Robin’s Reading Rendezvous

I’m a geek at heart. My favorite show is the Big Bang Theory, I get excited about math and if there is any possible way for me to throw a movie quote into a conversation I totally will.  This book was written for me, the MC Sam is totally my peeps.

Sam’s inner dialog is funny, his outer one with his friends is funnier still.

No one calls me Sammy.  My mother occasionally throws a “Samuel”, but I am, and have always been, just Sam.  Sammy is a name for five-year-olds and game show hosts and Shinny Happy People.

I am, definitely, not a Sammy.

He is a self professed geek.  He helps fix computer related stuff at the school, is obsessed with horror flixs, StarWars, Star Trek, plays World of Warcraft and can’t pass gym to save his life. 

He runs around with the same group of kids he has from grade School.  They are a tight knit foursome Mike, Adrian and Allison.  They are so tight knit that when Mike announces that he thinks he might be gay, but isn’t quite sure, his friends help him by googling it, looking as Sam’s Dads vintage porn to make sure, and watching movies that are probably extremely gay i.e. Dirty Dancing.  Adrian even offers to kiss him just to verify, which is rejected for hilarious reason I will not ruin.  Once decided Mike is definitely gay that is it.  It is not a big deal and everyone just moves on as normal, as you should.

When the new girl Camilla comes to school Sam is baffled when she seems to try to be a part of their group because their group is definitely on the D-list of High School hierarchy.  She is beautiful, smart, funny, plays World of Warcraft and since her dad is quasi famous as a writer the A-group totally wants her to be with them.  Camilla has moved around so much that she is really comfortable in her own skin and seems to be able to hang out in any group without any repercussions.  

I realize that Camilla is out very own statistical anomaly, an outlier that no one seems to know where to place.

There it is a math quote, I think this is where I had a geekasm, if there is such a thing and I’m pretty sure there is.  Camilla inserts herself into Sam’s life via a study group with the rest of Sam’s friends and when she meets Sam’s mom Julie: 

Mum looks like someone has told her that Santa will shortly be arriving with that guy from Pride and Prejudice in tow

I liked that there is no insta-love in this.  Sam is not the nerdy kid that sees the beautiful girl and is in love and must find a way to make her see him.  He is totally happy hanging out with the cool girl that likes WoW (World of Warcraft), Star Wars and will argue the validity of ewoks with him.  They become best friends and he is oblivious that there might be something more to his feelings until….well until he is not. 

The story is just situational, there is no real plot driver but I loved watching all the interactions of Sam and his friends over the course of their school year.  It is how friends who are tight should be.  Whenever anyone in the group has a ‘crisis’ the others are there to help out.  I absolutely loved Mike, who seemed to see where things could go and even though Sam was oblivious Mike was there trying to help him be alone with Camilla.  When Sam’s parents split up each member of the group does what they can to help Sam

“So. Are we concocting some elaborate scheme where we pretend to be twins to get your parents back together?”

There are so many moments in this book that I giggled, quite a few a guffawed and it left me feeling shiny and happy.  I was reading and realized my cheeks sorta hurt from having a stupid smile on my face for an hour.  Any book with chapter titles like The healing power of John Cusack movies and Proof that math and meat cleavers will only ever be metaphorically useful has to be brilliant.

I loved Camilla and Sam and their journey in this book.  This is a great, I want to feel good, lazy day read.  I recommend it for anyone that wants a cute and happy book.  I will say that this even rivals Anna and the French Kiss as one of my all time favorite YA contemporary romances.

Brilliant Funny Fantastic I don't have enough adjectives for how great this book was

    This was a fantastically romantic read.  While yes it is very formulaic it is told in such a way you forget you know exactly what is going to happen and eagerly read on to see how you get there. 

     You know girl meets incredible boy, but he has a girlfriend already who is totally wrong for him and girl falls in love with said boy and even though all the signs are there through a series of miscommunications and non-communications it takes them an entire book to figure it out.

