The Gilded Wolves

Title: The Gilded Wolves
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Hardback
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 paws


The Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up some ancient secrets.  Severin Montagnet-Alarie has been able to steal a compass which hides the location of a tower of Babel fragment.  He is not the only one who is seeking this artifact.  When the Order of Babel coerces him into helping them with a recovery mission, Severin is offered the one treasure he could never pass up: his true inheritance.  To complete his mission, Severin calls upon the aid of a group of unlikely friends, an engineer with a debt to pay, a historian banished from him own homeland, a dancer with a sinister past, and a brother in arms if not blood.  Together they will explore the darkest parts of Paris searching for their treasure and hope to stop anyone from gaining access to the fragment.

There are so many things one can say about this novel.  I absolutely loved it.  I have become a quick fan of Roshani Chokshi as I have also read Star-Touched Queen and Crown-Of Wishes.  The Gilded Wolves was everything I was expecting and more.  It is just so magical and includes mathematical riddles which I absolutely loved.  The math aspect gave the novel such a unique quality to it that I haven't seen done yet, and kudos to Chokshi for including it in her novel.  I knew I needed to clear some time to read this one and actually told my husband I needed that time to devote to this novel.  He is super understanding about my reading needs.


I so wanted more about the Tower of Babel fragments, and I have a feeling we may see more of them in hopefully some future novels?? -hint hint- Chokshi's way of describing things makes you feel as if you are apart of the story.  I could almost taste the food, see the sights, feel the heat of flames and so much more.  The characters I am so in love with!  Enrique is my kind of historian and Trystan is amazingly shy, I feel if he was real he would be my crush.  I wanted so much more from his character, more of his backstory and his love of Goliath.  Chokshi gives readers so much of characters that we feel for them, it is almost as if the characters become a part of us.  I love it.


I am mad at myself for not reading this novel sooner and letting it sit on my shelf for so long.  I was drawn in from the very beginning and couldn't stop reading, one night I was up until the wee hours of the night needing to finish this novel and find out what happens.  And then the very last line!  OMG Roshani what are you doing to me!


Everything about this book I loved.  The world building, the character building, even the snippets of a love interest.  I cannot wait for more.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

Title:Kingdom of Souls

Author: Rena Barron

Genre: YA Fantasy

Source: Hardcover

Rating: 5 out of 5 paws

Arrah comes from a long line of powerful witch doctors, but unfortunately it seems like magic is passing over her.  Eachyear she tries to be blessed by the gods, but each year she comes back disappointed. When a premonition comes to her grandmother regarding Arrah and a green serpant, then local children become missing spurs Arrah into action, to buy magic with her life.  What she discovers goes beyond her most horrific nightmares and becomes more than betrayal. Now she must learn how to master magic, or find ways to buy it without losing too much of her life in order to save herself and those she loves most.

What can I say about this novel that goes beyond "WoW'?  I am so glad that I picked up this novel because it blew me away.  I couldn't put it down.  It was so beautifully written I wonder to myself why did I let it sit on my shelf for so long? Rena Barron builds a world of magic like I haven't seen before, she goes beyond the general stereotypes and creates soemthing new and amazing.  I love how she describes the magic and each other gods that play a role within the story and how they each present themselves.

Arrah is an enjoyable strong character once she gets past complaining about not having magic.  She does learn how to access her own inner strength and be powerful without needing to rely on magic to help her achieve her goals.  She is not afraid to do what she needs to do in order to protect those she loves and she deals with betrayal and mistrust in a strong mature way.  One thing that I wanted more of was the different tribes and how each tribe interacts and their beliefs, maybe we will get more as the series progresses, but it seems like such a big aspect of the story that seemed to fall to the background and I think may make the story a lot more powerful.

Rena Barron does a fantastic job building her world and characters that make readers CRAVE more of them.  I cannot wait for the next book in the series and see where Rena will take the story.  I want to learn more and be engrossed in this world more.  I was excited to see that there is a movie in the works that I will be sure to see whenever it comes out.

The Sin Eater's Daughter

Title: Sin Eater's Daughter
Author: Melinda Salisbury
Genre: Fantasy
SOurce: Library Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws

Twylla spends most of her das inside the castle, where those around her cower in fear of her touch.  She is engaged to the Prince, but hasn't seen him in years, and she isn't a member of the court, but she is goddess-embodied.  This means she has the power to kill anyone with one touch, thus making her the kingdom's executioner.  Every week she must kill traitors to the crown.  When she is given a new guard things begin to change and she discovers things about herself that make her question everything she knows.  A plot is discovered that the queen plans to destroy her enemies, but with the use of an age old legend.  Can legends be real? or are they just legends?  Can Twylla protect those she loves as well as her kingdom or will she abandon all she knows in favor of her love?

I picked this book up on the recommendation of a co-worker.  She basically told me the premise but couldn't remember the title, so I had to do a little research to find it. I am glad my library had it available.

I was drawn in on the premise of Twylla having skin or pores that were poisonous, thats something I have not seen done before and Salisbury did a good job presenting the story, characters, and setting.  I loved that she created a legend for this story and developed the tale around that, and even had other characters skeptical about it.  Thinking the rumors were stuff of fairy tales.

I loves Twylla's character as well as her guard (forgive me his name completely escapes me right now).  He was a character that gives the reader hope and then breaks your heart.  They are both relatable characters 4i enjoyed their banter and relationship.

Overall this book was very enjoyable to read it was a quick read as the story progressed very quickly. I think many young adult and fantasy readers would enjoy this story there's a lot in it that will appeal to readers. I myself look forward to reading the next book in the series.

