Textbook Review: 서강 한국어 Sogang Korean 1A and 1B

So I've been away from blogging for awhile but I will get back into it. Life got in the way and I had very little time for reading which made me sad. Anyway, I am trying to add something new. I started learning Korean a few months back as I did some English teaching in South Korea. Due to my schedule I was unable to take any language classes while I was there but have been doing some self-study. I will review some of the book I use along the way. I'm still at a low level so for now they will focus on beginner books.

Sogang Korean 1A Student book and Grammar supplement

Published By: Sogang University (Hanwoo)
Pages: 168
Rating: 3.5/5

I purchased my Sogang books (1A-2B) while in Korea. I had read a number of reviews that said this was a good series and recommended it. I had also heard the Sogang University language program is among the best (particularly for speaking) so I decided to give them a try.

This series is broken up into 5 levels each with a book A and B. The Student's book comes with a Supplementary grammar book to help explain grammar points, and provides a glossary of the vocabulary used both by page and by starting character. There is also a workbook that you can also purchase to practice what you learn in the book. Both the student's book and the work book come with a CD to follow along with dialogues and answer questions based on listening comprehension.

Firstly, these books are very nice to look at. They are colourful and have lots of pictures. Each chapter is broken up into several sections. An introduction to show what the chapter will be covering; speaking-grammar to introduce how the grammar point is used (it provides the page number of the supplement book to refer to the explanations); speaking dialogues to show the grammar in use in a mini conversation with substitution words to help practice; task; reading and speaking with comprehension questions; listening and speaking with comprehension questions; and a summary of the key vocabulary and phrases. 

The layout is well thought out and the mix of the 4 language areas is well balanced. I can see the clear progression between grammar points and how they build upon each other. 1A starts off with a section dedicated to learning how to read 한글 (hangul) so it's good for first time learners. It is also necessary as these books do not use romanisation at all, which I love because you cannot rely on it to correctly reflect the pronunciation. One thing I have noticed is that unlike other textbooks is that Sogang starts you learning using polite language (요) rather than formal language (이다). I personally like this as I feel it is more versatile as a first time learner so as when you speak to someone you won't offend anyone but you also don't come across as overly formal. The series starts introducing the formal language much more in 1B but utilises it in the reading tasks in 1A. I particularly like these reading passages as they challenge you a little bit. They present additional vocabulary along with using grammar you have learnt to test your reading comprehension, and the best part is that there is audio to accompany it to help with intonation, fluency and listening.

I really like how these books have separated the grammar explanations from the main book. This makes it easy to find and review grammar points. The book is also small and compact enough that you can take it with you when commuting so you can practice without having to carry around a heavy textbook. I know the Ewha Korean (이화 한국어) books also do this but you have to buy this separate from the textbook and the workbook.

I was quite happy with the exercises presented in the workbook. There are a variety of tasks to practice the grammar and vocabulary presented in each chapter. Some of the tasks that are included are conjugations, word/pictures match, cloze, transcribing and listening comprehension. There are also some exercises where you are required to finish the sentence but I don't really like these. My problem with these are there could be several ways to compete a sentence and vocabulary that can be used, which might not be the answer the book is wanting. Without a teacher you rely on the answers provided by the workbook to determine if you are correct or not so at this level it is hard to know if the answer you gave could also be grammatically correct. As for the answers for the workbook they are not provided in the book itself; you have to download the answer file from the Sogang website.

Now onto the cons. While I have said this book does go through 한글 it is definitely designed for in-class learning as there is no romanisation to introduce the sound of letters. While I do not recommend using romanisation to be reading full words and sentences, I definitely found it helpful as a beginner 한글 learner to remember the general sound of individual characters. There are lots of audio tracks provided to learn the pronunciation and sounds so it does make up a bit for it there. I personally recommend going to another source to learn the basics of 한글 and then use this book to practice it.

Another big con is that most of the speaking portions are designed for in-class partner work. It will give activities to role-play and discuss the different topics, sentence structures and grammar. This makes it hard to do unless you have someone else to practice with who can fix any mistakes you are making. As a solo learner I am really unable to use these activities to their full potential. Unfortunately this means there is a decent portion of the book I cannot use.

Overall, I am happy with the Sogang 1A and 1B books. However, I do not recommend using them as your sole source for learning Korean. There are lots of other books and websites that can be used to supplement your learning. I am currently also using 이화 한국어 1-1 and 1-2 and well as Yonsei Reading 1 to supplement my learning.

Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #6

 Published By: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 725
Rating: 3.5/5

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

*Review contains some spoilers for previous books and series*

 There was something about this book that didn't click like the previous ones have. I think it was because everything just felt too a little too easy and coincidental. For instance Brother Zachariah's regaining his humanity to become Jem again. I honestly thought there would be something more behind it but it was explained away as an unexplainable coincidence, that it probably only worked on him because of his personality. Really? Freak accident? This kind of coincidence happened a number of times through the book but that final one really got to me. I get the fact that Clare wanted to give everyone a happy ending and please her readers but I just find this kind of repetitive magical solution a little hard to swallow.

I'm also a little torn about the climax. In some ways I liked it and in others I didn't. Again it was a little too easy. I always thought Sebastian was smarter than that. For it to end like that was quite sweet, it was nice to see that side of him and I think the characters did need to mourn what could have been.

It was nice to see Alec and Magnus sort out their issues because they are just too darn cute together and to have them separated just wasn't right. I do admit there was a moment in the book where I was hoping that things wouldn't turn down the path they were heading. It was a quite intense few pages for me and the chemistry between these two had a lot to do with it.

There is a lot about this book that sets up the next series in the Shadowhunter world The Dark Artifices. Not only do we get to see the point of view of Emma and her relationship with Jules but we get a solid idea of what the plot and main conflict will be. Truthfully, I hope that something will make these characters distinctive because at this point their personalities feel a little recycled, there's not much to make them distinctive from the characters we've already come to know.  Really, I would be more interested if the book centered around any of the other Blackwood children, especially the twins. I feel there is something different and interesting there. But it seems like we'll get more Jem and Tessa though, so that's a win.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable read and conclusion to The Mortal Instruments. It was a little too happily-ever-after for my liking in a lot of aspects but I do hand it to Clare that almost not all the answers were handed to the characters on a silver platter.