    I thoroughly enjoyed the telling of this romantic story.  While yes at times I wanted to slap Anna and Έtienne St. Claire and say wake up and get together it probably wouldn't have been as satisfying as the actual ending.  The way the story was told with inklings of hope and moments of ah how sweet and such longing I longed along with it.  I enjoyed the setting of Paris as well it was great to discover pieces of the city along with Anna through her eyes.  Definitely one of the best YA romance novels I have read in a long time.

   This is a cuddle up on the couch and feel wistfully romantic kind of book and we all need those sometimes.

This is the kind of book you read in-between other books. It is sorta like cotton candy, you put a big fluffy wad in your mouth and it dissolves immediately without much fuss or substance to it. Don’t get me wrong it is delicious and enjoyable but it really isn’t going to stick with you either.

That is what This is What Happy Looks Like was for me. It is easy and flows along without much thought. It is cute and if you have already read Anna and the French Kiss or Lola and the Boy Next Door it then this is as good as any other cuddle on the couch easy YA romance read. I actually liked a different book by this author a little better. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight was a little more enjoyable read for me and I liked the story line of that better. But if you have read those three books already then yep give this one a go.

Ellie receives a rogue e-mail from someone on the other side of the country. When she replies to let the originator of the e-mail know he has sent it to the wrong person they begin an e-mail relationship changes both their lives. Graham the originator of the e-mail is really a famous actor and it has been so long since someone has treated him the way Ellie does that he had almost forgot how lonely he had become in the middle of his fame. He is able to set up the location of his movie in the sleepy little town that Ellie lives in, in hopes of finally meeting the mystery girl.Cue the rest of the story.

It is cute with some hiccups along the way of course but all and all they come to terms with who they are the lives they lead. I did get a little frustrated in the middle when Ellie pushed Graham away because she doesn’t want to have any attention brought to her. But other than that it is a likeable story, with likable characters.

3.5 ish.

I’m going to admit that I put off reading this based solely on the cover for a long time. I saw the lion and thought, shades of Narnia, no thanks, I’ll pass. But, I was assured that couldn’t be further from the truth and was talked into reading it. So thanks to all those who peer pressured me, you know who you are.

Kate Daniels takes a different approach to solving mysteries and getting things done.

     “Annoy principals involved until the guilty party decides to kill you.”

Now in most books that is how the story works but the characters never use it as an actual strategy. That was the first reason I liked this book.

Warning: the world in this book is really different from any other UPF I’ve read and it takes a little getting used to. The author doesn’t ever succumb to the info drop and just trusts the reader to wait as the world is uncovered bit by bit. It takes time to do it this way but in the end I like the result a lot better.

This is a world where magic and technology sort of shift like the tides. When one is in full swing the other doesn’t really work. People have learned to live in two worlds that are together and separate all at the same time. Although somewhat confusing while you are figuring out the world that is being presented by the author it is fascinating and was almost as much a draw for me as the story line.

Kate Daniels is a girl shrouded in some mystery and I can see from this first book that she is going to kick some butt throughout the series. She is not a damsel in distress although she is vulnerable at times. Magic Bites has started to set up her character quite well and while we get a glimpse at who Kate Daniels is I do have a feeling we have only scratched the surface.

   “So you admit to being a walking stereotype?”

            “It’s safer that way,” I said honestly.

There is plenty going on as Kate tries to figure out who killed her guardian. She has been alone for so long that it is difficult to play well with others. Even though she is defiant of authority and often does or says things she knows she shouldn’t, Kate remains very likable which not every heroine can pull off.

Diplomacy was never my strong suit and my patience had run dry.

I crouched and called out, “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.”

Teaming up with the local were-pack has some hardships of its own especially for Kate who can’t just lay down and show her belly to the alpha of the pack no matter how hot he is. A battle of wills at hand and Kate might just be in over her head.