The Cruel Prince

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Source: Hardcover: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5


When Jude was a young child, her parents were murdered in front of her.  To make it worse, the man who murdered them took Jude and her two sisters with him away to the realm of the Faeries.  Ten years later Jude wants nothing more than to simply belong, to have a place in their world beyond being the ward of a warrior.  Many of the fae despise humans and will do anything to torment the girls.  In order to win a place in the Court, Jude must defy the crown prince himself.  She accepts an offer from the prince's brother, an offer that may shows Jude she is capable of incredible things including bloodshed.  When a traitor threatens the royal line, Jude places herself in the line of danger to save herself, her sisters, and the fate of the Faerie kingdom.  Will she have the strength?  Will those she trust prove to be allies or enemies?

This was a book that I was excited about being published this year and couldn't wait to get my hands on it at the library. I have read The Darkest Part of the Forest before and I loved that book, so why wouldn't I love this one right?  I thought the plot and the story line were interesting though I have read other books with the similar idea of human girl in the faerie world.  But what Holly Black does with this novel is different from other books out there.  She takes this idea and puts a new twist to it and creates something truly remarkable.


I liked that throughout the novel you don't know the true motives of various characters.  You think one person is Jude's ally and then they betray her.  Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do and you don't pick up on it until Jude finds out.  I love that about the book, it isn't as predictable as some other novels.  When you begin this novel you are hooked from the beginning.  You are connected to Jude and feel the emotions she feels.  You begin to hate the characters she hates and love the ones she loves, though I admit I liked Madoc's new wife (I admit I forget her name), while she seemed put off by the human girls, it seemed all she wanted to truly do was protect them from the dangers of the faerie world.  I also liked the Madoc was sometimes the bad guy but sometimes the good guy too.  He seemed to have some sort of love for the girls, but didn't know how to show it or it seemed misinterpreted especially when he denies Jude the honor of fighting with his colors/flag.


I have seen Holly Black referred to as the Queen of all things Fae, and after reading two of her books revolving around the fae...I think this is a correct moniker for her.  Her books, while the revolve around the same general theme of the Faerie World, they are vastly different, though there are rumors they take place in the same world.  Interesting.  Her writing style is very lyrical and beautiful.  There isn't the normal "fluff" or unnecessary information.  Everything in her book leads to something else, everything plays off of each other and that's what makes Holly Black such an amazing writer.  She has the ability to write a story that will linger with you until you pick up another one of her books and that adds to your addiction.  I look forward to reading more books by Holly Black and definitely recommend The Cruel Prince to anyone who loves fantasy and the world of faeries.


Check out some of these reviews for The Cruel Prince


Book Smugglers
Her Bookish Things
Word Nerd Scribbles

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology
Source: Paperback, Library
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws


Percy is your typical 12 year old kid.  School is not his favorite thing in the world and he tends to lean towards trouble.  Then while on a field trip, Percy swears a monster tried to kill him.  When his mom finds out she decides it's finally time to tell him who his father is..Posiden, God of the Sea.  He then goes to the one place he will be safe, a camp for Half Bloods.  While there he discovers he needs to go on a quest and retrieve a stolen lightning bolt, one stolen from Zeus.  Along with his friends, Percy travels across the county to enter the Underworld to stop a war between the gods and save his mom.

So I admit I watched the movie before I read the book, and that kind of tainted my image of the story. I have a strong interest in Greek Mythology (well mythology in general) and Rick's story is an interesting twist to the mythology I have come to know.  One things that stood out for me was Percy's age, I feel like he could have been older than 12 but that's just me, and can see why it would appeal to a younger reading crowd.  Rick's series is the perfect way to introduce young readers to the beauty that is Greek Mythology.  Rick's writing is perfect for the age group he aims for, as an adult it seemed a little too simplistic, but again I am reading this as a 34 year old woman not a 12 year old girl.


I loved how loyal and brave Percy comes off, he starts out as a trouble-marker, but we see that maybe some of those things weren't exactly his fault.  I liked how the monsters slowly came into play like with the algebra teacher turning into a monster, Fury I think.  He develops into his powers, but I think he could have learned how to use them and be a little more powerful with them sooner, and more often in the book.  Sometimes it seemed like he got out of situations based on pure luck.  I hoped for more magic I guess, but I guess mythology didn't use much magic.  I love how Rick include Annabeth and shows her with power and strength of her own.  This shows young girls that you can be just as powerful and strong as male counterparts.

I liked that RIck included some beings everyone can be familiar with in this novel like the Minotaur, Furies, Fates, and Medusa.  I hope he tackles some other creatures in the other novels, maybe ones we don't see so often like sirens, something.  The Ever After Casino was interesting and I loved how the movie portrayed this scene, it was interesting but creepy at the same time, along with Medusa's Shop of garden statues.  How creepy to think she tries to sell the statues, or maybe she doesn't make a sale but uses people in her gardens.  Poseidon has always been one of my favorite gods, and I had hoped for a little bit more from him and was disappointed that we didn't see more of him or any indication that he might have been watching over Percy the whole time.

While I enjoyed reading this book and will read the whole series, I don't see myself becoming a super fan girl that way I have with other novels like The Lunar Chronicles or Harry Potter.  But I still think it is a cute story, great for the age range and some adults.  I recommend it if you haven't read it yet.

The Glass Magician by Charlie Holmberg Book Review

Title: The Glass Magician
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Library paperback
Rating: 2 out of 5 paws


Ceony has just turned 20, and it has been a few weeks or months since she saved Mg Thane from the blood magician who stole his heart, literally.  She had hoped things would go back to normal.  But then an explosion at a paper mill sparks a series of events that place Ceony in the center.  Other blood mages are looking for her to find answers to the power she holds.  A power she doesn't fully understand herself.  A particularly evil magician believes Ceony holds secrets about bonding to different elements and vows to extract that information no matter the costs.  Ceony has to test her limits in order to save herself and those she loves while keeping her secrets from falling into the wrong hands.

