reader gets to explore more of Marr's fae world. You meet rulers of different courts, and see how the outcome of Ink Exchange effects relationships between the Summer, Winter, and Dark Courts. You see Seth becoming not only a "mere mortal pet", but an important part of the story. As for Keenan, I personally went from disliking him, to feeling bad for him, back to disliking him. I'm not sure what will happen with the Ash-Seth-Keenan triangle in the final installment in the series, but it's sure to be wild, dramatic, and heartbreaking.

Fragile Eternity is a book about what you'll do for love, what you'll risk, and what it's like to face failure.

Coming up...

2010-03-24T17:41:00.021-04:00

So while I'm reading Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr, I figured I'd do a quick post on up-coming Young Adult books that I'm really looking forward to. These have official cover art, so when other upcoming books have their cover art, I'll post those too!

Burned by P.C. and Kristen Cast will be the seventh book in the House of Night series. I'm among the minority of readers who really liked the previous book, Tempted, so naturally I'm really looking forward to this. I heard a nasty rumor that it won't be available for Kindle until July. I hope hope hope that is not true! Read http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6917952-burned for the book description. The official book release date is April 27, 2010.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead is another can't-wait-for book. This will be the fifth installment in the Vampire Academy series. What will happen with Dmitri? ??!? It's killing the readers. Release it already, Richelle Mead! Read http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6479259-spirit-bound for the description. The official release date is May 18, 2010.

Gotta love the cover art on this book. The cover art on Fallen by Lauren Kate was one of the main reasons I read it to begin with (Yes...I do judge a book by its cover...initially) and was pleased with it. So I'm sure Torment will pick up right where the Fallen left off. I'm looking forward to see what develops with our beloved Daniel and Lucinda. This book will be released approx. September 28, 2010. It's still kind of far away, so there isn't a description yet on Goodreads.

The Reckoning will be the third book in the Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong. This series started out very shaky for me, but the more and more I think about it the more I love it. This series follows Chloe Saunders through her discovery of her paranormal powers and new friends she's made. They are easy, fast reads and are all in all enjoyable. You can read the book description at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6468666-the-reckoning. The Reckoning comes out April 6, 2010.

Radiant Shadows will be the fourth book in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. I really love this series, particularly the story line that follows Seth, Ash, Keenan, and Donia. The secondary characters (ahem..Ink Exchange) were very "meh" for me. So I'm hoping I'll like this book, since it doesn't follow my *beloved* Seth. (see my Wicked Lovely review). Radiant Shadows will be out April 20, 2010, and you can read the description at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6368610-radiant-shadows-wicked-lovely-4

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

2010-03-23T13:15:00.008-04:00

I just love this book. It was hard to me to choose between a rating of 4 or 5 stars, but I went with 4 stars since I liked Fragile Eternity more.

Aislinn is a teenager who can see the Fae. She's spent her whole life hiding from them and avoiding them at all costs. Her entire life revolves around certain rules set in place by her Gram to keep her safe. So when two particular fae start following Aislinn, she grows more and more worried.

Seth is her long-term flirty friend, who she begins a relationship with as the story progresses. I really love Seth. He's one of my book-crushes, because he's insanely perfect. He's understanding, sweet, and protective. So when Aislinn finally reveals her dark secret that she has the Sight, instead of calling her crazy, he helps her research why the two fae are stalking her. Seth is really the "good guy" of the book. Keenan has his own personal team of screaming fans, but for me, Seth is the man. I can't stress enough how sexy he is in my head. I think any sane girl would go live in his abandoned train with him.

Keenan is the Summer King whose powers have been bound. For nine centuries, he's been searching for his missing Queen. The game is this: he seduces the chosen girl, and she begins to turn fae. She then takes the test. She lifts the winter staff, and if the winter chill fills her, she is not the missing Queen and will instead be filled with winters chill until the next girl faces the test. Her job is to warn the next girl never to trust Keenan. If the girl decides to reject Keenan's approaches, she will becomes a Summer Girl. This part of the story line involves his evil mother, the Winter Queen, as well as Donia, Keenan's prior lover who took the test and failed.

Keenan knows right away that Aislinn is special. But Aislinn is torn between two worlds. She doesn't want to be fae. She wants to keep going to school and keep seeing Seth, and be there for her Grams.

I just looove this book so much. The story is fun, the characters are built well, and it introduces you the world created by Melissa Marr. I love the relationship between Seth and Aislinn. It's the best thing when you read a book, and you can feel the relationships between the characters.