Overall the story was entertaining. I enjoyed getting to know Kate, Curran definitely has some possibilities and the world captured my imagination. I will definitely be reading on in the series to see where the larger story arc goes.

“And if I were?” I asked through dry lips.“If you had thought I were a witch? Would you still have fought for me?”

“I would have gone to the stake with you!” he said violently. “And to hell beyond if I must.”

It’s hard to do justice in a review to a book that is so long without ending up with a novella yourself. Outlander was a fantastic surprise, an epic of love, war and family. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in and I think that made it all the more magical.

The story centers on Claire, a nurse shortly after the end of WWII. She and her husband Frank have been married for eight years, however at least six of those were spent apart during the war. The start of the book is a little slow and it takes a little time to get rolling. Frank is a historian and so there are various conversations about the past and genealogy that don’t seem particularly important at the time but later turn out to be quite important.As Frank and Claire re-honeymoon in Scotland there is always talk of the past, wee folk and ferries. It seems like a mystical place full of magic and then something truly magical happens and Claire is whisked away into the past nearly 200 years.

For me this is when the story became extremely interesting and the way the time travel was done seemed to go completely with the story, it felt natural.So much happened in the book as much as it is a character study of Claire and Jamie it also packs a lot of action. This is one of the best historical romances I have ever read. The details of the era, even ones that were uncomfortable seemed spot on. It is definitely a harsher time with different kinds of trials to overcome and Claire must go through a lot. In between all the action the author shows us some of life of the times like how medicines are made, lords govern the land, women bear children, how men treat a wife who has disobeyed orders etc…. It was all very interesting and believable.

“Oh, aye, Sassenach. I am your master . . . and you're mine.

Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own.”

The relationship that grows between Claire and Jamie now that she is lost in his time was my favorite part of the story. Her conflict with herself about her feelings for Frank and Jamie seemed genuine and never forced. I empathized with the struggle she had within herself about the two men and which time she should belong too. I forgot how long the book was as I was thoroughly immersed in the story and struggle.

If you are a fan of great epic romances or history this should be right up your alley. Even though this is a series there is no cliff hanger at the end to hook you into the next book. It is so well written though that I think once you finish Outlander you will want to journey on to see what becomes of our beloved characters.

Slight side note, I alternated this between audiobook and kindle. One reason I’m happy I did that is I really don’t read a ton of historical fiction and sometimes the language and pronunciations of names and places can get a little daunting. Listening helped in that respect and the narrator did a fantastic job with the voice of the story. The second reason I’m glad I did that is the shear length of the story, if I’d done the audiobook by itself it would have taken almost 36 hours. But it still would have been well worth it.

Maggie Stiefvater impresses me more and more every new book she puts out. I really didn't think that she could out do the writing in The Raven Boys but if she hasn't outdone it she certainly has matched it.

Blue knows that Gansey is going to die this year, she also knows that if she kisses her true love they will die. Is Gansey her true love or will she kill him and that is why she saw him on the corpse road, because those are the only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on the corpse road? Yet knowing all of that Blue has joined this group of Raven Boys in search of a lost Welsh King. Blue is desperate to foil fate and fall for Adam instead of Gansey but try as she might there seems to be a pull to him that is undeniable.

After a moment Maura asked, "Are you crying?"
"Only a little"
"Why?"
"Generalized sadness."
"Are you sad? Did something bad happen?"
"Not yet."
"Ah, Blue

It has to be incredibly difficult to have a secret like the one Blue carries and not tell anyone. Only the ladies at 300 Fox way and blue know that Gansy is supposed to die sometime this year. It has to be more difficult to care about someone you know you cannot keep. Maggie writes a beautiful innocent longing between Gansey and Blue that is really one of my favorite parts to the story. But there are so many layers that it is so hard to pick a favorite part to the story line.

"It was mint and memories and the past and the future and she felt as if she'd done this before and already she longed to do it again."