For those of you who have read my review of The Paper Magician know that I did not particularly care for the book, but found the concept interesting.  Despite not enjoying the first book as much as I had hoped I would, I decided to give the second book a try and see if I would like it any better.  But I am sad to say that while I enjoyed it slightly more, I still felt disappointed and let down with this novel.  This is an idea, a concept that has much potential and promise, but it was not executed in the way it should have.  There are different directions I had hoped this story would go, while it went one way I was surprised with and enjoyed, it still felt predictable.  There are so many things that did not sit well with me while reading that I do not know where to start. The sentences are simplistic and many are repeated throughout the novel.  Sometimes the same thing is repeated but with different wording.  There were a few times I thought to myself "but you already stated this."


Lets begin with the antagonists.  There was no depth to them, we don't get the feel of urgency with them.  It was interesting enough the Grath wanted to unbind from glass then bind to blood, there not motivation or explanation as to why.  The story makes it seem like the only element powerful enough to be consider deadly is blood, but as we see later in the novel some of the other elements are just as powerful.  I wish Holmberg showed more of how powerful paper can be, to show that people are wrong for thinking it is a lesser element.  I felt no reason to fear him as you should a villain.  Saraj felt like he didn't need to be in the story at all his part was so anti-climactic that it could have been another character to have done the things he did.


The romance aspect was something else I had issue with.  This story could have done without the romance; maybe show an unrequited interest as Ceony is still young, a crush not full on falling in love wishing he would kiss her or touch her shoulder.  We already know Mg Thane is at least 10 years her senior and her teacher which makes his interest in her even more inappropriate (not that he's older but that he's her teacher).  But despite the student teacher aspect there is no depth to the supposed romance, nothing that indicates these two are kindred spirits beyond Ceony consistently reflecting on a fortune she seen towards the end of the last book.  Why should readers care whether or not these two end up together?  Why shouldn't Ceony be transferred to another magician?  These are things readers need to feel, answer, but the book does not do that.


One thing that didn't fit with the rest of the story was Ceony having a gun.  When I read that I wondered "where the hell did that come from?"  It doesn't fit with the world Holmberg is attempting to create.  And the ending GAH it felt so elementary that it didn't make sense that these experienced magicians never thought to try it before.  It throws everything we have learned about this world out the window, nothing matters anymore.  Everything we learned about bonding to magic doesn't matter anymore because to reverse it is completely easy. 


There are things I enjoyed such as the different magic and I would love to have seen more.  I would have loved to have seen Ceony use more paper folding beyond what we already seen her use in the first book aside from the paper doll which I think could have been used in a bigger way.  But the good does not outweigh the bad.  If you like young adult that is very simplistic and your fantasy filled with romance attempt this series.  I don't think I will continue with it.


For some other reviews, check out these blogs:


Kaona's Corner
The Fictional Reader

Handlers of Dragons

Title: Handles of Dragons

Author: Kim Cormack

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Source: Ebook from author

Rating: 5 out of 5

This is the fourth book in the Children of Ankh series.  Kayn has discovered not only is she a dragon, but she is also Lexi's sister and Seth's daughter.  ALOT for her to handle at once.  She and Zach need to strengthen their bond if he is to be successful as her handler.  Things are going okay for her until Kevin gives her a flower from their childhood and she throws him off a balcony.  Then Lexi kills someone, so as punishment the two dragons and their handlers are sent on a few missions with NO contact with the rest of the clan.  The purpose is for the dragons to bond together and with their handlers.  Things tend to get a little dirty when Abaddon enter the mix along with some other creatures.  Kayn needs to learn how to control not only her dragon powers, but also her conduit and Guardian powers as well.  How is one girl supposed to handle it all?

I have been a fan of Kim Cormack's since the beginning of the series, and have yet to be disappointed with her work.  What can I say that hasn't already been said by myself or other reviewers?  This book picks up where the last one left off with Kayn discovering the truth about her lineage and her powers.  On top of needing to control her thoughts and feelings, Kayn must also learn to control new powers.  This is not a standalone novel, you do need to read the previous novels in order to understand the intricacies of the storyline.

Kim is able to weave together a tale that includes everything from dark humor to action/adventure and even a little romance.  No other author I have read has been able to bring about such humor in regards to two petite women going on a murder spree.  I love that the dragons are two women that on the outside people wouldn't assume are bad-ass, but then they single handedly kill thousands of demons and evil beings.  She also includes humor on various other things, I loved the mention of Kayn thanking someone simply because she was Canadian and that what they do, how could that not bring about a chuckle or two.

I am excited to see what Kim is going to do in the next book with the things that we have found out.  I almost wanted Kayn to get control of at least one of her powers or her unlocking something specific within Grey along with his fire ability.  It feels like there is a lot building up to something grander and more will be revealed in the next book.  I know we are nearing the end of the series as well and I hope Kim will continue to write and tell the story, maybe something from Triad or with the brothers.

If you fancy a good urban fantasy about immortal warriors this is for you.  If you fancy an action adventure with a lot of battles and fighting, this is for you.  Heck I'd say this was the book for anyone.  It's an intense novel that makes for a great read. 

