Review: The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Series: The Assassin's Curse #2

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Published date: June 18th 2013

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley.com, in exchange for a fair review.

Previous series reviews: The Assassin's Curse

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

So it has been a little while since I have actually written a review so I apologise if I am a little rusty. Before I begin, just a little warning that this will contain spoilers for the first book of the series. I read The Assassin’s Curse earlier in the year and I really enjoyed it, so I had been really looking forward to reading this.

This started off where The Assassin’s Curse left off, with Naji and Ananna still being stuck on the Isle of the Sky with the three impossible tasks left to complete to break the curse. Therefore, once a way off the Isle arrives, after making a new friend, Ananna and Naji must find a way to break the curse.

For me, The Pirate’s Curse wasn’t as good as the first book. The main reason for this was that I didn’t like Ananna as much. I felt that Ananna wasn’t as strong a character this time around. She was sulky and bitter at times and what I like about her character in The Assassin’s Curse, wasn’t present as often. She was still strong at times and showed leadership and bravery, but she got on my nerves occasionally. There were also times when her loyalty wavered a little, which annoyed me.

Naji was a character that I liked getting to know a bit better. It was good to see him open up more and see more of his good qualities such as his loyalty and bravery. I also liked that Naji was a realistic character. There were times when he would despair that the curse wouldn’t be broken, which I think we all would if we had to complete three impossible tasks. I also really enjoyed watching him become more accepting of the way he looked and less self-conscious.

The new characters were great additions to the story. Each had their own part to play and each were fairly different from the others. I also really enjoyed exploring the history of some of the established characters and finding out more about their pasts.

I really enjoyed the relationships. I think that they were all realistic. The romantic relationships were a little tough and rocky, and didn’t necessarily have the perfect ending. The relationship between Ananna and her parents was what I expected it to be like. The friendships were also realistic with their up and down moments, but some of them were also amusing.

Another reason that I didn’t like The Pirate’s Curse as much as the first book was that I found the plot to be more predictable. I think that this was because there was a certain convenience to the storyline that made it easier to guess what was to come. I felt that the tasks weren’t actually all that impossible and that they were accomplished neatly and conveniently such as knowing someone who just so happened to have an item to break the curse. It was still an enjoyable plotline, but the predictability took away from it.

I did still enjoy reading The Pirate’s Curse, but it did have a few flaws in it so I give it 3.5/5 stars.

Mel.

Review: Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood

Series: Morgan Rawlinson #1

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Published: March 6th 2007

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Source: Borrowed from a friend

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Being sent to your room is one thing. But being sent to another country? 

Morgan's boyfriend dumped her on the last day of school - it seemed the only thing to do was to hack off her hair and dye the stubble orange. Unfortunately, Morgan's parents freaked and decided a change of scenery would do her good. So they're sending her off on a bike tour of Ireland. 

But Morgan gets more than she bargained for on the Emerald Isle - including a strange journey into some crazy, once upon a time corner of the past. There, she meets fairies, weefolk, and a hunky warrior-dude named Fergus, and figures that she's got some growing to do-and she doesn't just mean her hair.

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out is a great quick read, which was quirky and quite funny. I enjoyed reading this book and I often found myself laughing aloud at times throughout the story.

One thing that I really loved about the story was the main character Morgan. At the start of the story I did find her to be a little whiny and annoying, but that didn’t last too long. I loved how funny Morgan could be. She was blunt, witty and could be quite comical at times. She was also a strong character, who liked to face a challenge head-on, which I admired her for. I adored Colin, who could be just as witty and funny as Morgan, but who was more laid back. I was entertained by the banter between the two. I thought that the minor characters were good too, each one adding their own bit to the story which worked really well.

The story was fast paced. It didn’t take long for the action to happen, and everything that lead up to the action wasn’t lingered on for too long. I really enjoyed how action-packed this story was, it was all packed into such a short story, but yet there was a lot going on. The plot was full of twists and turns and half the time you didn’t know what was going on. There were certainly some amusing surprises. 

I liked the writing style, as well. I felt that it was unique to Morgan, and I hadn’t read anything like it before. It was almost like stream of consciousness from Morgan, but not quite. It worked well by adding more humour to the story.