This is mostly the story of Ronan coming to terms with who he is and what he can do. Not everyone can just pull items from dreams. He has been angry for so long that it could seem like that was all there was to him but you would be so wrong. The depth of his character was really added to in this book. His story line with his father and the dream world were absolutely fascinating. I loved his interactions with Chainsaw as well, that is really some of the only times you really get to see the very tender side of Ronan. His character is so complex, as are his dreams. Maggie does a great job of showing us some of Roland's childhood and we finally get to find out what really happened to his father.

Adam is still the same mad kid with a chip on his shoulder, but now he has some power to go along with it and really isn't sure what to do. The power of the Ley Line is seeping into Adam and he has to figure out a way to control it before it controls him. Gansey is still searching for Glendower but nothing is going as well as he'd like and he feels like he is losing Adam along the way.

The women of 300 Fox way by far are some of my favorite moments in the book. They are eerie and mysterious. They add something totally mystical but not overdone to the story that I can't quite put my finger on. I like how they are different people sometimes and act a one person others. Their interactions with The Gray Man were unexpected and fascinating. They were the reason I could see the Gray man for more than he was.

The Gray man is a brilliant addition to the story by Maggie. As some of this book is told from his POV he helps push the story along. You are able to know a little more than than the group of Blue and Raven boys because of following him. He is not everything he seems, it is a very complex character and for a hit man I really liked him.

The writing is elegant, beautiful and funny at times. It is written like I imagine the south, with a gentle flowing nature to it. I got lost in the language a few times but in a most wonderful way and each new character added something intriguing to story.

If you have read the Raven Boys then definitely read this as it is just as good if not better. If you haven't started this series yet, well all I can say is start it now. I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

“The answer came to me before I'd even finished asking myself the question. I couldn't be Mason's girlfriend because when I imagined someone holding me and whispering dirty things in my ear, he had a Russian accent.”

I’m a big fan of the forbidden love, the it can never work out until it does love.  I enjoy the sexual tension in a story when it is done well.  I’m not a huge fan of contrived love triangles and obstacles and I can tell already that in this series there will definitely be some.  But I read the Georgina Kinkaid series so in Richelle Mead I will trust and go on the journey she has created.

This has an interesting take on the vampire world.  There are the big bad dead Vampires and good living vampires.  Each has its own benefits and drawbacks to them described in the story but dead vampire want to eat and kill the living version…..interesting.  Also there is another class of humans that act as guardians to the living vampires.

 The story revolves mainly around Rosa and Lissa a guardian and her charge.  Right from the get go I was intrigued by the premise of the story.  Lissa and Rosa have been on the run for awhile and living on there own.  They are captured and sent back to an academy for Vampires and Guardians.  Very slowly throughout the course of story it is revealed why they ran away and were on the run.  But someone is trying to recreate the events that lead up to Rosa and Lissa leaving.  They need to find out who before she losses it and goes crazy. Add in a few hot guys, a relentless high school gossip system and two girls with a special bond and stir.

“A ghostly smile flickered across his face. "If you weren't so psychotic, you'd be fun to hang around."
"Funny, I feel that way about you too." He didn't say anything else, but the smile grew, and he walked away.”

            I loved how fiercely Rosa and Lissa are attached to each other, even if their actions were a bit juvenile and mean at times.  They have a lot of room to grow.  I really like Christian’s back-story he seems like the underdog that I’m going to pull for long term. 

            I will say some of the ridiculous cattiness of high school was revisited for me throughout.  Boys claiming to sleep with people they haven’t, girls spreading just as many rumors to win an imaginary battle (I don’t miss high school).  A section of the book really delved into the motivations of trying to hurt others through rumor and the unending cycle of hurt produced by that.  But that said there were great moments of snarky humor and some bonds of true friendship shown.

This is a solid start to a series, I got a nice feel for the world that is being created and definitely enjoyed the building of a few relationships along the way.  The forbidden love story of mentor/teen has been done before but this seemed a little different and new and I’m interesting in where that particular story line will go in the future.