Book Review: To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I Loved Before #1

Published By: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

To be honest I don't think I would've liked this book as much as I did IF I was not a fan of K-Dramas because this book reads like one. In fact I probably would've disliked this book but this is my life:
 




















So for those of you who do not watch K-Dramas, they tend to be very formulaic to the point that you can guess how it will probably end and identify the tried-and-tested plot devices. So why are they so addictive and why do I watch them, well...



So because of my drama watching I found this book on the predictable side of things. It uses one of my favourite K-Drama plot devices, the contract marriage (or in this case contract dating), and as soon as that appears you know where it's gonna lead and you know you'll probably end up with a case of SLS (second lead syndrome). And while SLS didn't affect me that much this time, I was liking the OTP. What I did like and what is usually absent in K-Dramas of the same vein is that Peter wasn't a complete tool bag to her and he did put in effort, even if I wanted to slap him every time he went crawling back to Gwen And I was excited when this happened:

While I found the overall experience of reading this book enjoyable it was not without it's faults. I really disliked Margot. I found her to be really selfish and self-absorbed. I did understand where these feelings were coming from but there were times she just grated on my nerves. Furthermore, there wasn't enough Gwen. I expected her to have a bit of a bigger role, making Lara Jean's life hell and being the bitch we were told she was. Finally Josh. There was a chance for SLS to hit hard but he fell a little flat as a love interest. By the time he became a possible competitor it was too late, he was too absent from Lara Jean's life after his breakup with Margot to be convincing. That being said I was kinda glad I didn't have to deal with another Ji Hoo...

Seriously I'll never get over this case of SLS, it was devastating :(

That being said there is another is sequel so there is plenty of time for characters to up their game, for romance to blossom fully, an amnesia scene  and a brooding shower scene with the male lead...

Wait what was I talking about?

Overall, this book is a quick fun read. Not everyone is going to enjoy it as you do have to set aside the idea of the events being realistic but if you can ignore that you might just like it. Also that ending is kinda horrible even if I can somewhat predict what will happen

Now I'm off to re-watch Boys Over Flowers because Ji Hoo! and procrastinate over homework.
 

Book Review: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3

Published By: Little, Brown Company
Pages: 613
Rating: 5/5


By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

This was me by the end of this book:


Taylor has once again produced a piece of work that is just pure magic. This series has never failed to be vivid, imaginative and an excellent example in world-building. And just like Days of Blood and Starlight built upon Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Dreams of Gods and Monsters builds on again. It was a joy to read and see this universe continue to expand until the possibilities became endless. It was particularly interesting to read an account of how humanity might react to an invasion of angels and monsters, and the possible fallout of differing theologies.

However, despite my enjoyment I did question some of the writing decisions Taylor made (although these did diminish as the book progressed). From the first chapter we are introduced to a new point-of view (one of a couple), a fact that was very confusing for most of the book. I was waiting and waiting for an explanation for this, to see what part these characters could possibly play in the grand scheme of things. And I got one. Was it satisfactory? My feels are still all over the place about this. Their inclusion makes sense but that completely depends on how you feel about the end of the book.

Truthfully, I'm not sure how I feel about the end of the book or understand all of it. In some ways it feels that the trilogy was just a lead up to the big reveal rather than the battle with Jael, in other ways it felt like Taylor trying to tie up loose ends quickly and in another way the ending felt right for the story. By the time you sort out your feels I think you'll either love or hate the ending. For me I think I'm leaning towards the love, after all there is a sense that  it isn't the end and we can get more books but if not I can still be satisfied.

ARC Book Review: Daylighters by Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires #15

Published by: Penguin Books Australia
Pages:
Rating: 4.5/5

While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place—a deadly one…

Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.

It seems that an organization called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they’ve never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation—even for the vampires themselves—the truth is far more sinister and deadly.

Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end…

*ARC was provided by Penguin Books Australia via NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

It's always sad to say goodbye to one of your favourite series, especially if it has been going for as long as Morganville Vampires has. I picked this series up soon after Lord of Misrule was released in 2009 and have since spent the last five years following these characters as they grow through their many adventures. It's been a fun and enjoyable ride, and this book does the series justice, bringing Clare, Shane, Michael and Eve's adventure to a satisfying conclusion.

The atmosphere of this book was chilling. Drawing paralells from World War II Caine creates a situation in Morganville that is scarily similar to Hitler's regime, particularly the imprisonment of Jews and the knowledge/attitude of people living in viallages close by to the camps. The knowledge of what happened is enough to make the story chilling but for me there was an added element; last year I visited one of the German concentration camps and the experience, to say the least, left a lasting impression, an impression that resurfaced while reading this book. Caine did a wonderful job creating this underlying menace the Daylight Foundation and its leader brought to the town.

The characters were, as always, what makes the book so good. For Clare, Shane and Eve, they are put into a position where they have to question their idea of good and evil, what's best for the town, what they truely believe in and if what they are doing is right. It really highlights how much the characters have developed since Glass Houses. In partiuclar, we can see the huge change that has occured in Shane from someone who wants to kill the vampires and would so anything to accomplish that, to someone who understands that vampire doesn't necessarily equal evil and doesn't want to kill them on sight.

As always the plot provides enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what is going to happen and how the characters will get out of it alive. It's never easy and the characters walk a thin line with who to trust as motives and alliance can swing in either direction.

I feel fans of this series will be satisfied with the ending. It provides closure for the characters and the readers while still leaving room for more adventures if Caine decides to return to Morganville in the future. For me I feel like this is end of the adventures of Clare and the gang, but I would like a return to Morganville years from the end of the book, featuring future generations.

While this might be goodbye to the Morganville books, it's not goodbye to the series with episodes for a web tv show in the works.

ARC Book Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2

Published By: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

*A copy of this book was provided by  Harlequin Enterprises Australia via NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I feel like this book suffered a little bit from second book syndrome. Don't get me wrong it was still a great read but most of it was set-up for the end of this book and the next one in the series.