Lastly my favourite part about this story was all the mythology and Irish legends. I have seemed to have accidently picked up quite a few books about Irish and Celtic legends and mythology recently, and I have been intrigued by it. I thought that it was well handled, with ancient warriors, fae and all the other magical creatures, including a talking horse.

Overall, Why I Let My Hair Grow Out was a fast paced, great read and I would recommend it if you are in a reading slump, because I think it would be a good book for getting out of one. I gave it 5/5 stars!

Mel.

Up next - Seven on Saturday: Books I loved as a child.

Review: Sworn to Raise by Terah Edun

Series: Courtlight #1

Publisher: Amazon Digital 

Published: April 10th 2013

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy 

Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the kingdom. But beneath her kingdom’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations. Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron.  But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down.

Sworn to Raise was an interesting book that I enjoyed reading. It was a reasonably well written, quick read that was full of magic and action.

I really liked the main character, Ciardis. I felt that she was a strong female character, who still remained fairly feminine, which to me doesn’t necessarily happen all that often in young adult books. I liked that despite her strength, she still had fears and she still had a vulnerable side. I also liked Sebastian, who was loyal, strong and willing to take a stand. I did find him a little arrogant at times, which annoyed me a little, but overall I still liked him. Damias was another character I liked because of how he mentored Ciardis and was what she needed. I didn’t really like Serena because I found her to be too shallow and vain for my liking.

I really enjoyed the magical elements in the story. I loved that there were different types of mages and that they varied so much in skills and strength. I felt that maybe this could have been explored a little bit more in the story, but maybe that is to come in the next book.

The plot was enjoyable and I thought that it was fairly unique. I hadn’t read a book that really covered what this story was about before. The problem that I had with the plot though was that it was a little simple and predictable. Not much really surprised me with the story and I was never really pushed to think about the story line. This did make for a quick and easy read, but I was wishing for a little more complexity.

I also felt that everything was convenient for Ciardis. For example, Ciardis just so happened to come across the only person who could get her out of her situation and have her offer Ciardis the way out. This happened quite regularly throughout the book and I was often sound sitting there rolling my eyes and going “of course she would happen to find that thing there, without really looking,” which did annoy me a little. I also felt that the ending was a little too neatly wrapped up.

Another issue I had with the story was the pacing. I felt that the story was too fast-paced. It was all action, action, action and there wasn’t any time for really processing what was going on. I think that this was one of the reasons that I found the story to be simple. I also think that it was one of the reasons that I didn’t really connect emotionally with the story. There was a point in the plot where I should have felt even a little bit upset but I hardly felt anything. I also would have liked there to be a little more exploration into the character’s past because I didn’t feel like we really learnt much about anyone.

Despite my issues with the book, I did really enjoy it and I can’t wait to read the next book. I give this book 4 stars. 

Mel.

Up next - Review: Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood

Review: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Blood sings to blood, Froi . . . 

Those born last will make the first . . . 

For Charyn will be barren no more. 

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home... Or so he believes...

Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been trained roughly and lovingly by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds. Here he encounters a damaged people who are not who they seem, and must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad Princess.

And in this barren and mysterious place, he will discover that there is a song sleeping in his blood, and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

Gripping and intense, complex and richly imagined, Froi of the Exiles is a dazzling sequel to Finnikin of the Rock, from the internationally best-selling and multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, On the Jellicoe Road and The Piper's Son.

Froi of the Exiles is the second of the Lumatere Chronicles. You can read my review for the first book, Finnikin of the Rock, here. Froi of the Exiles was a good follow up book, but didn’t quite live up to the first book for me.

Finnikin of the Rock was mainly told from Finnikin’s perspective however in Froi of the Exiles, as the title may suggest, the story was mainly told from Froi’s perspective. This made me a little nervous to start this book because Froi certainly wasn’t my favourite character in the first book and I was a little unsure I would connect with him. However all my worries were for nothing, I could connect to Froi and I loved learning a little bit more about how he thinks and feels. In saying that, my favourite chapters were those that weren’t from Froi’s perspective, but that is more because it involved my favourite characters.

Talking of characters, the new characters that were introduced in Froi of the Exiles were great. I loved Quintana’s complexity and duality. I also loved seeing her stubbornness and savagery. I pitied her but I admired how strong she stayed despite everything she had gone through. I absolutely adored Phaedra. I loved her kindness, her loyalty and her stubbornness. I felt like I could relate to her and I was always anxious to know about her story line. I loved how well written Gargarin, Arjuro and Lirah were, even if at times I didn’t like the characters and I can’t wait to know more about their storylines.