All and all we are off to a great start and I’ll be interested to see where this goes next even if there is a dreaded love triangle in the future.

I debated on 3.5 or 4 stars....but after a few days I still really liked this book so I'll split the difference call it a 3.75 and just round up to 4. I'll actually just throw in the 0.25 because of this one line

Popular young adult novels notwithstanding, vampires only sparkle when they burn.

John Charming hasn’t really lived a charmed life so far.  There have been no sleeping princess’s to wake with a kiss or rescue from a dragon.  No quests for a holy grail or kingdoms to rule.  No, he is stuck in an order of Knights trying to protect a magical barrier, the Pax Arcana, that makes sure mere mortals don’t figure out there are magical beings in the world.  What’s worse is the afore mentioned Knights seems hell bent on killing him too.  But as least there is coffee.

“Coffee is one of the few constants in my life,” I explained.  “No matter where I go, no matter how crappy a day I’m having, no matter what kind of mood I’m in, coffee is always there to make me feel a little better.”

If you are a fan of heroic tales, urban fantasy with a different twist to the vampire, fae, were-wolf and some kick ass fight scenes then this will be right up your alley.  I will say that the choices for fantasy creatures are a little out of the norm too.  I like this isn’t just vampires, werewolves and fairies….oh my.  No, the author goes out on a limb and included Valkeries and Naga, shades of World of Warcraft spin in my head, add a Murlock to the next book and I’m hooked. There are also different cultures included for fighting styles, weapons (he uses a katana omg cool) and religion as it is used against the bad guys. 

My favorite thing though is John, as bad-ass and ‘Charming’ as he is, is broken and really girls who doesn’t like a fixer upper.  The side characters are also interesting my favorite besides Sid, our damsel in distress, is Molly.  She is Thelma from the Scooby doo gang with some religious mojo.

”…what’s with the Christmas music? And the parka? And the Beanie?”

            “I’m celebrating Christmas,” she told me.

            “It’s April,” I pointed out, just in case this was necessary.

            “Vampires scare me,” she said reasonably. “And Christmas makes me happy.” 

The flirtations between John and Sid are fun and funny.  I enjoyed most of the dialog between the supporting characters and I enjoyed John’s narration of the story.  The bad guy is also an interesting shift of sorts as well.  This book is a little guilty of infodumping, there is a backstory to the Pax Arcana and it is a little complicated so at times information is just fed to you, but I never minded it.

John’s narration reminded me a little of Michael from the show Burn Notice where in the middle of a car chase he explains the best way to get away, or how to really crack a safe, or take a punch and so on.  I liked the character teaching me the best way to absorb a punch or what you should do when blinded in a fight.

All and all I enjoyed my time in the world that Elliot James created.  I cared about the characters by the end of the book and wanted to see what becomes of them in the future.  I also want to see if the Pax Arcana will survive or better yet what happens when it is broken.  Elliot James you have my attention and I would like to see what happens next, especially if there is a Murlock.

4.5 Stars

“Courage is tricky, oily. Easy to drop, easy to misplace."
"I thought that if you had courage you always had it.". . .
"Lilah, nothing is always there. Not courage, not joy, not hate or hope or anything else. We find courage, lose it, sometimes misplace it for years, and sometimes live in its grace for a while.”

That seems to be the theme of this book. At some point and time everyone is human, loses their resolve and needs a little help to find the courage to move forward and to fight.

Dust and Decay starts seven months after the end of the Rot and Ruin. Benny and Nix have been training with Tom to be ready after the winter to start the trek east to find the plane. Chong has been training to but that is more about Lilah then anything else. Lilah has been living with the Chong family and well, Chong is smitten but she is totally oblivious to his feelings and will be leaving with Tom, Benny and Nix. But after they leave town things go horribly wrong.

Chong has tagged along for the first day for some real Rot and Ruin experience and to spend some last moments with Lilah but before they know it they run into unexpected dangers and while Chong is book smart he is Ruin stupid and makes all the wrong choices.