Melissa Marr has created a magical world of fae, kings and queens, and love that will hopefully extend beyond the Wicked Lovely series, and into any other book she may write.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

2010-03-19T20:22:00.006-04:00

Note: Spoiler alert. This is a tough book to review without spoilers.

I really enjoyed this book. It was incredibly addictive, the cover art is absolutely beautiful, and the characters were enthralling. I couldn't put it down in the day and a half it took for me to read it, which is usually an indicator for me that I'd rather read than do anything else.

Hush, Hush is about a girl named Nora who has been through a lot in the past year. Her father was murdered, and because of that Nora is a bit paranoid and anxious about strangers and possibly getting caught in a bad situation. What a perfect time to have a fallen archangel swoop into your life to attempt to sacrifice you!

Patch is just that. A fallen angel who is looking for a way out of his banishment. Once he shows up as Nora's biology partner, everything she knows is suddenly turned upside down. A mysterious hooded figure is following her, watching her, and hurting her friends. Who can she trust when she doesn't know who is targeting her, and all logical reason points to Patch? After a while, she can't even trust her mind, which she suspects is playing tricks on her. Nora knows she's somehow connected to the weird occurrences, but doesn't want to admit that Patch may be trouble. He shows up wherever she is, but is he putting her in danger or rescuing her from a series of terrifying events?

I loved the angel theme to this book. I haven't read a bunch of angel books, but this seemed comparable Fallen by Lauren Kate. Angels vs. Fallen Angels. It's a somewhat new theme that is rivaling the vampires.

As I said, the story itself was wonderful; I loved the idea and the theme. I had mixed feelings about Nora and Patch, though. Nora was terrified of Patch for most of the book, and then at the very end she decides to start trusting him. I really didn't understand that. Knowing how scared Nora was of everything, it was kind of cruel of Patch to be as mysterious and creepy as he was. (Don't get me wrong, he was totally hot in my mind.) I really felt bad for Nora throughout most of the book. But I didn't really see the point where he changed his mind from wanting to kill her to falling in love with her. The story is told from Nora's side of things, so I suppose you're only supposed to see Patch as Nora sees him. There were times in the book when she would have inflicted physical harm on him, rather than be stuck in the same room as him. So for her to go from feeling an illogical and dangerous connection to him while being terrified to totally trusting was a bit odd for me. The last scene in the book also totally threw me off. When has she EVER been receptive to Patch being close to her? I understand by then, she understood his real motive, but with how jumpy she is, it's kind of off for her character.

Patch and Nora begin a relationship, and Hush, Hush follows the development for that relationship. Knowing that there will be a sequel is really exciting, because I'd like to see what happens and what dangers they'll face next. I'd also like to see how Nora develops as a young woman, and how she'll face her personal demons involving trust and anxiety.

This story has gotten A LOT of comparisons to Twilight, and that is something I'd like to address. Yes, they met in biology class, but that is where the similarities end. Patch's reasons for being close to her are not about a lack of self control; they are about him wanting to use her to gain his humanity. Yes, he's teetering on the edge of love and death, but that's really it. If you go into this book expecting a Twilight story, you'll be disappointed.

This book is full of suspense and tension from beginning to end. The villain isn't really a complete surprise, but it's a book that is worth reading. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and once against getting drawn into Becca Fitzpatrick's world of fallen angels and ancient wars.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

2010-03-17T21:46:00.005-04:00

There aren't enough positive things I can say about this book. Seriously, this is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. I've never done this, but I actually contacted the author to let her know how much I enjoyed this book. It's packed with action, horror, early budding romance, loyalty, and sorrow.

Meghan Chase just turned 16. On her birthday, she discovers her brother has been kidnapped by the Unseelie Fae, and her best friend isn't who she thought he was. Meghan decides to plunge forward on an epic quest to rescue her four year old brother, Ethan.

This book is action packed. Every chapter kept me on the edge of my seat. Something was always happening...there was little to no down-time, which I really liked. I haven't really experienced a book that kept moving as fluidly as this one did. On Meghan's journey through Nevernever, she is always moving around, always facing some sort of danger, always making deals to save her friends, and almost dying several times. She makes new friends, more enemies, and finds love with an Unseelie Prince who is just as likely to kill her.