I found the plot was suspenseful and unpredictable. There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Some of the twists were related to the major plotlines, but even some of the smaller character lines had some surprises that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed the depth of the story and the complexity kept it intriguing and kept me guessing.

I have to say that I love the way Melina Marchetta writes! I love the way that she is able to make readers feel the emotions of the characters. I love the way each character she writes has their own unique voice. I love the way she describes scenes and, particularly in this series, I love her world building. In saying that, I did have a little, and I mean teeny tiny, problem with the pacing of this book. I felt at times that it did drag on somewhat, but I still think that Marchetta is a genius.

Overall, Froi of the Exiles was a great book, and a really good follow up to Finnikin of the Rock. I had a few minor issues with the book so I gave it 4.5/5 stars!

I read this book for the Australian Women Writer's Challenge 2013 and the 2013 Sequel Challenge.

Mel.

Review: Runes by Ednah Walters

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

 

Runes is a book that takes elements of Norse mythology and places them in a modern day setting. I have always been intrigued by Norse mythology but I don’t know that much about it. I really liked this aspect of the story and it was great to learn a little more. It was a really intriguing storyline and I really enjoyed it.

I thought that the characters were well written. I found Raine was easy to connect to and she was a good main character. She was strong and she certainly wasn’t whiny. I thought that she acted realistically to all the crazy stuff that was going on in her life and I thought that she was a realistic character. I really liked Raine’s friendship with Cora and I loved Cora’s loyalty and also her humour. I am not really sure I like Eirik, he was fairly loyal but I felt that his character lacked a little depth. I loved how evil Maliina was and how twisted Andris was. I absolutely loved Torin St. James. He was badass, loyal and he was always there for Raine when she needed him.

As I said before, the storyline was intriguing. I found the plot to be convoluted and twisted with people who seemed to have their own agenda working for someone and people who seemed to be working for someone else having their own agenda. There were some great surprises in the plot, and it wasn’t predictable for me. It was complex and you could never really guess what was coming and what/who people were. The ending was really well done and a great way to set up for another book, even if it was a mean ending.

I really enjoyed the writing style. I found that the story was fast-paced and it was really well balanced between action scenes and scenes that built up the story. The story flowed really well and the writing style sucked you in. I also found the descriptions to be short, but detailed enough that you could picture everything vividly.

I only had one small problem with this book, and that was the love triangle. I did think that it was really well done, but I still didn’t like it. I really wanted her to end up with the guy she wasn’t with but I didn’t want that guy to get hurt. I felt that the love triangle was a little unnecessary, too. I think that the story would have worked well without it. In saying that, I think that it has been set up so that it can be resolved in a way where no one will get hurt.

Overall, this was an intriguing, quick read and I really enjoyed Runes. I rate 4.5/5 stars!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Mel.

Up next - Review: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them. 

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? 

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Clockwork Prince is the second book of The Infernal Devices, here being my review for the first. I really enjoyed going back into the world of shadow hunters and discovering more about Tessa, Will, Jem and the other characters.

Firstly, I have to say that Cassandra Clare really knows how to write endings. The ending of Clockwork Prince was very much a surprise for me and had me yelling, “Wait! What?” which probably surprised my housemates. I am really eager now to get my hands on a copy of Clockwork Princess as soon as I possibly can.

I kind of felt that this book was kind of a fill-in book. I felt like there was no major event in the story just an accumulation of minor ones. I felt that the book is here to tie-up loose plot ends of Clockwork Angel, and to set-up the scene for Clockwork Princess. In saying that though, I still really liked the story and we did learn a lot about the different characters. The plot wasn’t predictable and it didn’t feel slow either, I just felt that a major event was missing.

I love the complexity of the world that Cassandra Clare has created. It is so vivid and convincing and half the time I feel like it could exist. It is very easy to picture the world that Tessa is walking through and I feel that there is so much detail about it, yet none of it takes away from the pacing of the story.

I love how complex the characters are. There were many times throughout the book when I thought that I knew a character and then something would happen and I would have to change how I thought about them. I love that Tessa is not a whinny character and the she is strong and fairly independent, and quite a bit stubborn as well. I love Jem’s steadiness and loyalty, Charlotte’s kindness and Henry’s eccentricity. I think most of all I love Will’s complexity, he is broken in so many ways yet yeah manages to stay strong and loyal.