The Magicians Land

Title: The Magician's Land
Author: Lev Grossman
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Ebook
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws


This is the third book in the Magician's trilogy.  Quentin is cast out of Fillory and working as a teacher at Brakebills, until he gets cast out of there as well.  After being cast out of Brakebills he joins a quest to steal back a chest with some things in it, what the things are he doesn't know.  While on the quest he meets Plum who was a wonderful student at Brakebills but was also cast out.  Their quest takes them back to Brakebills South, but what they discover about the box changes things.  Quentin tries even more to bring Alice back from being a niffin, but in the process he discovers how to create a magical utopia.  Meanwhile, Fillory is dying.  Eliot and Janet are trying to find a way to save Fillory from dying and Quentin just might be their answer.

I must preface this by saying I accidently borrowed the wrong book.  I meant to borrow book 2 "The Magician's King" but the library system had the book labeled wrong and I read out of order so for a while I was VERY lost in what was happening or what had happened.  Despite not reading the second book, this one felt....bland and unpleasant.  I kept saying I wanted to quit reading but my friend insisted that I finish reading it.  There were parts of the story that felt like it could have been way more exciting than it was such as the suitcase quest, it could have been way better, but it fell short of expectations. 


The only parts I did enjoy involved Fillory, Eliot and Janet, granted they are my favorite things about the series as a whole (including the television show).  Janet really stepped up in her bad-assness with her kick ass weapons and really taking on the role of High Queen of Fillory.  Eliot I felt fell a little flat In his awesomeness, maybe I am too used to the actor who plays him.  That is part of the downfall of reading a series after beginning to watch a movie or tv show based on the series.  You already gain an image in your head of that character and for this series they don't add up.  I prefer the TV show actors to the characters described in the book.   


The ending is almost predictable in what would happen.  While the story itself built up to the end, it was predictable from the beginning and left me feeling unsatisfied.  I wanted something more from the end, something grander.  What I think I should do is read the series when I am NOT watching the tv show so I am not as bias.   Overall I would recommend it.  Grossman is a great storyteller and has created an interesting world that I wish I could escape to sometimes.  If you enjoy fantasy definitely pick this series up but if you enjoy the show, maybe wait til later to read it.

The Magicians

Title: The Magicians
Author: Lev Grossman
Genre: Fantasy
Source: eBook
Rating: 4 out of 5

Quentin is your typical high school student who loves a series of books call "Fillory and Further."  On the day he is supposed to have an interview for college, he enters to find his interviewer laying dead. As he walks in a daze he finds himself on the campus for a different school and takes an odd series of entrance exams for what he finds out later is for a school called Brakebills.  What is different about Brakebills is that it is a school for magic. Quentin finds out magic is a lot harder than he has anticipated.  During their third year, students find themselves separated into Disciplines and Quentin finds himself in with the Physical Kids even though he technically does not have a Discipline.  Upon graduation the students find themselves striving to find a purpose and stumble upon Fillory.  There they discover "The Beast" and find themselves in an epic battle for survival. After the fight Quentin's love Alice sacrifices herself to kill the Beast, Penny loses the use of his hands and an injured Quentin is under the care of some centaurs.  All the while Eliot and Janet become the king and queen of Fillory.

I had a little bit of a harder time getting into this one because I have seen the show on sci-fi, and while I know the show is nothing like the book there are some similarities and the expectations I had for some characters were skewed by how the show portrays them.  That being said, I did enjoy the book, there were many things that were different or portrayed differently.  Grossman took magic and gave it and adult feel, while i have read this book described as a very adult version of Harry Potter, I would say it is VASTLY different from that series and would not compare the two. Each book addresses magic differently.

Quentin was rather boring and difficult to like in the book, he came off as a dumbling fool who just kind of stumbled into magic.  Granted his character gets better as the novel progresses, but it's far easier to like other characters better such as Eliot or even Penny once he returns to the story.  Q didn't have much depth to him at first or even halfway through novel. The story itself seemed to drag on about the activities of school and the years the group spends there.  It isn't until book 2 which is a little over halfway through the novel that it begins to pick up and some action begins to happen.  It took a long time to build up to the ultimate battle and discovery of Fillory. 

It is defintely a novel that portrays wanting something badly, building a grand idea of it and never being able to fully reaching it or finding it and discovering the disappointment of it not being what you have built it up to be.  If you are going into this book thinking it will be a light and airy series, don't it is darker than expected.  Regardless it was a good read.  If you have seen the show, it may be difficult to read but still worth it.  I recommend it.

The Misanthrope

Title: The Misanthrope
Author: S.M Boyce
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Kindle Ebook
Rating: 4 out of 5


This is the story of how Stone became, well...Stone.  Prior to being the first vagabond, prior to training Kara he was a servant boy named Terric.  As a young boy he was intent on learning more and reading as many books as he could steal from his master, but when he is caught and tries to run away he is captured by someone else who stabs him with something and then drowns him.  Upon his death Terric meets, Death himself who gives him a option to return to life but as a being known as an Isen.  But with the catch that he is under the control of Niccoli his new master.  Terric gains the name Stone and spends his lifetime trying to figure out how to survive without making new Isens or how to make them without painfully killing them, and how he can escape Niccoli.  Will Stone be able to learn how to defy Niccoli and finally be free from a life of servitude?

I have been waiting for a story about Stone.  I love his character, I craved more of his backstory, while this one was interesting to read, it didn't capture me as much as S.M. Boyce's other novels.  It was a lot of backstory and I understand we may have more from Stone's story and I am eagerly waiting to see what else is in store him and how he figures out how to escape Niccoli's commands.  He is a character that doesn't just blindly follow his master, he questions things and tries to do things differently than his master.  I like the character of Stone because of that, because he doesn't blindly follow Niccoli and does whatever he says for the sake of obedience.  While he is still a slave of sorts he is still his own man with his own mind and desires.