This book was some non-stop adventure and action once our group leaves for the Rot and Ruin. With Tom leaving the area someone is trying to take up all the territory and make a name for themselves. Lawlessness abounds and the Zoms are starting to do strange things, they are congregating and moving in large packs at faster speeds. There are rumors of a new Gameland and even worse villains than Charley Piny-Eye. With everything trying to kill them there is no way there won’t be any casualties.

Nix, I love her she is so strong and determined even though she is terrified and dealing with all the loses she undertook in the first book. She is still haunted by the pain of Charlie Pink-Eye and the death of her mother. I love her and Benny’s fierce devotion to protecting each other. It is not a touchy, feely, squishy kind of love but it is obvious that it is love none the less.

Chong, well he makes plenty of mistakes…so so many mistakes. Chong, through it all searches for some redemption and a way to make up for the mistakes he has made. I admire the devotion of everyone in the group to each other. They are all willing to stand up to any obstacle and protect one another out of love and not fear or hate.

Lilah has been alone for so long with no one and nothing to care for or about. What happens to our fearless lost Girl when she is given friends and a make shift family. It was a very good portrayal of the conflict and new emotions that someone might have to go through when they begin to be a part of a social group after so long in isolation.

…….And Tom. I don’t know where to start on this, my feeling for him are everywhere after reading this. Tom is my favorite character of the book. He is the ultimate hero, who doesn’t know he is a hero. He is ever leading by example and asks nothing for himself. He is a good brother, a great friend and all his actions are rule by a love of those around him.

“Generosity could be as contagious as the zombie plague as long as enough people were willing to be carriers.”

It seems like there is still a lot in store for all the characters as they finally push farther east to find what became of the rest of civilization. I can’t wait to see where the next installment of the series goes.

Review after 2nd read

Because The Dream Thieves is coming out in a few days I re-read/listened to (whispersync rocks) The Raven Boys so that everything was fresh in my mind.

“He strode over to the ruined church. This, Blue had discovered, was how Gansey got places - striding. Walking was for ordinary people.”

Blue has been told by her mother and every other psychic she has met that if she kisses her true love he will die. She has had so many theories throughout the years of how kissing someone would cause their death that it almost seemed like a dream. But that all changes one night for Blue when on the corpse road she sees the spirit of Gansy. There is only one reason that she would see his spirit; either he is her true love or she will kill him. For Blue they are almost the same thing.

The Raven Boys are a group of three boys that all attend the affluent private school in Henrietta. Gansy is the boy with a quest to find a lost welsh king, Ronan the misunderstood bad boy with daddy issues and Adam is the quiet scholarship kid from the wrong side of the tracks with a chip on his shoulder. Together they are an unlikely grouping but it works. They each bring something to the quest and each seems to have a bit of magic and mystery surrounding them.

This is a beautifully written book. The wording of sentences, the imagery produced, the soft southern drawl the book encompasses make it truly special.

“More than anything, the journal wanted. It wanted more than it could hold, more than words could describe, more than diagrams could illustrate. Longing burst from the pages, in every frantic line and every hectic sketch and every dark-printed definition. There was something pained and melancholy about it.”

There is a peak into a magical world of possibilities and Blue will definitely play some part in the uncovering of that world. Never did the magic of the book seem overdone, I bought into it all, I rolled with the story and as some foundation were laid for future books some of the mysteries were revealed.

I especially liked that Blue is surrounded by psychics, her mother and the two other women that live with them. They are particularly interesting and added just enough to the story to give glimpses. They were lovably odd and intriguing.

I’m engrossed in the world and characters that Maggie Stiefvater has created and look forward to the next installment in this very original work.

P.S. This is a fantastic audiobook the narrator is phenomenal. If you are at all a fan of audiobooks it is my preference for this one.





March 2013

Unexpectedly fantastic.