I have to say that I really like the romance. I am not a fan of love triangles, but this one is really well written. I don’t necessary like that there is a love triangle, because someone will get hurt and I don’t want that to happen, but I like that Tessa really does love both of them and how the choice is going to be very hard for her. It is one of the few love triangles that I think is well done. I also love Charlotte and Henry’s relationship. There was one scene in the book between the two that I cried reading because of the gorgeous fluff between them. I really hope that they end up happy together.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story, and I think that I have to say that I like The Infernal Devices more than The Mortal Instruments, because I feel I can connect to the characters better. I give Clockwork Prince 4/5 stars!

I read this book for the 2013 Sequel Reading Challenge.

Bout of Books read-a-thon update.

Currently Reading: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
Pages read of current read: 90/593

Books read so far: 2

Goal: 4 books

Mel.

Up next - Seven on Saturday - Book Worlds that I want to live in

Review: Through the Door by Jodi McIsaac

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

It’s been seven years since the love of Cedar McLeod’s life left with no forwarding address. All she has left of him are heart-wrenching memories of happier times and a beautiful six-year-old daughter, Eden. Then, one day, Eden opens her bedroom door and unwittingly creates a portal that leads to anywhere she imagines.

But they’re not the only ones who know of Eden’s gift, and soon the child mysteriously vanishes.

Desperate for answers, Cedar digs into the past and finds herself thrust into a magical world of Celtic myths, fantastical creatures, and bloody rivalries. Teaming up with the unlikeliest of allies, Cedar must bridge the gap between two worlds and hold tight to the love in her heart…or lose everything to an ancient evil.

The first in the Thin Veil series, Through the Door is a pulse-pounding adventure that takes readers across the globe and deep into the hidden realms of Celtic lore.

I am still not really sure how I feel like this book. I found it to be a quick and easy read, and I liked it, but I felt that it was missing something. I really enjoyed the mixture of our modern day world with Celtic and Irish mythology.

When I read the synopsis, I was immediately intrigued by the idea. I felt that it could be a really interesting story if it was executed correctly. In terms of the plot, I did feel that it was well done, but there was a certain predictability that didn’t make the read as enjoyable as it could have been. I found that I was guessing what was going to happen before it did happen and not once was I surprised by the storyline. In saying that, I still enjoyed the story, it just wasn’t as captivating as I would have liked.

As I said earlier, I really liked the Celtic and Irish Mythology that was incorporated into the story. The addition of magic and mythical beings really added to the story. I felt that the mixture of mermaids, leprechauns, druids and old gods/fairies was really well balanced.

The writing style was reasonably good. I felt that sentence structure was good and made it easy to read. I did feel that maybe things were described in too much detail, or unnecessary things were mentioned. I felt that this took away from the pacing of the story, and I often found myself skimming through the descriptions because I wanted to know what was happening in the story.

Another thing that I didn’t really like was the changing in perspectives. I was never confused by which character’s point of view I was currently reading but it made the story feel a little choppy and I felt at times that the story was jumping around different time points of the story when we changed perspective.

I also felt that I couldn’t connect the characters that well. There were times in the story when I should have felt emotion and I didn’t really feel anything and I think it was because I couldn’t relate to the characters. It may be because I have never been in the character’s shoes, but that hasn’t really stopped me from connecting before. In saying that, I did like the characters. I felt that each character was an individual and there were no unnecessary characters. I liked that despite everything she had been through, Cedar was a strong character and I also liked how twisted Nuala was.

Overall it was a good read, but not a story that I felt was memorable. I give it 3/5 stars, because I did like the story, I just feel it could have been executed better.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Bout of Books read-a-thon update.

Currently Reading: Runes by Ednah Walters

Books read so far: 1

Goal: 4 books

Mel.

Up next – Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Choose: A quick death or slow poison ... 

On the eve of her execution for murder, Yelena Zaltana is offered an incredible reprieve - on the condition that she becomes the food taster for the military leader of Ixia, Commander Ambrose.