S.M Boyce has created this world of Ourea filled with unknown magic and creatures that completely unique to her vision.  She creates empathy for her characters in a way that remains with the readers throughout the story.  I love that all her characters remain true to themselves even some of the minor characters remain who they are and you have a slight insight to who they were prior to becoming Isen.  This book shows readers the importance of these characters while in Grimoire Saga we see them as "evil", Boyce shows that not all of them are, and readers gain a sense of sympathy for them through this story.  I am eager to read what is next in this series and can't wait to begin Deidra's story!


So far I have read I think 4 of Boyce's novels and she has  yet to disappoint.  Each novel seems to surpass the last, and I expect that to continue with this series.  I  highly recommend anything by SM Boyce and look forward to seeing more of her amazing writing in the future.  Pick yourself up a copy and see her magical writing for yourself.  You won't be able to stop from getting another one.

Keepers verses Reapers

Title: Keeper Vs. Reaper
Author: Jennifer Malone Wright
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars


After the death of their father, Lucy Estmond inherits the family business even though she is the youngest.  She knew she would be the one to take over watching the souls in the graveyard and keeping them from being stolen from the Reapers.  Reapers are beings that eat souls to keep their strength.  Each despise each other and Lucy continues the age old battle.  But everything changes when Lucy finds out about a prophecy of a Chosen One..  A prophecy that she fulfills of being the  keeper to bring the end of the Reapers.  During a chance encounter at her sister's bakery Lucy meets Jack.  A gorgeous man....and a Reaper.  After their meeting the two realize they now have an attraction they cannot break.  They have a need to be together, almost like breathing.  When Lucy gets kidnapped by Jack's own mother, he joins the Estmond family to save her.  Will they be able to figure out what is behind this unnatural attraction in time?  Will Lucy discover answers to all her lingering questions?





So the premise is interesting keeper and reapers battling over souls and a chosen one to bring down the end of the other.  But it is an idea that has been done many times including the idea of the chosen one being the seventh child, born on the seventh day of the seventh month.  I've seen this 7 theme in other books (the 7th son of the 7 son will be a chosen one type of thing)  Star crossed lovers, too cliché of the Romeo and Juliet ideal. I don't want to give spoilers but several times quotes from Romeo and Juliet entered my head as I was reading this.


The pacing is super slow, it takes a long time to build up and even then the climax sort of falls short of what I was expecting and the ending made me think "that's it?"  It didn't really make eager and excited to read the next book in the series.  There were too many questions left unanswered, and readers are left wondering why the characters are doing the things that they are doing.  The language in this is fowl lots of f words and other cussing.  I understand people do this and do it often, but sometimes in novels it takes away from what the author is trying to do.  It was way overused and got old after a while. 


The characters had no depth to them, you thought they would at various points, but then their story gets dropped.  Lucy totally treats Ethan like crap, Jack is a man whore who changes his ways for Lucy.  There are so many of the siblings that sometimes you lose track of who is who and some aren't even really in the book or have side moments just as a reminder, almost like "Oh hey yea there is a sister named Steph."  The prophecy doesn't even get explained more other than Lucy is the chosen one to bring an end to the reapers.  There should be more to it at least for the readers.  It didn't seem like the Estmonds were too concerned with finding out more about the prophecy to help Lucy other than caging her into the house.


If I see the second novel available on like a free ebook day I may read it to see if there are questions answered, but I don't expect myself to read the next one.  As I always this book may not have been for me, but someone else might enjoy it, so if you enjoy paranormal fantasies and the like then sure check out this novel.


If you have any recommendations for a fantasy novel you want me to review feel free to let me know in the comments!


Happy Reading!

The Hollow Crown

Title: The Hollow Crown
Author: Jeff Wheeler
Genre:  Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


While celebrating the wedding of the new king, Tryneowy's mother discloses a vision she had had of an upcoming war, one that may devastate the kingdom.  She had grown up learning of military and political strategy.  In her heart, she knows she is to protect the country as a knight rather than a Wizr.  Tyrneowy struggles to find her own destiny within this world she studies her mother's traditions and secretly trains with the general.  An evil force now threatens the future and the kingdom.  Trynne hopes she has what it takes to help protect the kingdom, but does she have what the kingdom needs, or will she fall short?

I have not read the beginning of the series, as I received a copy of this novel from Netgally and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.  But I do not think one needs to read the series in order, thought it would be beneficial as you will understand the kingdom and key players, and the magic that is used.  The story has a lot of background in it, a lot of build up to the climax and conclusion, which is very much important in the end.  The characters are beyond complex and filled with depth.  From the very beginning of the story, your heart aches for Tryneowy.


The way Wheeler describes things and builds his characters, it is easy to understand them and the motives behind every action and spoken word.  He has given each one such personality, it felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book, I could almost see this being made into a movie and acted out.  I would love to see how Hollywood would depict the magic he creates.  I liked the idea of the main character going against what is expected of her and following her dream regardless of how she will be viewed or what her parents think, though I believe her father approved as he gave her permission to train with the sword.


There aren't many lose ends other than those one would expect to carry over into the next novel.  I am excited to see what else Jeff Wheeler has in store for his readers, and I now have to go back to read the other books in this series.  If they are anything like this book, I will be hooked on yet another series!  I would recommend this book and potentially series to anyone who enjoys reading a good fantasy novel.  Anyone who loves to get lost in another realm and wish to never come back, then this is the book for you!  Great novel, great writing, new fan!

