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.

 

Book Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Lynburn Legacy #1

Publishe by: Random House
Rating: 5/5

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

I wasn't sure what to expect coming into this book, it had an interesting sounding premise and good reviews so I thought id give it a go. It was a good choice. This book is a ray of sunshine amongst some of the other YA books I've read recently.

The characters were my favorite part if this book, they all had their own personality and everyone stood out for that reason. They came across as real teenagers with teenage personalities. It's great! Kami is a great lead female and im happy to report she's not TSTL. She doesn't go around pretending to be smart when her actions betray her a being stupid, she has sass and she can actually look after herself while still being believably flawed. I felt that all her actions and decisions, whether right or wrong, could be explained by her desire to be a journalist. In fact she kinda reminded me of Lois Lane in her tenacity and aspiration to get to the bottom of a story no matter what, for me it worked. The only thing that I found a bit annoying was the few times she reffered to Angela and Holly being so much hotter than her. However, it wasn't overdone and I guess we're all allowed a bit of self-consiousness.

Jared was a well written tortured character with anger issues, insecurities and all. But at the same time he was also very sweet, especially with Kami. By the end of the book I did feel like I needed more explanation for the way he was but considering there's more books in the series I wasn't too worried. I think my favourite line of Jared's had to be when he tols Kami that they should date.

As for the other characters I can't say there was one that felt flat. Angela was hilarious in her hatred for all people and her laziness. She was also kick-ass which is a huge plus. I loved how the relationship with Holly developed in the book. Ash was complex. And I loved the contrast between Kamis family with her awesome dad who picked on them and the Lynburns who were closed off and just a little mad.

The relationship was written very well. It wasn't insta-love which is a nice change. Kami and Jared had developed feelings for each other for many years even if they didn't know the other was real. And finally when they do realise it in the elevator it's not all sunshine and rainbows; it's difficult. Despite prior feelings for each other they do not follow on that easily. Yeah, feelings develop but there's this awkwardness and unsureness about it. They're no longer sure of their feelings and whether they're real or not. It just moves at a more natural pace than a lot of YA books at the moment where it's love and happiness at first sight.

The plot was also very good. It had enough intrigue to keep me interested and while I figured out some of the secrets there were others that I didn't see coming until they were on me. Clues and secrest were revealed throughout the book so I wasn't getting frustrated at the lack of revels despite the obviousness of it.

Unfortunately, now I have to wait until next year to get the next installment to find out what happens next and to hope that what happened at the end of the book will not be permanent.

Book Reviews: E L James and James Dashner

Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Fifty Shades #1

Published by: Vintage
Rating: 0.25/5 (Just for the fact that it actually managed to get published)

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Let me start off by asking how on earth this was published in the first place? Anyone who is active in the literary world knows this started off as Twilight smut fanfiction and just reading the first chapter you can see the parallels between Edward (handsome, confident and mysterious Christian) and Bella (brunette, clumsy, awkward and daggy Ana). It hurts me to know that this is what the publishing world has come to, taking fanfiction, changing the names and calling it a new story. Not that fanfiction is bad, I'm a reader and some writers are very good but if they get published it should be for more original content. I'm referring to Cassandra Clare who started in Harry Potter fanfiction and is now a successful original author.

So considering that issue is out of the way lets take a look at the book proper. What makes it so riveting and popular? Well I can tell you it ain't the writing. As soon as I read the first line I wanted to throw the book and give up on it. "I scowl with frustration in the mirror. Damn my hair - it just won't behave, and damn Katherine Kavanagh for being ill and subjecting me to this ordeal." Really I've read better written fanfiction (oh snap). Even Lauren Kate's Fallen is better written and more interesting than this drivel and considering my dislike of that book Ms James is doing a stellar job of making me want to burn every copy of this book just to save to world from having thier brains explode over the crappiness of it. And here is were we insert angry Gray fanatics cries of indignation at hating on thier book.

So the characters...well other than the fact that they're Bella and Edward clones, they suck. Really Ana is just another TSTL lead female, seriously girl if your brain is telling you to run, you bloody well run, you don't listen to your hormones that's what guys do (no offense to all the guys out there). But really she is rather dull and stupid, I don't care much for her and despite knowing there's another two books I'm kinda hoping her clumsiness will trip her in front of a moving bus. Lets not even get started on how long it took her to catch onto him being abused as achild, so much for brains. And if I have to read about her inner goddess one more time I'm gonna smash something and then have my inner ninja kick her inner goddesses ass, because ninjas are much cooler :). Now Christian...I know I'm gonna get hate mail for this but WTF do so many women like him? He's not sexy, he's down right creepy and a bit of a sleaze bag. He's far too full of himself and is a cheavanistic pig. Really you would think all the women out there want to go back a few centuraries where they were owned by men, thanks but no thanks I'll take my freedom. On that note as far as my knowledge of BDSM goes, which doesn't go that far, people into that scene can hold perfectly healthy relationships, they just like it a bit kinky in the bedroom. They don't train their partners like dogs either just to pleasure them. Really I am worried for the female population if this is their dream man. And let's not even get started on the contract because that's just weird. But really Christian reminds me of a commercial, 'Dont cross the line', which refers to abuse and hunny if your scared of your bfs anger I'm pretty sure he's crossed the line into abuse.