I don't read a lot of paranormal fiction. But this book made me question why not. The blend of the quest for a mythic king, the ghost road, psychics and a murder were engrossing I just couldn't get enough. I have a lot of questions after this first book in the trilogy and really want to find out so many things. Blue's kissing destiny, Why Gansey seems like he has two different personalities in him, what is up with Ronan's dreams and what happened to his father, will Adam be forever changed....etc. But the story telling was done extremely well. For a first book I never got bored with the details of it, while world building. Blues mother and Aunts were fantastic as well the trio was so fascinating to me Persephone especially.

I can't wait to see what happens to our band of Raven Boys and Blue in the next book.

“Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with difference. We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.”

This book reminds me of a short story I read in college called Ones who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula LeGuin. In the story there is a girl kept in a closet or small basement that basically is kept in pain, neglected and left in squalor so the rest of the society can be perfect. This has sort of the same premise that one person carries all of the true memories of happiness, pain, suffering, love and every other emotion you can think of so that the society can be oblivious to how empty their lives are but think they are happy.

This is a deep thinking book about society and choices. Is it better to give up everything that makes people unique so that everyone is equal and everyone is treated the same or should people be given the memories of joy and pain to be able to choose for themselves. No one in the community knows what true pain or happiness is. They have worked it out in the community so that no one even sees color, everyone gets exactly the same provisions, kids get the same clothing, and everyone becomes a 2 or 7 or 12 at the same time during a ceremony no matter when they are born. The Giver is the only person in all of the community that has any true memories and he carries the burden for everyone. Jonas becomes his apprentice as he is chosen to be the Receiver of all memories.

“And here in this room, I re-experience the memories again and again it is how wisdom comes and how we shape our future.”

While it doesn’t go into the workings of how you can filter all true memories to one person, or make all the land look the same, or weed out the ability to see color it is an interesting concept. I can see how this would be a great discussion book in a philosophy class or sociology. It is all an interesting concept. What happens when you truly know what emotions are, should you keep them all to yourself and be the chosen one to carry the burden for everyone else or should you walk away.

Parts of the story are a little slow for a MG/YA book but the World Building was interesting and everything in the book makes you call into question how there society is working and should it continue on the same path or is Jonas powerful enough to bring change to the community.

This book is not for everyone but it has a powerful message and would be great for a book club discussion group. Definitely not a light read.

4.5 stars OMG what a ride I was up and down and what happens next I loved this book.

“I can’t tell if I should be ashamed of want to hold you on this day, or grateful that, despite what happened before now, it somehow brought me to you.”

This was a rollercoaster ride. Not only do we have our assassin, we have a land that has lost it’s magic mostly, a prince with a deadly secret, a princess acting as a spy, the captain of the Guard whole loyalty might be torn, a forgotten Queen pulling strings to help the good and evil in almost its purest form in the King.
We pick up only shortly after Throne of Glass and Celaena is the King’s Champion. She is now his personal assassin and has to play the part well or she may get herself and her friends killed. Chaol and Celaena are spending a lot of time together and as much as he cares for her he is trying not to cross the line that would put both their lives at risk, but it becomes harder every day. Dorian has given Celaena some room after she claimed to only want friendship but even he sees how she looks at his Captain of the Guard. Nehemia is still at the castle trying to save her people and gather sympathy toward her cause she also seems to know more than she is letting on. It seems that all of the main players have secrets they are not telling each other, and no one more than Celaena.

“We’ll never be a normal boy and girl, will we?” she managed to say.
“No.” he breathered, his eyes blazing. “We won’t.”

This books had two parts to it. The first is the set up with all the political intrigue and the budding romance between Celaena and Chaol. Celaena is trying so hard to stay out of the brewing war that will eventually come and even though she and Nehemia are good friends Celaena wants no part of the rebellion that Nehemia wants for her people. Then there is that moment in the book where everything gets flipped. While I was worried about the life of one character, something I wasn’t expecting happened and our assassin broke, her enemies better beware because she is mad now and will come for them all. The second part is mostly action all the way, with fighting, figuring out the clues and Celaena’s desperation to set things right.