Shadow magic (audiobook)

Connor was just a normal teenage boy with a father who taught ancient languages.  His world completely changes with a visit from his aunt, who happens to want to kill him.  He is transplanted into another world, Tir Na Nog,  where there is a prophecy of the son of the handed king.  There he meets another family member, his uncle, as well as his mother.  After a quick battle he is separated from his parents and he teams up with 3 other companions to find his way across Tir Na Nog to find his parents.  Everyone within the realm wants to kill him and Connor must work with his companions to find their way to their destination.  Along the way Connor discovers things about his friends as well as himself and grows stronger in the process.  Will Connor succeed in his quest and make it safely to his family?

I listened to this book as an audio book via LibriVox, and it is read by John Henahan himself.  I am not sure how I feel about audiobooks.  I tried it to see if I would enjoy them while I am at work or driving.   I found I had a hard time paying attention to the story because it quickly became background sound to the other things that I was focusing on, so I ended up listening to it when I wasn't doing something.  I enjoyed this book a great deal when I was able to finally focus on it.  The author read it while slight inflections in his voice when different characters were speaking.  That was a hard things to work through, knowing when someone was speaking and who.  When I read the dialog it is easier to understand when dialogue belongs to different people.

The story was very interesting and humorous, children in the age range (it says 7-10 but I would say 8-15) would greatly enjoy this story and get lost within.  I enjoyed the use of different Celtic folklores like imps and leprechauns.  There is a lot of action throughout the book, enough to keep readers (or listeners) interested and eager to find out what happens next.  The narration reads (flows) much like a teenager is speaking/writing which adds to the effect that the main character is in fact a teenager.  He acted and spoke the way a teen would rather than someone older than they were supposed to be.  Some of the descriptions were hilarious such as when he describes himself dismounting as resembling a giraffe on an escalator.  It was refreshing to "read" a book that had battle scenes and the sense of war, but didn't have a lot of blood or gore.  It focused more on respecting the people, plants and animals of the land, such as asking a tree for permission before picking an apple or asking a boar if it was alright to kill it.

I would recommend this book to young reads and older readers as well, it is refreshing to read something youthful and airy for a change.  I anticipate reading the other books in this trilogy, I may also listen to it on audiobook if it is available.  I give this audiobook a 4 out of 5 rating, and think I will give audiobooks another change, but I am not sure if they are for me.  We shall see...

Happy reading!

Forbidden

I cannot begin to describe how much I dislike this book.  I  was barely able to finish it, and for those of you who know me know that is saying a lot.   There was only 1 time I never finished a book.  I don't know where to begin...throughout the book Rose continues to proclaim she and her family are not vampires, they just have vampire like qualities so what are they, all we get is immortal.  Unless you chop their heads off or if they apparently lose a significant amount of blood.

A LARGE portion of the book is Gabriel trying to get Rose to be his girlfriend and Rose fighting it...basically it goes "Rose I love you," "We  can't be together Gabriel, it's not safe." "Why not?," "I can't tell you."  Have this happen several times in various formats and you have about 75% of the book, along with Gabriel getting superhuman abilities and a foreign exchange student.  Very cliche throughout the whole book.

The characters were blah, Rose was just whiney and weak the whole time.  Gabriel is so cliche: football jock who wants more in life but step-daddy won't let him.  Sadie could have been more interesting but wasn't developed enough.  William again cliche: best friend's brother who crushes on Rose and hates Gabriel...just no....be a little more original I felt like I read these characters before.

Don't get me started kn grammer and misspellings.  I thought editors would have gone through this and pointed those thingsout, maybe not.  I was more than disappointed in this book.  The summary made it sound so interesting, but sadly it wasn't.

I  would be willing to read something else from this author but not in this genre.  Sadly for the second time, I do not recommend this book and give it a 1.5 out of 5 rating.

Night Circus

A mysterious circus arrives in town, it is only open at night and there is not a sign of color only black, whites, and shades of grey.  Patrons are dazzled by the acts and displays throughout the circus that they long for it to return again.  Some even follow the circus around to different cities.  What the patrons don't know is there is a competition going on behind the scenes.  Marco and Celia are in the midst of a duel since childhood.  The two don't know the exact rules of the game, aside from that they control the circus but cannot interfere with one another.  There can only be one winner in this battle of imagination and skill.  Despite their best efforts the two stumble into love.  Regardless of their love the game must keep going, even with the fate and future of those involved with the circus are at the hands of Celia and Marco.  Who will become the victor?

I originally fell in love with the cover of the book, it really drew me into the story and got in me interested.  The story within didn't completely disappoint.  It was a little difficult to get used to how the story jumped around in the beginning, but there was a lot of story to follow and each character's story meant something in the end.  Everything weaved together and played off of the last that I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what will happen.  The first few chapters were incredibly interesting with magical undertones and the promise of a fast-paces magical competition, but the middle began to drag on, filling readers with characters that didn't seem to make sense to the story.  Don't get me wrong the characters are interesting and the images are exploratory.

Marco and Celia start out not knowing who the other is and continue to create tents for one another.  At some point, without much build -up, the two begin a love affair (which we also do not see) and continue to profess their love for one another.  Neither try hard to get away from the competition, aside from Celia mentioning being in pain simply from  thinking about leaving.  I kind of expected more from that as well as the battle between the two other than creating more tents.  I understand the idea was the two of them controlling and providing energy/protection to the circus, but I hoped for a little bit more to that.  I think part of this is because there was so much going on in the story and so much descriptions.  While I like descriptions and being able to feel as if I was a part of the story, but not at the risk of losing development of the characters.