The relationship: this is the most unhealthy book relationship I have read. This is not a healthy relationship people, don't endorse it, and I'm not even talking about the BDSM aspect. As said above the fact that Ana is scared of Christian's anger and the fact that she can't think straight when around him is not good. She should have been able to leave him alone a long time ago no matter how much it hurt. And when she finally did, Hallelujah, I did a little happy dance because that should have happened a couple hundred pages before, unfortunately I'm pretty sure they get back together, go ahead Ms James it's like taking candy from a baby, it's just cruel. On a side note: when you ask your bf to beat you as hard as possible, you really can't make judgment calls.

So if your into badly written books, unhealthy relationships, annoying characters, just like feeling your brain cells die one by one or are into mummy porn than this book is for you. For us sane ones I will continue to judge people who read this and liked it, so sue me. That being said I will probably read the last two because I'm a masochist and don't like leaving series unfinished because you never know it might get better...who am I kidding?

However, after reading this I have a new sense of how hilarious it was that my friends mum had no idea what the book was about and went to buy it for her husband :D.


The Kill Order by James Dashner

The Maze Runner #0.5

Published by: Delacorte Books
Rating: 2/5

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

Considering my love hate relationship with the trilogy it was no surprise that this book was the same. Unfortunately, I think this book was a bit disappointing as I was looking forward to reading about Tom and Teresa and how their story began. Instead we're handed a whole new bunch of characters that I really couldn't care less for.

So let's start with the plot, it was ok but not what I would call fantastic. For me there was too much action and not enough character development, and while I'm all for action there needs to be a balance. The book was all safe scene, fight/running scene followed by a safe, fight/running scene and so on and so forth. Because of this I found it difficult to keep reading, I think I could've put this book down at any point, never gone back to it and never caring, which is a shame because Mr Dashner isn't a bad writer.

The characters were very meh for me. Normally I would be rooting for Mark and Trina to get together and Alec would be one of my favorite characters, but I just couldn't connect. I didn't even care when any characters died. Maybe it was because I knew there was no way they could make it or maybe I'm not compatible with Mr Dashner's writing. In this case it's probably a bit of both. One thing I did like was Mark's struggle with the Flare in the latter part of the book, it was well written and I enjoyed reading him go from horror to embracing it to save his friends.

Overall, the book was ok and fans of the trilogy will probably like it, however, if you were like me and only mildly enjoyed the books than this one may be a prequel you decide to skip.

Book Review: 13 by Kelley Armstrong

Women of the Otherworld #13

Published By: Orbit
Rating: 5/5

War is coming to the Otherworld. A sinister cult known as The Supernatural Liberation Movement is hell-bent on exposing the truth about supernaturals to the rest of the world. Their violent, ruthless plan has put everyone at risk: from werewolves to vampires, from witches to half-demons.

Savannah Levine - fiery and unpredictable - stands at the heart of the maelstrom. There is a new, dark magic inside her, granting her the power to summon spells of terrifying strength. But whether this magic is a gift or a curse, no one knows.

On the eve of battle, all the major players must come together in a last, desperate fight for survival - Elena and Clay; Adam and Savannah; Paige and Lucas; Jeremy and Jaime; Hope, Eve and more...They are fighting for lives.

They are fighting for their loved ones.

They are fighting for the Otherworld.

Anyone  who is a fan of Ms Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series will find 13 packed full of yummy otherworld goodness in the form of all our favourite characters and pairings, all our favourite secondary characters, action and twists.

Now without giving away too much, 13 wove an intricate plot that brought everything and everyone introduced in the series full circle and they all play their parts wonderfully. For most of the story I was wondering what Ms Armstring was going to do to her characters next because she really tested them in the final three book arc and you won't see many of the twists coming,. It made the book a delight to read.

For me the characters have always been the heart of this series, to follow them through their adventures and trials, and to see them grow has been a pleasure. This book is no different. Following Savannah through this book we get to see just how much she has changed and grown up not just over the last three books but ever since she was first. We get to see characters coming into their own and get  a real glimpse at what the world could be like in the future when the new generation really take over. But what I really liked about this book was how some of the minor secondary characters were treated, Jaz's arc really put into place how much he cared for Hope, Cassandra and Aaron (who are two of my top secondary characters and who I would like to have seen more page time) were provided with sweet closure, and let's not forget the Lord Demons that made a few visits and gave me some of my favourite scenes.

You also can't ignore the role pairings play in making the characters so loveable and it was great to finally see Adam and Savannah get together after that kiss at the send of Spell Bound. I do love my ships and it's great to see an author get on board and give the readers what they want without all the hassle of the dreaded love triangle. I also fell more in love with the Hope and Karl pairing after seeing them interact in this book as of all the book protagonists we've had they've had the least screen time. Elana and Clay, Paige and Lucas, Eve and Kristoff, Jeremy and Jamie...well, it's always a pleasure to get to see more of them and see them interact. But as I mentioned above Cassandra and Aaron is also one of my favourite pairings and it was so heartwarming to see them in this book.

It's sad to see then end of such a great series, especially one that has so many more exciting adventures to tell. I look forward to getting my hands on the short stories that Ms Armstrong has promised us in coming years to see how the ramifications of 13 impact on everyone and hopefully sometime in the future we'll be able to revisit our favourite characters in a full length novel.