Avoiding poison is the least of her troubles, however ... General Brazell, father of the man she killed, has vowed bloody revenge; she's beginning to have feelings for her captor, Valek; and someone is plotting the downfall of the current regime. In a desperate race against time, Yelena must learn to control the growing magical talent withinn her and master the demons of her past. The Commander's life, the future of Ixia and all those she loves depend on it

Wow. This book was amazing! It was the sort of book that I just couldn’t put down, no matter how late it was or how tired I was. I read this in one day and pretty much in one sitting, except for a little break to watch Doctor Who. I found that the story was really captivating.

I loved the plot. I hadn’t read any books before where the main character was a food taster and it was a really interesting idea. I enjoyed the little touch of magic that was sprinkled throughout the plotline which made the story more intriguing and created more potential. There was some predictability in the plot, in that you knew who the bad guy was and who was behind everything, to an extent. In saying that though, I found the outcomes to be unpredictable as well as who was a magic user and who wasn’t.

I really liked the characters in this book. I liked that Yelena was a murderer who wasn’t remorseful for what she had done. It was great to see a flawed character, who was haunted by her past and unsure of who she is. I also loved how she stayed strong in the books even when she had no hope of surviving. I absolutely loved Valek. He is another character who is so flawed, he has a bad temper, a jealous streak and not to mention that he has killed a lot of people, but underneath all that he does have compassion and a caring side. I loved how complex both Yelena and Valek were. I loved Ari and Janco, and hope that we get to see more of them in the next books. I loved Janco’s humour and Ari’s loyalty. I did find the Commander to be a little one sided at times, but his history did kind of explain why he was so.

I loved how well written the “bad” characters where in this book. Some of them had reasons behind their actions and their betrayals and others you constantly questioned their actions. I loved that some characters started out as bad and where trying to kill Yelena and then changed and helped her. I really loved how one character tried to kill Yelena and then became friends with her and then kept setting up ways for her to be killed and trying to save her every time. It just summed up the complexity of the characters and the complexity of the plot.

I really liked the world-building in this story. I could imagine the world vividly, and when Yelena was walking through a setting, I could visualise everything around her. I felt like I was walking through the world with Yelena. The descriptions were concise so they didn’t take away from the pace of the story and they also allowed room for imagination.

I really enjoyed the intriguing plot and world building in Poison Study. I really loved the characters in this book, and I look forward to reading the second book. I give Poison Study 5/5 stars.

Mel.

Up next - Review: Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Review: Merlin's Blade by Robert Treskillard

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A strange meteorite. 

A deadly enchantment. 

And only Merlin can destroy it. 

A meteorite brings a mysterious black stone whose sinister power ensnares everyone except Merlin, the blind son of a swordsmith. Soon, all of Britain will be under its power, and he must destroy the stone—or die trying. (Released April 16th)

 

Now something you might not know about me is that I love Arthurian legend. I have read heaps of different books and watched plenty of movies and tv shows that are centred on Arthurian legend, so I went into this book with high expectations and I was not disappointed.

This book is the first in the series and I felt that it was the perfect balance of setting up the world and leading to greater events, and probably the more well-known part of the myths. In this book, Merlin is only 18 years old, Arthur is around one year of age and Uther is still the High King of Briton. Although this book was used for setting up the world and the greater events, it was still action packed and well written.

I loved how Merlin was a half-blind, son of a blacksmith. He wasn’t anyone well known to the world, and even someone who was looked down on by the people in his village. I felt that this was a different take to the story. I also found it different that Merlin was a Christian instead of being a warlock and maybe aligning himself to the Druids. I felt that it was original and I liked how it added something new.

I really liked the amount that religion played in the storyline. Simply put, and without giving too much away, it was Christianity versus the pagan religion of the Druids. I found the spiritual battle between the two to be very intriguing. Again, I felt it added something different to the legend.

I loved how well written the characters in this story were. The good characters were easy to relate to and sympathise with, and yet I often found myself at least feeling sorry for some of the bad characters, because I understood the reasoning behind their decisions. I loved how some characters redeemed themselves. I also loved watching the characters grow throughout their different trials, particularly Merlin as he came to terms to what was going on in his village.

I felt that the plot was interesting and surprising. There were a few times throughout the book where I would just have to put it down in shock at what was revealed, particularly with the revelations of Owain’s (Merlin’s father) past. I also felt that the ending was really well timed. It wasn’t rushed and tidy and yet it wasn’t drawn out and too complex either. I thought that the story was really well paced.