One of the best things about this book was seeing how far the characters had come since the beginning of The Iron Prince. Ethan  in particular has grown quite a bit. He's gone from someone who hates the fey and avoids them at all costs to accepting that he can see them and will likely be drawn back into their world whether he likes it - or them - or not. Kenzie got on my nerves a little bit. Due to her illness she ended up in hospital after her and Ethan returned home from the last adventure, it really hit home to Ethan that she was actually sick and their adventures in the the Nevernever took a toll on her health. With this in mind he tries to keep her away from the adventure this time but all Kenzie does is complain that he's just like her family, trying to stop her from living her life and doing what she wants to. I get that she wants to do what she can but Ethan was not in the wrong from trying to stop her from coming with him this time, after all she had not long come out of hospital and he doesn't want her to end up there again.

Puck and Grim are also, as always, great. Keirran was just tragic. Much of the book was spent setting up his motivations and the reason behind his changes. He's very much a Romeo character who will do and give up anything to save the person he loves. As the plot moves forward you can see him giving up more and more, and as he gets more desperate his choices begin to not only impact on himself but on the Nevernever as well. It was tragic to read because he becomes so much darker than he was in The Iron Prince. I felt really sorry for him and I understood why Ethan and Kenzie were trying to help him but I kinda wish they had slapped some sense into him early on in the book, or at least led Ash to them so he could do it himself.

I only had one issue with this book;  there was a short section where it was repeated several times that Kenzie had to be careful around Titania because there was a chance that Titania would turn her into a rose bush or something of the like just because she felt like it. Due to the short space it was repeated in I really noticed it and got rather frustrated that I had to read about it yet again.

Overall, The Iron Traitor was a quick and entertaining read that really sets the scene for the next book, leaving readers to wonder just how much impact Keirran's choices will have on everyone.

Book Review: Reunion by Jennifer Fallon

Rift Runners #2

Published by: HarperVoyager Australia
Pages: 496
Rating: 5/5

Ren of the Undivided and his half-Faerie companion Trasa must find a way to stop the Matrachai, who want to eliminate every magical race in existence. Only the Undivided hold the key to stopping them, and even the Faerie Brethren have turned to Ren for assistance. With the help of the Pete and Logan Doherty, the human twins stranded with them, Ren must find a way to save them all, especially his twin brother Darragh. Reunion is the third book in the fabulous Rift Runners epic fantasy series, following on from The Undivided and The Dark Divide, and switches through time portals between the contemporary world and a Celtic Druidic Britain.

*A copy of this book was provided by HarperVoyager Australia for a fair and honest review.

This book doesn't take off from where The Dark Divide finished. After the prologue, in which we are introduced to Pete and Logan's home reality, the story jumps ahead three years to set up the rest of the book before skipping a further seven years into the future. It is here, ten years after the events of the last book that a majority of the plot takes place.

Once I started this book I could not put it down, reading most of it in a day. There's just something about Fallon's writing that captures my attention and refuses to let go until the last word. Not to mention that there was never a dull moment in this book with secrets, lies and plot twists around every corner. I wish I could go into more detail but anything I would say would give too much away.

What was great to see is how all the characters have changed based on the situation they have been in for the past decade. Ren has matured so much since we first met him in The Undivided. There is something tragic about him, knowing he has to kill Darragh's children and doing everything he can to stop it, and eventually finding out that Darragh was not living it up with Kiva. He has to make some hard decisions but understands what needs to be done and the consequences that follow. Trása shows great development too, becoming a Queen in her own right.

Seeing how Pete and Logan had changed was great as well. From not believing in magic or different worlds, they had to deal with their adoptive mother drugging them, taking them to a new world and trying to kill them, and finding out they were more sidhe than human. There is a scene early in the book where Ren, Pete and Logan are in the "ninja realm" sitting near the palace moat drunk while making and throwing magic paper bombs in the water for fun. It was a fun scene and really showed how far they had come. There were also new characters to love. My favourite would have to be Nika. Not only was she the Merlin of her world - an awesome and interesting concept Fallon came up with - but she was just a little bit kickass. She was loyal, sneaky and willing to secretly poison her Queen into a Snow White sleep to escape.

There was, however, one character that annoyed me, Hayley. Marcroy finally gets tired of her and decides to send her back to her home world, the only problem is that she thinks only a week has passed since she left (thanks to the magic in Tír Na nÓg). However, in truth it has been ten years and while everyone else has grown older she has stayed the same. As she is still a teenager it's understandable when she got angry and started cursing Ren. After all it was Ren who sent her to get her eyes fixed with magic and told her she would only be gone for a short while. But it was her actions that followed that annoyed me. She took revenge before even finding out what his side of the story was and considering in her mind they were still close friends, I thought it was a bit unfair.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The ending was...well let’s just say I'm still trying to process it. In one sense I feel like the book finished the series well, with the story being told completed. On the other hand I feel like there needs to be another book or series to complete it properly (this will make more sense once you read the book). It feels like Fallon may have plans to return to this series in the future and I do hope she does.

In the mean time I'm excited for Fallon's return to the Hythrun Chronicles with The Lyre Thief.

Novella Review: Shadow by Amanda Sun

Paper Gods #0.5

Published by: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 75
Rating: 2/5

Meet two teens whose worlds are about to change forever in this paranormal Young Adult novella, a prequel to Ink by debut author Amanda Sun…

Katie Greene’s worst nightmare comes true when her mother dies, and she’s devastated to learn that she will have to leave the only home she’s ever known. Desperate to find where she belongs, she must decide if she has what it takes to start a new life across the ocean.

For Yuu Tomohiro, every day is a nightmare. He struggles to control his strange ability, and keeps everyone at a distance so they won’t get hurt—even his girlfriend, Myu. At night, a shadow haunts his dreams, and a mysterious woman torments him with omens of death and destruction. But these haunting premonitions are only the beginning…

Having read Ink my expectations for this novella were for the most part fairly low and unfortunately it didn't rise above my expectitions.

Shadow is written through the perpectives of both Tomohiro and Katie based on the events that lead to Ink. In my review for Ink I remarked that it could've benefited from doing just this rather than focusing only on Katie and after reading Shadow I feel like I was on to something. Tomo was far more enjoyable to read than Katie, although that might have had something to do with her being a whiny selfcentred brat for the first half of the novella. It was nice to get some insight into how Tomo thinks and it makes clear some of his actions in Ink.