I liked the characters enough, but it didn't feel like there was enough for them to be developed enough in the story. There were times when I was wondering how the story got to different points because there didn't seem to be anything that lead up to, and after reading it I am not entirely sure what happened at the end.  I tried explaining this book to someone and was unable to do so.  Regardless of some of the less savory aspects of the book..i really liked it.  I was drawn into the story of Marco and Celia and kept wanting more from them.  While I wasn't compelling to spend all night reading it, I was still anxious to pick it back up.  I would recommend this book, but not as enthusiastically as I have in the past.  I would give this a 3 out of 5 rating.  I wanted more from the book, but I did enjoy reading it and getting lost in the circus.

Branded (Fallen Angels #1)

For the longest time, Jessica had nightmares.  Nightmares where she was being judged for other people's sins, and branded by the angels for those sins.  When she awakes, she finds the brand is still on her skin, burning.  She hides it from her friends and family who think she has gone crazy because of these nightmares.  Suddenly two men come into her life, each completely different, but both compelling and alluring.  Jessica cannot help but be drawn to both of them.  She will do anything to be with one of them even if it means telling him everything about her nightmares and the mark.  The other, draws her into a downward spiral towards her own judgement.  Her worst nightmare could very possibly come true.  Will she be able to find her way out of the judgement and into the arms of a man she loves?

Very interesting plot and idea, unsure if it was executed right.  First off the repetition gets a little boring, for example almost every chapter until the men show up (even a bit afterwards) Jessica goes grocery shopping for her shut in neighbor Sally.  It would have been nice to see Jessica do something else for Sally other than grocery shop.  She comes off as a self-centered person despite her seemingly good deeds towards Sally.  She gets angry with Emily because she can't tell her how she made the dreams stop even though Emily revealed her traumatic abuse (there is a lot of abuse happening in this book, was there nothing else for the characters to have experienced?)  There isn't much dialogue, but a lot of internal monologue from Jessica.  At points it gets annoying.  The male love interests are less than believable.  Do we really want our girls to think it is acceptable behavior for a man she barely knowns to barge in on her shower just to ask her to dinner?  Couldn't that have waited?  Not only does he barge in her shower, but he barges in all the time.  Doesn't he have any respect for her privacy even after she asks for it?

Everything in this story is over-exaggerated, over described.  Nothing was left to the readers imagination.  It gets boring quickly and a little difficult to finish.  There's nothing that is memorable about the book and falls flat, very flat.  Jessica's character doesn't have depth and is confusing to me.  She is shy and highly guarded, afraid to let anyone close to her, but quickly falls in love with a man she barely knows after only about 5 minutes of knowing him (think Anna falling in love with Hans).  It was very hard to accept their romantic interest in each other, it didn't feel real.  There were a lot of things that were hard to accept with this novel.  The end felt too rushed as if the author didn't know what else to do but end the novel quickly.

I am on the fence on whether or not I would recommend this novel  While I think there are people who would enjoy it better than I would, I don't want to recommend a book and have then thoroughly dislike it as much as I did.  Unfortunately the rating I would give this is low, a 2 out of 5.

Heritage: S.M Boyce

Heritage is the third book in Boyce's Grimoire Saga.  It picks up with Kara in turning to learn how to control her Isen power enough to lead the other vagabonds.  Braeden is working to learn the inner workings of his kingdom to help the other Bloods plan an attack and finally defeat his father. Braeden has to learn how to gain the trust of the other bloods.  Kara has to learn how she can learn the vagabonds and how to sway the other bloods to her mission.  As part of her training, Kara visits the home of her grandfather, a notorious Isen who killed millions of people.  She had thought she'd known all about him until she took a trip through his memories and discovered the truth about him and herself.  This helps her accept her powers and learn to control them.  Now she sends her vagabonds back to their kingdoms and campaigns for the assistance of the other bloods to join her cause for peace.  Will Kara be successful?

After reading the previous two novels in the saga and loving them, I found this one to be lacking a certain..opf.  I love the idea of Kara being an Isen, it adds a deeper quality to her character and a twist in the story.  I have a feeling there is more to this surprise in the next novels.  There was a lot of re-cap from the other novels, and while having a recap can help remind readers of what happened previously, it started to take away from the story.  It started to feel like the momentum of the series started to slow down in the beginning of the novel, but once Kara revealed her powers the story picked back up. I was sucked back into the story, eager to know what will happen next. 

It almost felt like that story didn't progress much until about the last 75% of the novel.  There was a lot of build up to what will happen towards the end.  A lot was predictable, but then again Boyce tells the reader things will happen.  It does push the story along a little bit, but I think this book is intended to focus more on Kara learning her identity, who she truly is and her place within the world.    Throughout the other two books, Kara didn't feel connected to the people she was fighting to save, and now she does as well as change the viewpoint of Isens.  It is something that was needed to give Kara that connection to everyone and everything to really fight for unity.

I did enjoy this story, it was different from the previous ones in that it had a different air to it.  While it was slower and had a different feel to the story, it was one that is needed for the series.  It does deviate a little bit, but it is a necessary deviation.  I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading the next one.  I do suggest not only thing book but also the series.  I give this novel a 3 out 5 rating.  S.M Boyce is doing a great job at developing a story and world.

Steel Maiden

Elena would do anything to escape the Pit and establish a new life for her and Rose, even stealing from the Temple of the Sun priests.  She thought she was able to do it until she went to sell it to the buyer, and he betrayed her.  Now the priests has forced her to join a race for a magical stone with the promise of releasing her and Rose unharmed.  There is a secret to Elena that no one else in the race knows about, she has magic and possibly the power to overcome the priests.  Soon Elena finds herself in the middle of a rebellion against the priests and struggle for power.  All the while coming to terms with her new-found gifts and accepting who she has to become in order to accomplish her task.