If I had to say anything bad about this book, it would be that some of the dialogue was written for the accent and so at times it was a little hard to understand what some of the characters were saying. However, that was just a small annoyance of mine.

Finally, on a quick note, I just want to say how great this cover is. It has so many aspects that relate to the story and I really like it.

I felt that this was a good set-up to the series, and yet also a fast-paced and action packed book. I am looking forward to the release of the sequel, Merlin’s Shadow, in September. I give this book 5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Mel.

Up next: Seven on Saturday - Favourite Male Characters

Review: [Audiobook] City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Ok, so I have swapped Tuesday’s and Thursday’s reviews around seeing as how I have yet to finish Merlin’s Blade. This is due to some technical issues that I had with my ereader, mainly I couldn’t find my cord to connect it to my computer, and I can’t read on my computer for long without getting a headache. That problem is now fixed and I am currently reading Merlin’s Blade, and I have to say that I had so much trouble putting the book down to post this review. Anyway, onto the review for today.

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend. 
But nothing comes without a price. 
Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. Not to mention that he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other one. 
When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace. 
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book of The Mortal Instruments. I had previously tried to read the physical copy of City of Fallen Angels before but I didn’t finish it. This was mainly because I was annoyed with both Simon and Clary. I still wanted to finish it though, so I thought that I would listen to it via audiobook, with the hope that I could put up with Simon and Clary by listening instead of reading the book.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The perspective of the book is from both Simon, who was read by Ed Westwick, and Clary, who was read by Molly C. Quinn. I really liked both these narrators, I loved the different voices that they used for each character and I felt that they just sounded like how I imagined the character’s to sound.

I really liked that the book was from both Simon and Clary’s perspective because I liked having a break from Clary. Clary annoys me so much and she does so many stupid things and it was nice to have a break from her, not that Simon didn’t do some stupid things but he did less and he wasn’t always worrying/gushing about Jace.

Now you might be thinking that I didn’t like this book, but I did. I liked the plot, with all the twists and turns and complexities. I loved the issues that surrounded Simon being as unique as he is and having the mark and I also loved the issues created by the ending of City of Glass in regards to Jace. It was very interesting to have Lilith do what she did to him, and the ending was just so good, I mean talk about a cliff-hanger.

I loved the new characters that were introduced in this book. I loved the mystery that surrounded Kyle and I loved that he was caring. The twist about his past was a little surprising to me, but I liked that he was regretful of his actions and wanted to make amends. I really liked Camille, particularly with the complications it caused for Magnus and Alec. I also liked the problem she posed for the clave and for Simon. I liked how twisted and evil Lilith was, and the problems that it caused for Clary and Jace and the rest of the shadowhunters.

I loved the romantic relationships, particularly Magnus and Alec and Simon and Isabelle. I love how Cassandra Clare gives each couple tough times and troubles. In many ways I wish that they could just have one book of being happily together with no problems and no fights, but it just wouldn’t be interesting without all the drama.

I really enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to reading City of Lost Souls when I get a chance. I give City of Fallen Angels 4/5 stars.

Mel.

Up next – Review: Merlin’s Blade by Robert’s Treskillard.

Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... 

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. 

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Frostbite is the follow up to Vampire Academy, which I reviewed last week. This was a really addictive read which I read in around 7 hours straight because I could not put it down. It was great to see old characters and relationships develop and I loved the new plot line.

As I said, it was great to see the old characters develop from the first book. I felt that Rose really matured in this book. She was more aware of how her actions were going to impact her and the people around her. In saying that she still had the trademark Rose recklessness. I also liked getting to know Dimitri better, and I loved the way that Rose could see through him and notice things that no one else really noticed about him. We saw less of Lissa in this book, but it was great to see her open up more to Christian and to see her stand up and take control when it was required.

The new characters that were introduced in the story were interesting, particularly Janine, Adrian and Tasha. It was interesting to watch the Rose’s relationship with Janine overcome some roadblocks and for Rose to start seeing the similarities between her and Janine. I loved Tasha’s determination to change what she thought needed to be changed. I really liked her character, I liked her rebelliousness and her dedication. I loved Adrian. He was so charming and, basically, just swoon worthy. I really liked that you got to see some of the depth that his character has. I think that his ability was interesting and added something new to the story. I can’t wait to see more of him in the next books.