I had serious problems with Katie in this novella. As I said above, she acted like a whiny selfcentred brat for half of it. Ok, so her mum died and while I haven't had to experience that loss I've lost many close family members so I can relate to it on some level. But seriously, Katie acts like she's the only one in pain because nobody else could possibly feel sad and hurt over her mum's passing, nobody understands how it feels like.

 

 

I just couldn't feel sorry for her while she was acting like that. People are just tring to help her and all she can do is complain. She even goes as far as thinking that her Grandparents don't want her or love her anymore because she can't go live with them as she wants. Grow up, you're not a little kid anymore!

 

 

 

However, she did get more bearable once she snapped herself out of it and began taking control of what she could.

 

I don't know what it was with this novella but some of the writing is just not that great. Some of the sentence structuring was just weird and made my head hurt, and the wording was rather odd.  There was this one line:

 

 

"The wind tangled and untangled her hair" p. 25

 

For me the use of the word tangled just didn't work because while wind can tangle hair I have never known the wind to be able to untangle it. I get the image Sun is trying to paint but I feel the wording was worng for it, maybe, the wind blew through her hair or something similar would've worked much better.

 

Bad use of words aside, the prologue gave me a headache. I think Sun was trying to set up some sort of feeling for the scene, maybe olden time....I don't know. The only reason I feel like she was setting the scene is because this type of wording really only came up in the prologue. Whatever it was she was trying to do didn't work well with me. The entire chapter I sat there restructuring sentences so that they flowed and made sense in my overworked brain. Just so you can get an idea, here is one of them:

 

 

"It towered above him, the huge Shinto entrance to Itsukushima Shrine" p6

 

If it towered above him we get the idea that it's huge, you don't need to show and tell in the same sentence. Also, I feel it would flow better if the sentence was switched with the latter part coming before the former.

 

Also just a note on the "earthquakes" or whatever. I'm kinda confused, I wasn't sure if it was meant to be used as a tool for foreshadowing or if they're actually meant to mean something. Nothing like them happened once in Ink so I think it was just foreshadowing. If this is the case I found it completely unessessary. It wasn't needed for foreshadowing - Tomo's dreams were enough - and if it adds nothing other than confusion as to why it's there then why use it.

 

Overall it wasn't a bad addition to the series. It did feel like it was trying to hard at times to create anicipation for Ink which is a shame becuase it did that without the extra effort. The insight into Tomo was great but Katie's behaviour in the first half makes it a little unbearable. People who like Ink are bound to enjoy this while those who didn't are bound to come into the same problems with this novella.

ARC Book Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

Paper Gods #1

Published by: Harlequin (UK) Ltd
Publication Date: 5 July 2013
Pages: 377
Rating: 2.5/5

Ink is in their blood.

On the heels of a family tragedy, Katie Greene must move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

When Katie meets aloof but gorgeous Tomohiro, the star of the school’s kendo team, she is intrigued by him... and a little scared. His tough attitude seems meant to keep her at a distance, and when they’re near each other, strange things happen. Pens explode. Ink drips from nowhere. And unless Katie is seeing things, drawings
come to life.

Somehow Tomo is connected to the kami, powerful ancient beings who once ruled Japan—and as feelings develop between Katie and Tomo, things begin to spiral out of control. The wrong people are starting to ask questions, and if they discover the truth, no one will be safe.            

*ARC provided by Harlequin (UK) Ltd via NetGalley

WARNING there is a spoiler ontained in this review if you understand the reference.

This book was one of my most anticipated for this year and has been on my to read list since I first heard about it last year. How could it not be? Both the UK and US covers are gorgeous, that synopsis promises a fresh and new take on magic, and it's set in Japan. Seriously, what's not to love?

You can see why when I found this on NetGalley I just had to have it and when I got approved it was like my birthday had come early.

And then I started reading it....

It just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Meet Katie:

She's your typical YA mc: lack of original personality, boring, whiny and gives Luce Price a run for her money in the stalker stakes. She was just flat and there was something that blocked me from connecting with her. It didn't help that she was frustrating and the choices she made just dumb. Seriously, who follows/stalks a guy into a situation that she knows will be dangerous after being told not to. And that's not the only time she makes stupid decisions, throughout the entire book she makes decisions without taking anything but her wants into consideration. This was particularly the case at the end of the book when I thought she had finally grown up and developed as a character, but then she threw it all out the door with one choice. Seriously, there were times I just want to knock some sense into her.

Then there's Tomo:

Once agin he's your typical male interest: acts like a bad boy but really he's nice and sweet. At least he had more personality than Katie. He was far more interesting than Katie and I think the book could have benefited by changing to his pov sometimes. What I particularly liked about him was the fact that his actions made sense based on his past, Sun didn't make him tortured just because she wanted him that way. Even his friendship with Sato made sense. But what I liked about him was the fact that he realised that he couldn't keep his secret from Katie and protect her at the same time. Yay, a character with a brain!

The remaining cast were kinda wooden. Tanaka and Yuki were just there, nothing about them made them stand out or even feel fleshed out as characters. Sato worked in parts but in others I really wondered what his deal was and what part he actually played becasue the signals were a bit all over the place concerning his position in the Yakuza. Jun failed as a second potential love interest, coming across as creepy most of the time. I don't know why it took throwing it in her face for Katie to figure him out sooner. Then there was the complete 180 he took at the end of the book that came out of the blue and didn't make sense for his character.

 As for the plot, I had a love-hate relationship with it.

Overall, the plot for me moved way too slow for my liking. It took me over 250 pages until it really caught my attention, it might have had something to do with the first three quarters of the book involving Katie pining over Tomo and stalking him. Oh, and Katie got into trouble sometimes because she did stupid things. And then it got interesting, we were given information and action. I was really staring to enjoy the story and couldn't wait to see how it would all pan out and then bam, we were thrown this plot twist (well along the lines of anyway):

And I was like:

Really...le sigh.

But slow plot and twists aside there was a lot to like about this book as well. For one the setting was refreashing and based on my limited knowledge of Japan gained through watching anime it seemed pretty accurate. The customs, food and celebrations were a really nice touch and made me want to be there experiencing it. But what made it better was that Katie was stumbling her way through this new culture and you could imagine what it would be like. A part of this was Sun's use of the Japanese language. Throwing phrases and words in was a really nice touch and done in a way that you understood what was being said - most of the time anyway - without having to constantly flick to the translations and explanations at the back of the book.