I really liked the Ash-Meghan relationship. I could feel it, which is something I haven't felt in the last few YA books I've read. I liked their interaction, and I really liked Ash's character. As the Unseelie Prince, he's cold and pretty ruthless. But spending forced time with Megan thaws him out, so to speak. He shows very tender moments. The beginning of the book portrays him as a bad guy, and throughout most of the book, you aren't quite sure which way he'll go.

Even the secondary characters are nicely developed. Robin "Puck" Goodfellow is hilarious. I can see him as the guy you'd be best friends with. Always joking, but extremely loyal. Grim is also a great character. He serves as the leader figure throughout the novel. He starts on the journey by helping Meghan find her way for a price, but soon her realizes he'll receive much entertainment from watching Megan deal with Puck and Ash, who are also mortal enemies and are constantly jabbing at each other. By the end of the book, I think Grim cares for Meghan. I'm sure we'll see the sarcastic cat again. His favor from Meghan basically implies it.

All in all, WOW. I almost want to re-read this book right now, just so I can experience the novel again. I'm so happy this is book one of a 3-book sequel. "The Iron Daughter" comes out later this year, and I cannot wait.

This is Julie Kagawa's first book, and she's sure to make quite an impression in the young adult/fantasy community. I can't wait to see more from Ash, Meghan, and Puck.

Ironside by Holly Black

2010-03-17T19:06:00.005-04:00

Thank you, Holly Black. I have restored faith in you. Ironside is the third book in the Modern Faerie Tale series, and I gave it four stars.

Tithe was okay for me. Valiant fell extremely flat. I didn't enjoy it at all, so I was a bit skeptical going into Ironside. I REALLY liked Ironside. It actually makes me want to re-read Tithe. I think I should have skipped over Valiant completely, but what's done is done.

Ironside basically picks up not long after the end of Tithe. Roiben is becoming King of the Unseelie court, and Kaye decides to pledge her love to him as a declaration. Roiben sends her on an impossible quest, to find a faerie who cannot tell an "untruth". Kaye assumes this is his way of telling her to hit the road. Meanwhile, there is tension between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, imminent war, trial and deception, love, etc.

We see some of the characters from Valiant. Luis is a big part of Ironside, which I liked. I never had an issue with Luis. It was the other three I couldn't stand. The ONLY good thing reading Valiant did for me was introduce me to these secondary characters. But honestly, if I didn't know the backstory to Luis and Dave, Ironside would not have suffered from it. We see a bit of Dave. We get some...ahem...*closure* with Dave. Like I said in my Valiant review...good riddance. We don't see Lolli, which concerns me that there may be a sequel to Valiant.

The book itself was very fast-paced, and never had any "down time". The entire book has the reader wondering what a certain characters *real* motives are, where their *real* allegiances lie, and who is on whose side. It kept it exciting! It also had a happy ending, for the most part. We see Kaye grow up and start to think about her future and where she stands with her family, as well as the Faerie courts. We also see Corny achieve some level of happiness. One of my complaints in my Tithe review was that I didn't really feel the Kaye/Roiben relationship. Ironside helped draw that together. By the end of the book, I had a bit more confidence in the characters feelings. I'd love to see more of the Kaye/Roiben/Corny/Luis world. I liked the dynamics of the group, the dialogue was witty and fun, and Kaye is more likable than she was in Tithe. All in all, good book. I enjoyed it, and flew through it in 2 days. I highly recommend this book, and I hope to see great things from this author in the future.

Favorite line in the book? You really want to know? Well, ok!

...SPOILER...

"You still haven't told me," he said softly.

She stretched her arms out over her head, then came to an abrupt halt in front of him. "Told you what?"

He grinned. "How you managed to complete the quest. How you claimed to be able to lie."

"Oh, it's simple." Kaye lay down on her back on the snowy beach, looking up at him. "This is me," she said, her voice full of mischief as she reached out with one long-fingered hand. "See? This is me lying."

Valiant by Holly Black

2010-03-17T18:04:00.008-04:00

First, I'd like to say that I hate bashing books. I feel very very guilty for not liking Valiant, by Holly Black. I'm extremely easy to please when it comes to reading. I can only think of a two or three books that I sincerely did not like. So keep in mind, this isn't anything against the author. Any author who can write imaginative stories gets 5 stars in my mind. It's just *this* particular book that didn't sit too well with me.