I really enjoyed the plot. There was plenty of danger and action, which I liked. I found all the political tensions and then the people trying to figure out how they were going to handle it interesting. I also found the increased role of the strigoi interesting, as well as the addition of their allies. I felt like the ending was what was required of the book, even if I didn’t necessary approve of the outcome.

This was a great read and I can’t wait to read the next book. I give it 5/5 stars!

Mel.

Up next: Seven on Saturdays - Books that I recommend. 

Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Sorry for the late review, I somehow managed to get my days confused. As a result of this late review, I will be posting my next review on Friday instead of Thursday.

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Beautiful Darkness is the follow up to Beautiful Creatures, which I reviewed a little while ago. I didn’t necessarily enjoy this story. I did get caught up in it and I wanted to know what happened, but the majority of the book I was just feeling sorry for most of the characters. Also for the majority of the book I was in agony due to the feelings created by where Ethan and Lena’s relationship stood.

I particularly felt sorry for Lena. I don’t want to give too much away but after the ending of Beautiful Creatures, Lena is lost and she only really went downhill from there.  It was hard to witness Lena’s downward spiral, especially as we were seeing it through Ethan’s eyes. I also felt sorry for Ethan because every time you thought that things couldn’t get worse for him, it did.

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters a little better, particularly Macon and Lila. I enjoyed learning about the history of both of them. I also liked getting to know Marian a little more, but there wasn’t enough of her in the book as I would like. It was great to see the characters develop particularly in their responses to certain events. I also liked the addition of new characters. I loved Liv, with her stubbornness, persistence and bravery. I loved Twyla and Arelia, with their sassiness and power. I didn’t know what to make of John Breed but I loved the idea of Abraham, even if I didn’t like him one bit.

The plot was great. I spent half the time confused at what was going on, but it was a good confused. I was confused because, like Ethan, I didn’t have all the information, so each time some other fact popped up I was able to make a theory and get a bit better idea of what was happening. There was only one plot line that I was able to guess and that was because the Beautiful Creatures movie gave away some of the story for me. I didn’t see the ending coming, but I was really happy with part of it and rather sad about another part.

I did get a bit annoyed at the length of some of the descriptions. There were parts in the book where I didn’t want to know what the shore looked like, I wanted know how everything was going to be solved. I just felt that some of the descriptions messed up the flow of the story and slowed it down.

I did like the book, it was an addictive read which I didn’t want to put down because I wanted to know the answers. I give it 3.5-4/5 stars because I didn’t exactly enjoy it and I felt that some of the descriptions were not necessary.

I read this book for the 2013 Witches and Witchcraft reading challenge hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.

Mel.

Up next: Review - Frost Bite by Richelle Mead

Review: [Audiobook] Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

For this week I planned to be review Beautiful Darkness today, but I ended up changing that and doing Clockwork Angel instead. This may happen occasionally because I only read a book that I feel like reading at a time instead of forcing myself to read another one. This means that I may not read what I had planned for the week.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. 

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. 

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length... everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world.... and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

This is the first time that I have ever actually listened to an audiobook. I decided that it was time for me to try it because it would allow me to get through some more books and also because my library started allowing online audiobook borrowing. I really enjoyed being able to listen to a book whilst I was doing other things. In some ways I found it to be a little more graphic, because I couldn’t skim read or miss anything, which I tend to do when I am caught up in the plot. Clockwork Angel was voiced by Jennifer Ehle and I thought that she did a good job.

I really loved the story. It was interesting and kept me guessing most of the way through. I loved the mixture of the shadow world and steampunk. In some ways though I found the story similar to City of Bones. I found that Tessa’s introduction to the shadow world was somewhat similar to that of Clary’s. I also found the relationship between Will and Tessa similar to that of Clary and Jace’s relationship. The plot was different to City of Bones though, and I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout. I also loved the additional involvement of Mortals.

Tessa really intrigues me and I really liked her character. I didn’t find her a whiny character and I felt that she was a fairly sensible character. I loved her dedication to her brother. It was interesting to see her open up to the shadow hunters and to see her character develop. I am very interested in finding out more about her, like what she is and where she came from.

I really liked most of the other characters too. I loved the determination of Charlotte and how she managed to stay compassionate and kind. I loved the quirkiness of Henry and I hope he makes a successful invention that saves the day. I loved incorrigible Will, who at times I wanted to strangle or slap, and I adored Jem, the perfect gentleman. The only character I didn’t really like was Jessamine, and that was because she annoyed me. I did feel sorry for her though.