The book was quite well written and from what we've leart so far the world building is pretty good. I loved how Sun came up with the Kami and the power they posses. It was particulalry cool when she tied it all in to historic events. This power was one of my favourite parts of the book becuase it was so original and intriuging. That being said we don't learn a lot about it and it's lost a little bit in the relationship centred plot throughout most of the book. I do really look forward to finding out more in the next book.

What truley makes this book special though is the artwork found throughout the book. It's beautifully done and complements the story. It is worth getting your hands on a copy just for this factor alone and I highly recommend buying the book over the ebook for this reason. Although, some ebook readers will allow the pictures to move but I don't know which ones will have this feature. I also recommend the book to allow easier access to the definitions and translations as the ebook does make it a bit more difficult to flip to and from pages to check this list when you need it.

This book had a lot of potential but fell flat in quite a few places but I do see hope that the next book may do a better job at living up to it.

Book Review: Sabriel by Garth Nix

The Old Kingdom #1

Published by: Allen & Unwin
Pages: 311
Rating: 5/5

For many years Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead. But now her father, the Charter-Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world.

Though her journey begins alone, she soon finds companions: Mogget, whose seemingly harmless feline form hides a powerful—and perhaps malevolent—spirit, and Touchstone, a Charter-Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories.

With threats on all sides and only each other to trust, the three of them must travel deep into the Old Kingdom, toward a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death—and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own hidden destiny.

I've lost track of how many times I have read this book. I loved it the first time I read it and I loved it this time. There is just something about the world Nix created that keeps drawing me back into it.

Sabriel is a wonderful piece of world building. From the technolgy using, magic-free Ancelstierre to the magic-wielding mages of the Old Kingdom, Nix thought through every part of his creation. What I did really enjoy is his take on magic. The charter system is quite interesting and is not something I have seen before. In particular, the distiction between the Abhorsen and other necromancers, and charcter magic and free magic was well done, as was the idea that magic could become corrupted.

Nix did a great job with the characters, allowing them to develop throughout their journey. Sabriel in particular starts off very young and naive but as the plot contuniues she grows into someone that is determined and brave. Yeah, she makes some silly mistakes that make you wonder what she was thinking but in the end she knows what she has to do and is willing to do what it takes to do it.

Touchstone is the love interest. He's kinda boring to begin with, although it is not without reason but he like Sabriel is willing to do what it takes to fix things. What I like about him is that he isn't the typical love interst that is saturating the YA world. He's not drop dead gorgeous, he's more ashamed of his past rather than tortured by it, he doesn't try to hide it and best of all there's no insta-love. In fact he barley talks to Sabriel when they first meet. He develops gradually and by the end of the book you can see the person he used to be and the person he's going to be in the future. And it's this growth in character that slowly makes Sabriel fall for him.

The two main characters aside, the secondary characters are well fleshed out and feel real. Mogget would have to be my favourite character out of all of them, he's just plain awesome.

Sabriel is a well written, entertaining read and I highly recommend it.

Now to re-read Lirael and Abhorsen  to get ready for the release of Clariel next year.

I'll leave you with one of the most poignant quotes from this book, it has stuck with me ever since I first read it.

"Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?" p41

ARC Book Review: Fall of Night by Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires #14

Published by: Razorbill
Pages: 350
Rating: 4/5

Thanks to its unique combination of human and vampire residents, Morganville, Texas, is a small college town with big-time problems. When student Claire Danvers gets the chance to experience life on the outside, she takes it. But Morganville isn’t the only town with vampire trouble...

Claire never thought she’d leave Morganville, but when she gets accepted into the graduate program at MIT, she can’t pass up the opportunity. Saying good-bye to her friends is bittersweet, especially since things are still raw and unsettled between Claire and her boyfriend, Shane.

Her new life at MIT is scary and exciting, but Morganville is never really far from Claire’s mind. Enrolled in a special advanced study program with Professor Irene Anderson, a former Morganville native, Claire is able to work on her machine, which is designed to cancel the mental abilities of vampires.

But when she begins testing her machine on live subjects, things quickly spiral out of control, and Claire starts to wonder whether leaving Morganville was the last mistake she’ll ever make...

*ARC provided by Penguin Australia via NetGalley

I must say I have the greatest respect for Caine, for her to be writing the amount of books a year she has been doing recently while still maintaining the quality of writing that she has is inspiring. Not only that but here we are at book 14 of this series and she is still able to surprise me.

This book pretty much takes place entirely outside of Morganville without most of the usual cast of characters fans of this series have grown to love. I admit I was a bit dubious about this, after all the characters are such a large part in what makes this series a great read. But I am glad to say that it didn't suffer for it. Yes, Liz was really annoying and stupid but Jesse and Pete were awesome additions to the cast. I did miss Eve, Michael and Myrnin for a bit but I devoured the book so quickly that before I knew it they were back in the story with a newly exiled Oliver.

If  you thought it all went to hell in Black Dawn then prepare for it to get worse. Once more it appears Caine has written herself into a corner because I can't see a way that the story will end well in Daylighters after the events of this book. That being said, I'm not worried. Caine has never let me down and always seems to surprise me. And boy, did that happen in this book. I was so unprepared for that ending and Claire's choices totally put me off balance. There is very little in this book that is predictable.

Fall of Night is a fun ride and one I recommend to read. While I will be disappointed to come to the end of the last book I cannot wait to get my hands on Daylighters towards the end of the year!

Book Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare



The Infernal Devices #3

Published by: Walker Books Ltd
Pages: 568
Rating: 5/5

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.
This book was a stunningly beautiful end to the trilogy. From the beginning it was an emotional roller coaster and all the characters were put to the test, placed in positions where they had to make decisions for better or for worse.

Much of the plot was centred around the relationships of the characters. For me this was not to the books' detriment as from the first page of Clockwork Angel it was clear that it was these relationships that made up the heart and soul of the story, and gave it reason to exist rather than Mortmain and his army of automatons. To see how these relationships have developed was truly a wonderful experience and one that lovers of Cassandra Clare's work will immensely enjoy.