Valiant is book two of the Modern Faerie Tale series. But don't be surprised that it's not a direct sequel of Tithe. I gave this book 2 stars, and really did not like it. I still finished it, but I could have lived without it. That being said, it took me FOREVER to finish it. When I like what I'm reading, I fly through it in 1-2 days, depending on how much sneaking around at work I want to do. When I don't like what I'm reading, it takes me 2 weeks, like Valiant did. (Well, I had the flu for 3 of the 14 days. But still. Ridiculous.) I'm also a bit OCD, so I couldn't finish Tithe, and not read Valiant. I like continuing series and hoping they get better.

The writing style wasn't the problem. I've adjusted since Tithe. It was easy to follow. Holly Black paints a very surreal image of her faeries. It's really quite beautiful in my mind...more so than other YA books I've read. Which leads me to the classification of this book. This book is NOT a young-adult book. I'd say it's appropriate for upper teens, but in no way the middle-school age range. It's very very dark, and has aspects of teen life that I wouldn't want my teenager reading. Drug-use is glorified with no real consequences, other than Val realizing at the end that, "hey, I don't need this!" So that is something that really bothered me. I didn't want to read about these kids (yes, they are kids) shooting up Never and tripping through NYC.

Lolli. Lolli pissed me off. She would have been better jumping in front of the train. The kitten scene really bothered me, too. I don't like how numb and emotionless Lolli was. I'm glad she was "missing" at the end of the book. Good riddance. Luis. I actually liked how his character evolved through the last 30% or so of the book. He showed that he was not a prick like Val had thought all along. I actually really didn't get the whole Val/Ravus relationship thing. I didn't feel the relationship, even though I realize the book ends at a starting point for them. It felt forced, and kind of like Val was so screwed up, she went for the Troll.

There are a few good things I have to say about the book, though. I liked how it tied in with Tithe, and followed the same story line. We see Kaye again at the end of the book, even though she doesn't have a big part. She's basically non-existent, but it lets the reader know that we'll see her again in Ironside. I also like the theme for the book. It really was okay. For me to not like a book, is rare. I usually like everything I pick up, and will read them over and over again. This, I will not be reading again. However, I'm happy I read it, because when I read a series, I like to get the whole picture, including the off-stories.

I'm going to read Ironside, and hope that I'm more taken with Kaye and Roiben again.

Tithe by Holly Black

2010-03-14T14:37:00.008-04:00

Holly Black is another first-time author for me, and I believe this book was one of her firsts, if not the first. Tithe is book one of the Modern Faerie Tale series.

I gave this book three stars. When I was reading it, the only thing I was excited about was getting it over with. But after I put it down, I started thinking about it and wanting to keep reading.

Tithe is about a 16 year old girl, Kaye, who is drawn into the world of the Fae. She learns that not only can she see the fae, but she is a Pixie. Apparently, she was switched out with the "real" Kaye at a very young age, and was raised as a human with a very strong glamour to conceal her true form from other humans, as well as herself. She un-knowingly saves the life of the Unseelie Knight, Roiben, and the in-depth plan of the Unseelie Queen comes to light. Kaye tries to defend the folk fae by almost sacrificing herself to the Unseelie Court.

I had a hard time adjusting to Holly Black's writing style. It felt disconnected and very matter of fact. I'm not sure if this is a Kindle defect (I read on a Kindle), but there was NO separation between scenes. She'd finish a thought with Kaye, and then the next paragraph would be in a completely different setting/time/place/character. There were several times I had to backtrack and figure out what the hell was going on. Usually, authors put some sort of dividing break in between scenes to let the reader know something new is going on. But nope, not here. There was no transition, and it bothered me. But like I said, that may have been a Kindle formatting issue. I've seen Kindle formatting issues way crazier than that.

I had a hard time relating with Kaye. A REALLY hard time. I didn't understand how she can have the attitude she did, and then be so caring for Roiben. She was very 2 dimensional to me, and so was Roiben. I still don't know where the "love" is in their "relationship". They story really didn't build that feeling for me. Lutie was more exciting than those two. (I looove Lutie-loo.) But to give Kaye credit, the situation with her mother and grandmother was very weird and disfunctional. I suppose you can except some attitude from a 16 year old with home issues. Kaye's mom is in a band, and isn't a very good mother. You get the feeling she'd just party harder if Kaye wasn't there, so there wasn't really a mom-daughter relationship that was healthy. There were several times I was very thankful I didn't grow up like that.

However, I liked the theme of the book. I liked where it was going and I liked the secondary characters. I like books about fae and anything paranormal, and I did appreciate the more adult theme to the book.