I really enjoyed this story, and I am definitely going to listen to more audiobooks in the future! I give Clockwork Angel 4/5 stars.

Mel.

Up next: Seven on Saturday – Series I have yet to finish

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

I am a little late on reading this series, and that is because I was hesitant. I thought that it would be like quite a few other YA vampire books I had read and focus mainly on the romance with the supernatural part being on the side. Let’s face it, I thought that it would be like Twilight, which I did enjoy but not something I want to read much of now. However, Vampire Academy was not what I expected it to be and I devoured it.

I liked that the main relationship that the story focused on was the friendship between Rose and Lissa. I loved how much they cared about each other and the focused so much on protecting each other. In a way, with these two, opposites attract. At the start of the book Lissa was the sensible one and Rose was the one who was reckless one and it was interesting to see the contrast. However, as the book went on you felt that each of their personalities rubbed off on each other. Lissa became more reckless, particularly when she wasn’t in control of her emotions and Rose became a little more responsible because of her need to protect Lissa. I will admit that I also enjoyed the romantic relationships. I loved the tension between Rose and Dimitri and I really loved the relationship between Lissa and Christian.

I really liked the different characters. I liked that Rose was so kick-ass and protective of Lissa and I liked Lissa’s kindness. I found that I could relate to both characters. I liked the mystery that surrounded Dimitri and also his dedication and sense of honour and duty and I loved Christian’s frankness and observation. I felt that Mia was a great character even if I wanted to strangle her. I also thought that Victor was a great character and that he and Natalie didn’t fit the moulds that people had given them

I loved the plot. The story just sucked me in and kept me engrossed the whole way through. At times I was able to predict what was happening but some events completely surprised me. I liked how things were revealed bit by bit, offering you clues here and there as to what might happened. I also liked that the story covered some darker themes like torture, self-harming and abduction. It certainly added some meat to the story and also had you questioning things.

It was a great start to the series and I look forward to reading the rest. I give it 5/5 stars!

I read Vampire Academy for the Take Control March 2013 and the 2013 TBR pile reading challenges.

Mel.

Up next: April Releases I am looking forward to!

Review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

I am sorry that this review is late. If you saw my post on facebook and twitter you will know that the reason why this wasn't posted on Tuesday was because I graduated on Tuesday and I was a little busier than I expected I would be. This review was meant to go up last night but the power went out so I had no internet to put it up.  

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. 

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

 This was such an enjoyable read. It was fast paced and action-filled, with really interesting settings and characters. I loved the combination of pirates and assassins for a great story with plenty of twists and turns.

I really enjoyed the characters that Cassandra Rose Clarke created, particularly Ananna and Naji. Ananna was such a feisty, fierce character. She knew how to handle herself in a fight and she certainly wasn’t a whiny character. She was very stubborn, which annoyed some other characters (I am looking at you, Naji), but added to the plot. Naji started of just how I imagined an assassin being, but as you got to know him better he softened a little and let us see his humanity. It was interesting to watch his character develop. I loved that the two main characters weren’t the most moral heroes/heroines. Ananna was a thief and Naji was a murderer and it made for some interesting reading.

I also particularly liked the relationships of the different characters. I loved Ananna and Naji’s reluctant friendship. It was a friendship that started out of necessity, and grew from there. The development of the friendship was slow and realistic. I also liked the different relationships that Ananna had with her parents, which we saw through flashbacks. Even though she had the right to hate them, she didn’t and it was nice to see the reasons why.

The plot was great. Each time you thought that something was going to happen, everything changed and it didn’t. The times when I was sure that Ananna and Naji were going to find an answer to their problem they would hit a roadblock. I particularly liked the little twist that occurred on the ocean and in the desert.

The writing style was certainly interesting. It was first person through Ananna, and as Ananna had a pirate’s education more often than not the English wasn’t correct. It did take a little bit to get used to at the start and it stopped me from getting immersed into the story but once I had gotten used to it I felt that it worked really well.

This was a really good book and I am looking forward to reading the second book! I give The Assassin’s Curse 4.5/5 stars!

I read this book for the Take Control March and the 2013 TBR pile reading challenges.

Mel.

Up next: Seven on Saturday - Books on top of my TBR pile.