The plot arcs were finished well and in many cases I was surprised with how things turned out. The ending of the first part of the book was a wonderful surprise and I loved the character dimension this brought throughout the rest of the tale. The end of the Mortmain arc I didn't see coming but loved how Clare brought everything together and showed us what had been in front of our eyes the whole time. There was one part of the book that set off my suspicion radar and I'm glad that I was right, enough said about that.

I know a lot of people will say the ending was a bit of a cop-out and it was, but by the end of the book I didn't care. I had felt so much for these characters that I couldn't help but be overjoyed and sad all at once for the characters in the epilogue. Those last few pages had such an impact that I'm still reeling from it and extremely curious about what will happen in City of Heavenly Fire to allow this ending to occur.

Book Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight #1

Published By: HarperTeen
Pages: 323
Rating: 1.5/5

A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love.

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki--the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda's rebelliousness forces her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is the gorgeous, elusive Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can't resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she's risking not only her life but the draki's most closely guarded secret.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

Looking at the premise this book it comes across as being a potentially good read. I mean it contains dragons and who doesn't love dragons! But more than that the draki (dragonesque people) take centre stange, a mythology that I haven't yet read in a book. So it should've a breath of fresh air among the vampires, angels and mermainds. Unfortunately, rather than play to this point I felt that the mythology was a bit of tack-on. Don't get me wrong the mythology is actually very well thought out and detailed, you could really believe that there are communities of draki hidden among us but what got to me was it wasn't the focus of the book. For the most part it was a bad rewrite of a Romeo & Juliet story.

The main girl, Jacinda, is a draki but not just any draki she is the first fire-breather in hundreds of years and is slated to marry the pride (draki community) prince, Cassian, and make lots of fire breathing babies. One day she decides to go flying during the day, a big no-no in the pride as you know humans might see her. And of course she is seen but by the worst type of human in a draki's eye, hunters, people who find, trap and kill her kind for money. But just when she thinks she's a goner, the hunter who finds her decides to let her live and leads the others away. Can you see where this is going? Now in big toruble with the pride her mother decides to pack her and her sister up and leave the pride for good, taking her to a small dessert town near Las Vegas in the hope that the dry, hot conditions will kill her draki. Enrolled in the high school in the town who does she come across, the hunter that saved her, Will. Boy meets girl insta-love occurs, boredom kicks in and bye bye much of the draki storyline.

Jacinda is one of the most annoying female characters I have ever read. Seriously, she is a selfish whiny biatch. All she ever thinks about is herself and how much she hates her mum and sisterr for dragging her there and trying to kill her draki. How dare they?! But lets not forget that she doesn't tell them the town in swaming with a family of hunters, that she's in love with one, and oh Cassian has found their hiding spot and wants her to return to the pride with him. You know, no biggie at all, it's not like there's any chance of you being killed....oh wait. Other than being completely whiny and selfish, she also can't make up her damn mind. I love Will and I want to be with him but I can't because he's a hunter but oh well I'm going to make out with him anyway and secretly meet up with him. I hate the pride, my lack of freedom there and I want to get away from it but I want to be there again becuase that's where I belong. I hate my mum and sister for bringing me here but I can't hate them because they like it and finally fit in. Seriously girl, make up you god damn mind becuase at this point I want to slap you over the head and tell you to get your shit together.

Will is boring and quite frankly a bit stalkerish. I cared nothing for him and didn't think he had any chemistry with Jacinda what-so-ever. Really there's not much else to say. Oh he's kinda dumb becuase he's meant to have a spidey-sense for draki but can't tell Jacinda is one when she's sitting right next to him...must be the "chemistry" between them or it could be bad chicken, my bet is on the chicken though and that's the reason he's instanly fallen in love with her without knowing a damn thing about her. Ditto to you to Jacinda.

Really, the only saving grace was Cassian. He was kinda cool and much more interesting than Will.

Novella Review: Double Crossed by Ally Carter

A Spies and Thieves Story

Published by: Disney Hyperion
Rating: 4/5

Copy provided by NetGalley

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

This was fun. This novella is pure fangasm for readers of Carter's Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series. It combines the essence of both series flawlessly and by the end of it there is no doubt that these two series make up parts of one world.

I loved the interaction between Macey and Hale especially as they were trying to work each other out while trying to stop the bad guys. There was also that moment at the start when Macy tried to flirt with Hale, definitely a squee moment for Kat/Hale shippers.

I also liked how we got to see some of the other characters from each series, especially Kat. Her role in the novella really showcased her character without taking it away from the main characters. I also thought how her night ended was a really nice touch. And I definitely have to agree with Macey, Kat and Cammie need to meet at some point, I think it would be epic.

This novella really worked and was a clever move of Carter's part as those who may have read one series but not the other are given enough juicy content to entice them to go straight to the book store and buy the other books.

Book Review: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Carnival of Souls #1

Published by: HarperCollins
Rating: 3/5

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

This book was like walking into the supermarket and buying your favourite flavour of Pringles - for me, Sour Cream and Onion - only to get home and open it to find that it's half full; it's disappointing but at the same time you still get to experience half the deliciousness. And that's exactly how I felt reading this book, the blurb promised so much awesomeness but once I opened it and start reading I found it just didn't quite hit all the marks.

The world-building: I love it when an author gets world-building right because it makes a book all kinds of awesome. Unfortunately, Marr didn't quite always get it right. The concept was really interesting and well thought out but there were a lot of things I felt I just didn't get. I think the main issue was there was a lot of telling and what was being told was pitted with holes. How does the world of The City connect with our world? What exactly are the daimons? Werewolves? Shifters? Something completely different? What are the Watchers? And what on earth do the blue masks do? Seriously, did I miss that because I understand red and black? Just to name a few. That being said the parts that made sense were amazing, the world of the The City is so rich and colourful and I was left wanting to know more and understand how it works better. There was only one other gripe I had and that was the use of the word breeder. I got that it was part of the world building as daimons are canines, and as such the language that builds their hierarchy and their lives reflects this but I couldn't help but feel offended about how it was used at times. It connotes a patriarchal society where women are viewed as lesser beings then men and are there to look after the house and have babies. Now don't get me wrong I'm not die-hard feminist but breeders is just an awful term especially when there weren't any female characters who were rising above the system (I'm not counting Aya because nowhere does it state that that is one of the issues she wants to change).