I plan on reading the sequels, Valiant and Ironside, but do so with great apprehension.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

2010-03-10T18:21:00.010-05:00

Gotta say...I've read some books by new authors that were a bit hard to follow, and in general hard to get through. But I didn't feel like that at all reading Fallen. Lauren Kate's writing style is absolutely enthralling. I could not put this book down. I think I'm young enough that I can still relate to the characters she focuses on, to an extent.

To start with, I was really nervous about reading this book because of the reviews on Goodreads. Some were raving, ands some weren't so good. I hadn't even heard of Lauren Kate, so it was really a toss up. But in the end, I couldn't get over how beautiful the cover art was, so I figured I'd just have to power through it if it was THAT bad. (For those who don't know me, I'm a tad OCD when it comes to reading. I always finish books.) Needless to say, I loved it. I can see other people's complaints, but I was too drawn into the story to care. I liked the characters, and I liked the theme. This was my first angel-themed book, and I've since been looking for other similar themed books.

My only complaint is how fast Luce fell for Daniel, without any real reason in her mind, besides a gut feeling. I get the bad-boy thing...but I really didn't like how he treated her, and she became very mopey because of it. Looking back, I understand his attitude towards her and I understand her feelings towards him, but up until that epiphany, the reader is wondering "what the heck is wrong with her?" You gotta remember that going through this book, you REALLY don't know what's going on until the very end. You have an idea what Daniel is and it's implied that they have an extensive history, but it's never really put on the table until the very end. Still, 4 stars, and I can't wait for the next book.

Lauren Kate is an up and coming author, and I see her gaining a huge following for her YA books. I think that once Torment comes out, I'll want to re-read this book, and I'll have a new appreciation for it. Fallen goes on my shelf of fantasy young adult reads along with Wicked Lovely and Vampire Academy. It sucks you into a world that is so magical, you don't want to leave.

Beginning

2010-03-10T18:05:00.005-05:00

I decided to create this blog because: a) I love reading, and b) I love writing. What better than to combine them? I've been doing reviews here and there at http://www.goodreads.com/booknookreview, and wanted to bring the reviews to their own blog.

So here's a little about me and what I like. I've never been a big blogger, so forgive me if this isn't "right" in the blogging world. I grew up surrounded by books. My mom has hundreds, and one of my most permanent memories growing up has involved the giant wood decorative bookshelves lining the living room. My mom has always been a huge reader. (Finally got her on Goodreads...but she hasn't accepted my friends request!) I've been reading pretty constantly for about 10 years. It really all started when my mom handed me Jude Deveraux's A Knight in Shining Armor. I loved that book. Just loved it. I read it over and over again, and got lost in the time-traveling love story every time. Everytime I cried my eyes out at the end, and felt little gratification that they ended up together in spirit. So I "branched out"...to other Jude Deveraux books. I found that there were some I liked, some I loved, and some I didn't care to even look at. Historical novels were the ones that I was interested in. I felt a connection with these fictional people who would have lived in a time foreign to me. I didn't feel a connection with people and events in a modern time I'm familiar with.

Eventually, I read all of Deveraux's historical and paranormal novels. Time to branch out even more. I read other authors...Madeline Hunter being one that I liked. She writes historical romances. I really loved her books, also. Eventually, I found myself being more and more drawn to paranormal romances and urban fantasies. I've also read some science fiction, young adult, plain fiction, and a good chunk of historical non-fictions.

I tried my hand at writing when I was a teenager...I wrote this huge saga about a girl who gets mysteriously transported to another world, and discovers she is the heir to the throne in a long forgotton kingdom. (Don't steal my idea or I'll come and throw Koolaid on your white carpet.) It printed out at about 250 pages, but that's where it stopped. Editing was not my thing. My younger sister, Sarah, had a blast reading it one summer, though. I'd like to pick up writing again someday.

May 2009 I invested in an Amazon Kindle 2, and it's the best purchase I've ever made. I really don't save a TON of $$$ on books, but a few bucks here and there...it should be making up for the $360 price tag any day..>.> But seriously. It's a great device for avid readers who want to be able to have their entire bookshelf anywhere they are. And I don't have a huge amount of space for books. It's really the perfect option for me. Once I got my Kindle, I haven't NOT been involved in reading a book. It's a black hole for money, but it's money well spent. I like supporting authors. :)

Right now? I'm finishing up the Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black. Those reviews will come shortly.

What can I say? My heart will always be drawn to paranormal novels.