This was a fairly easy book to read as it basically gives the reader a play by play of what is happening.  The sentences are very short and sequential.  "I shifted nervously.  The wound at the back on my neck throbbed.  The pain was increasing as we neared the city."  While this makes the book easy to follow and understand, it makes it feel like the reader is being spoon fed information.  This happened and then this happened and then this....Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading this book, I think there were ways to accomplish the same thing without it feeling completely laid out. Elena is an interesting character in that her magic is different from what have seen in other fantasy novels.  She has the ability to weld any weapon and is immune to other magic.  Richardson does a good job at bringing that ability to life in her character and the misunderstanding some of the people have towards magic-users.  I liked how she showed prejudice through this, once the other members of the race found out she was a magic user they reacted to her differently treated her worse than they did when they thought she was just a peasant woman. 

There were times when it felt like I had already read this book, the idea of a woman being chosen to be the king/priest's champion to capture a magical relic and discovers magic within herself.  It felt like it's been done before.  BUT, Richardson takes that idea and creates something new and unique with it. Some things were a little predictable like Mad Jack being a part of a rebellion within the Pit or Prince Landon betraying her, but any reader could see these things happening as we begin to feel like we are inside Richardson's head with this book.  We can see clearly her intent with the storyline and what she was doing.  There was no room for confusion.


I think she has a great beginning novel with Steel Maiden.  It gives the readers enough story to help launch their interest and keeps them wanting more from the story.  I know I am eager to find out what happens in the next book and where Richardson's story will lead readers.   Overall I will give this book a 3.5 out of 5 rating because There were strong and weak elements, Richardson could have taken the Steel Maiden thing so many different places and I hope she does so in the next novels.

Darkest Part of The Forest

Hazel and her brother grew up in a quiet small town, much like any other.  Everyone looked out for each other, supported one another.  They lived in a quaint little town, with one thing different from other towns.  They shared their forest with the faerie folk.  They have become a tourist attraction because in the forest is a close coffin, with a horned young man within.  Hazel and her brother grew up making up stories about who this boy could be.  One fateful night someone released him from his prison and something sinister starts attacking the children of the town.  Everyone seems to have their secrets and in time those secrets are revealed.  Will Hazel, her brother and Horned-boy be able to work together to save not only the town, but themselves from the mystery monster that plague their lives?

It has been a while since I have read such a well written book that completely captivated me from beginning to end.  I found myself whimpering when I needed to close it so I could sleep. The characters are so compelling and interesting, I could see myself as Hazel at times.  I have seen other reviews of people complaining about the LGBT element to the story (Ben falls in love with the Horned-boy).  In all honesty, I think it adds to the story.  Simply because two of the main characters are homosexual males does not take anything away from the story.  It was almost refreshing to read something that shows love from a different angle.

The story itself is well done, young prince imprisoned only to be awakened to be hunted and chased.  I was on the edge of my seat so to speak.  Black writes in  a way that drags her readers into the story.  It opens a whole new world to readers.  She ties everything together in a nice little bow that leaves readers craving more from her, I know I certainly am.  The story starts out slow while Black builds the world and characters for her readers, but once everything is established it all takes off like a bat out of hell from there.  She does a fantastic job at creating strong relationship ties that are believable and realistic.  What girl hasn't fallen in love with her brother's best friend?  Who hasn't longed for the fantasy relationship? Romantic relationships, familial and friendships are all crafted well within this story.

I love what Holly Black has created and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for readers.  I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 because the beginning was a little slow to begin with.

Gifted By Liz Long

After the loss of her parents, Lucy Sullivan finds herself running away to join the circus.  Donovan Circus is not your everyday normal circus, the performers and workers all have special powers, Lucy included.  Lucy is a firestarter, probably the most talented.  As she is learning to control her power, someone is killing members of the troupe and sabotaging some of the performances.  A human scientist is enamored by the gifted community and has been experimenting on people he kidnaps from the community for years.  He has his sights set on Lucy and does everything he can to entice her to be his test subject and give him her power.  Lucy needs to learn who she is able to trust if anyone, who is telling the truth, and how will she be able to defeat someone who is determined to ruin the lives of those in Donovan Circus.

As soon as I began reading this book I fell in love with it.  Liz Long does an amazing job creating a world that captivates her readers.  I love stories that combine different magic powers, but sometimes those stories don't mesh well with numerous powers.  This one makes use of the powers in a great way, each person helping someone else train and great strong.  Lucy at first comes off as being a whiney little girl, but as the story progresses she becomes stronger and comes into her own fire abilities as well as skills as a leader.  She comes to realize not only who she is as a person but the strength she has as a Firestarter.  Throughout the book she relies heavily on others to help her around the circus, but it doesn't come off as a girl incapable of completing a task, it is one of teamwork and family unity.


There is a little bit for everyone in this novel,:mystery, romance, and fantasy.  Liz writes a fantastic tale that is difficult to put down.  It has an even pace and doesn't feel like it is forced. One of my favorite things was the character Gabriel, he was an Empath.  Liz takes the idea of an Empath a step farther in that they are able to control the emotions of someone else rather than feeling every emotion.  I also enjoyed that there were different levels to the gifts like with Firestarters there are those who can control fire, make fire, or even those who could just withstand it.  A lot of things in the book were unique and different from what I have seen in other books, and that makes it fantastic in my mind.

I know there is more to the series and I eagerly await the next book in the series to find out what will happen next, whether someone else will come along to replace Felix or if something else worse will happen.  I give this novel a 3.5 out of 5 stars.