The characters: I can't say I became too attached to the main characters. Mallory was almost non-existent, and when she did feature I was unsure who she was. On the one hand I was being told she was a good fighter and on the other I was being shown that she had no clue what was going on or what to do. In one fight scene she bumbled around and had no clue what she was meant to be doing, which is not the mark of someone taught to fight. I also didn't really connect with Kaleb and Aya. The thing is they were well written and fleshed out. Kaleb was far more than a fighter and an assassin, and Aya was, well, she was pretty much just a women seeking power in the naive hope she could change the world by herself. The one character that I loved and I hope will be featured more in the next book is Zevi. He was one of those lovable characters who have so much strength and courage.

So this is my half full pack of Pringles, left with the feeling of being cheated something truly special. I do look forward to reading the next in this series and hope that it leaves me feeling more satisfied than this did.

Book Review: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Published By: Little, Brown a& Co.
Rating: 3.5

A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Social commentary; the act of using  rhetorical means to provide commentary on issues in a society.

I'm going to put it out there that like most others, if not everyone, I read this because it was written by Rowling. For me if I like a book or series an auhtor has written, chances are I am going to pick up their other published work, so despite not being a fan of delving into the genre of social commentary I gave it a go. Therefore, I went in having no disallusions; this was not going to be Harry Potter, I was going to take a while to read it, and I probably wasn't going to like it all that much. Much to my surprise I only got one out of three right - this was no Harry Potter.

This book takes a snapshot of the lives of various people living in a small English town called Pagford. Not everyone is easily placed as good or bad, and life isn't all rainbows and butterflies. This is where I most enjoyed the story and where a lot of people will hate it. It is about "real" people, in a "real" situation, teenagers swear and have sex, people take drugs, relationships falter, people are abused and raped, bullying occurs, there are clear societal divides, death, and politics get nasty. Welcome to the real world people minus witches, wizards, and the good guys coming out on top.

The writing is in the same simplistic style of Harry Potter. It is a style that works for this book making it fairly easy to read, and I feel it would translate well into other genres of adult novel. The only issue I had was at times it felt a bit choppy and didn't flow as well as what it could have.  I also found that it took me the first 100 or so pages to be able to place who was who and where they fit into the story. This made it difficult to really enjoy the story to begin with but is a hazard when alternating chapter perspectives from a wide variety of charcaters. In the end it was worth it as viewing characetrs through different eyes really added depth, and seeing how everything fitted in and came together was a pleasure to read. The characters were well-written ensuring that I loved them, hated them and everything in between.I was to be made to laugh, cry and feel for them, and that is one of Rowling's strong points. She has the ability to write people with depth, no one is perfect, and that is what really comes out in this book.

Not everyone will like this book as it caters to a select readership and can be quite full-on at points. I do not recommend it for younger readers, however, some mature young adult readers may be able to handle it. If you're going in expecting Harry Potter don't even bother because you will be sorely disapponted. But, if this is you're genre or are intrigued to see what else one of the best known authors of our time has to offer, there is a good chance you will enjoy or appreciate this novel.

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1

Published by:  Harlequin Teen
Rating: 4.5/5

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

I really liked this book, more so than it's predecessors. The writing has greatly improved, charactarisation is better, and it just seemed to gel better for me as a whole. What I really liked though was seeing how the characters had developed since the end of the previous series, especially Ethan. This is not the cute, sweet little Ethan we read about in The Iron Fey series, he's all grown up and hasn't exactly been coping well with his sister leaving and the knowledge of the existance of the fey. He's mean, closed off, rude and all round unapproachable, at least that's what he likes to make everyone think but you can see that it's all just a mask he created as a way to deal with everything and underneath it all is the same boy we were introdiced to in The Iron King. I did find him a bit whiny at times but I understood the need for it, you don't get over a hatred of something just like that, it takes time and there will be whiny-ness along the way.

Keirran...I'm not really sure where I stand with him. At times I liked him and other times I wan't whack him upside the head. There's also the fact the the event of Iron's Prophecy hanging over this book so I can't help but dislkie him a little bit, especially at the end of the book where he needed a good kick to his nether regions to knock some sense into him.

Kenzie was kinda cool, she showed enough strength and vulnerability to be three dimensional and enjoyable to read. I also enjoyed how we got to see some of our old faves from the The Iron Fey. I only wish the first scene with Puck didn't seem so pointless, it felt like he only appeared to show the readers he was still around and satisfy their Puck needs. Ash was awesome, while I wasn't on the Ash bandwagon through the original series I liked the parental role he took on in this book, it really worked for me.

Overall, this was an excellent additon to the series and fans will eat it up before demanding seconds and probably thirds. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Book Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2

Published by: Little Brown Books
Rating: 5/5

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Once upon a time there was an angel and a devil who fell in love and dreamed of a world of peace and where they could be together openly. So they fought hard and the day finally came where there were no more massacres or torn throats, and no more children taken from their mothers. Their dreams of happiness made in the moon's secret temple had come to pass and they lived happily ever after.

This is not that world and this is not their story.

This is a story of revenge, betrayal, deceit, of love lost and rivers of blood. But it also a story of hope and dreams of a better future.

 
I love this series. Laini Taylor is a wonderful story effortlessly weaving together the story of two worlds and two races at war. Days of Blood and Starlight explores the result of the choices Akiva and Karou made at the end of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and it's not pretty. Rivers of blood run through Eretz with both sides killing mercilessly and without remorse, targeting innocents as well as the soldiers. Karou has become the chimera's resurrectionist taking over from her mentor and father-figure Brimstone. But life under Thiago is not easy and his endgame unclear. Akiva has rejoined the ranks of the Misbegotten, attempting to uncover the truth of the thurible he found in the Kirin caves while undermining the orders or Joram. Who can they trust? Who is on their side?

So many twists and turns take place in this book and just when you think you know where it’s going Taylor throws another spanner in the works. I gave up trying to work out what will happen and just enjoyed the ride. It was fun, exciting, gasp-worthy and endearing; I ran the whole gamut of emotions making my way through this book.

The characters in this book are something special. Karou was heart-breaking to read, following her as she broke under Thiago only to find the courage to keep going, and when her friend was returned. Her despair over Akiva and the shame she burdened herself with was probably the hardest of all to read as through all the pain and anger she couldn’t help but love him, all the while knowing that it could never be again. Akiva can’t stop wanting her and through all the nasty words thrown at him he will do anything for her. I really want these two to get back together; I could feel their longing and their pain and just wanted everything to get better for them. Unfortunately, I feel Taylor is not one to give fans a happy ending just for the sake of it and fear that these two will never get to be together. But it wasn’t just these two that made the story. The secondary characters were just as amazing and quite a few had surprising development. I do not think there was a single character that I did not feel something for.

This is a dark and horror filled book where deeds of great evil are done but if you look beyond the surface there is friendship, love and hope. Fans of Daughter of Smoke and Bone will not be disappointed.


And as the angel and demon looked at each other from across the fire they knew the wall between them built from the events of the past could not be breached easily, if at all. But despite this their shared dream lived on. It would be a hard path and one that was different to that they first imagined. However, they still hoped and dreamed.

All the while the traitor king sat on his throne ordering blood to be spilt, and dreaming of being god.

Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey #1

Published by: Harlequin Teen
Rating: 3.5/5

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

This book was quite enjoyable and if it weren't for a few flaws it could've been a 4.5/5. The plot was very intriguing and was pulled off quite well. The fae is not a race that is common in YA PNL at the moment (compatred to vampires and angels). So for me this felt new and fresh even if the faery lore stuck within it's pre-existing lore, which I will add I liked. In particular I liked the A Midsummer Night's Dream influences that were peppered throughout the book. What I found most interesting was the idea that the faery only exist as long as people remember them. It is an element I look forward to exploring more in the other books in the series. I must also raise my glass to Kagawa for not being afraid to swear. In the real world people swaer, teenagers swear, to completely ignore this in factor of life in books just because your're writing YA is silly and I appreciated Kagawa for using it as a tool in her book for bringing the characters to life without overdoing it.

Meghan and I had a love/hate relationship. I loved how much sass she had and how she continually persisted but mostly I loved how she wasn't a Bella clone who's shy, clumsy, suposedly smart, and well you get the gist. But as much as I loved her I hater her too. I get that when she first gets to Nevernever she doens't know the rules, mistakes will be made but when you're told specifically what not to do ie make deals with faery do not continually make deals with them. That's just dumb! It's also very frustrating for the reader becuase I just wnated to bang my head against the wall in frustration. Use your brain and find a different way. There were also times she came across as ungrateful but I will conceded on this in that she is a sixteen-year-old girl there's bound to be this kind of behaviour and thought at that age.

While I wasn't sold on Meghan I loved all the other characters, especially Puck. He was just so sweet and charming and loveable and funny. He reminded me of that silly lovable guy friend who has a bog heart. I really felt for him when Meghan didn't get the hint, and do I oh so wish she did becuase I feel that I may be a shipper. Compared to the jester best friend Ash is the bad boy. He cold, calculating and threated to kill Meghan more than once, usually a big tick in the shipper status but not this time. Yes, there were moments where they were together and it was sweet but I wasn't sold. Maybe in the following books this will change but for now I'm Meghan/Puck all the way. And then there's Grimalkin. Oh how I loved him!  His motives kept me guessing and he was a bit of fun. The only downside was that all I could see was the Chesire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and despite trying to find any difference that would make him stand out above his predecesor there was none.

I certainly look forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Book Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush #4

Pubished by: Simon & Schuster
Rating: 3/5

Will love conquer all?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.

But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

Warning there are some spoilers in this review.

Surprise. Surprise. Fitzpatrick did the unexpected and actually created a half decent book. Going into Finale I had low expectations, after all the last two books in this series were nothing short of horrible, but I gave it a shot hoping it would get better and I was rewarded. That's not to say that I didn't have a few gripes with this book but there were considerably fewer than expected.

The plot wasn't too bad, there was enough going on that it kept my attention but it was also kinda predictable and not in a good superman-will-always-save-the-day kinda way. I really wanted to be surprised in parts but I ended up feeling kinda meh about it all. But overall, the plot was way better than the previous three. I even liked the way she handled the whole Nora and devilcraft situation. I felt she hit the major issues that she needed to and sent the right message. Although, I still have gripes about the lack of information about devilcraft and it's use.

There were some issues I had. At the end how was the gate opened? Surley it can't be that easy to open the gate to hell and release the fallen angels. Yet, that's how it comes across. No explanation, nothing. It's almost as if all Dante had to do was knock on the door and ask the devil politely to open it. This glancing over plot points is something that Fitzpatrick needs to keep an eye on. She also needs to keep her facts in check as there was one line, "...jam-packed with bodies producing enough sweat to take greenhouse gases to a whole new level." Now correct me if I read this wrong but this sentence to me reads that sweat produces greenhouse gases....ummmmm ok, that's a new one. Please do your homework next time, it saves me wanting to throw your book against a wall.

Fitzpatrick seemed to be on a role in this book as the characters didn't bug me as much. Nora has grown a bigger backbone and is actually bearable. She's come into her own as leader of the Nephilim, even though at times she does put her problems in front of everyone else. Overall, her growth since the last book was great, I don't think I could've dealt with Silence Nora for another book. Even Patch got better!  Really he was much less of a dick in this book than the others. It was frustrating though because one minute he was all normal and then I would be swearing because he said or did something assholey again. His jealousy is way too OTT sometimes but the emphasis on it being unhealthy isn't given the prominance that it should have.

I was so glad to see Scott back in this book and not just as a tool for information dumping. He would definitely have to be one of my fave characters in this series so while I was glad how much featured in this book, I was sad about how it all ended. Vee also got better in this book, she was far less b*&%@# and disresepctful. I did however have to wonder what the point of her was for most of it. The whole big reveal of her secret proved to be unnecessary as in the end it played no part in effecting the overall plot. It just seemed that Fitzpatrick thought it would be cool and give another gasp factor but I just felt that is wasn't needed. And finally Dante. He was really rather transparent and I had him pegged as his role since early on in the book. Again Fitzpatrick's writing left me having trouble picturing him.

Overall, the book wasn't too bad and it gave a satisfying ending to the series. For those of you who loved the first three books this one will not disappoint.