I was on the edge of my seat for practically all of this book and the ending…..well lets just say it wasn’t a cliffhanger but there is a great revelation and now I really wonder how it was effect all of the characters in the next book.

All of the characters grew so much and the sacrifices made….oh my tender heart is still recovering. I love Chaol he is the protector guardian type and those are really my kryptonite.

“Believe me, Celaena,” he snarled “I know you can look after yourself. But I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn’t, but I do. So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care what happens.”

Dorian came a long way in this book too and I’m eager to see if he will continue to step up and be a man in the face of his father or cower and revert to his old ways. I think he could play an even larger role in the books to come.

Throne of Glass was all about possibilities and Crown of Midnight came through on a few of those but man it seems like there is so much more to come. I am totally impressed with how this is progressing and the only thing I’m sad about is that I will have to wait another year to see what happens next.

One of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year.

“I wasn’t that bad.”
She smiled. “You broke Ethan’s arm.”
“It was self-defense. He wouldn’t let go of my foot.”
“He was helping you tie your shoe.”
I shrugged. I remembered it differently.

Faythe has always been a handful it seems. She is smart, stubborn, headstrong, slightly aggressive and defiant. So much so that at times in the book she was hard for me to like. But she is a werecat so all of those attributes are a benefit to the only female of her family. Faythe has been trying so hard to run away from her family and her past. She ran off to college to try to escape the life she was supposed to have and Marc the man she was supposed to love. But when the women of the other prides start going missing she is called back to her family for protection. She has to leave behind Grad School and her very human boyfriend Andrew. While she hopes that it is only temporary Faythe can’t help the feeling that she will be sucked back into the life and the man she was so desperately trying to avoid.

It was an addiction. A pointless, self-destructive addiction. But really, is there any other kind?

There are things that I really liked about this book and things that really bothered me. Let me start with the stuff I liked. I loved the idea of werecats and prides and the setup of the world they live in. I enjoyed reading about behaviors while in cat form and the family structures. I found it fascinating and a different take on the whole ‘were’ thing as a whole. I enjoyed the writing style, pacing and most of the characters. There are plenty of Alpha male moments and Marc is the ultimate alpha trying to protect the woman he loves that broke his heart so many years ago. Even though Marc was a bit over the top with his animal instincts at times I still thought his whole alpha male thing was attractive and sexy in the book. But girls, in real life, most of his actions would be wrong on so many levels.

The thing I didn’t like about the book, and this is just my personal preference, was the actual storyline. Wait, don’t hate me, the plot was well thought out and flowed well, however the content of the storyline is what I didn’t like. I say this only because a portion of this book is about capture and rape. While there is no actual rape scene to read, a few of the women in this book are brutalized and you know it. I have a very difficult time with this type of content and while it was written well and not too graphic the subject is slightly disturbing to me and the detracted from my overall enjoyment of this particular book in the series.

I told you not to touch her. And I meant it. If you lay a hand on her again, you’ll have more to worry about than her ripping out you r heart. I’ll save her the trouble and do It myself

That said there is a lot of potential for future story arcs in the series. I like the overall concept and so I will read on in the series to give it a solid shot as I think I will not have an issue with the content in future storylines. Faythe has a lot of growing to do and I can’t wait to see if she can keep up with the boys and kick some butt in the future.

Four Fun but not mandatory

I like Four throughout the Divergent series. I’m especially excited to read some POVs from him in the upcoming book. I always wanted to get a deeper understanding of him and his past which is why I read this story.

The Transfer gives a look at Tobias Eaton on the day of the aptitude test through the first day of initiation. If you have read Divergent then you know which faction he chose and what he wanted to get away from. This story leads you through the process of his decision and shows what his life was like inside Tobias’s house with his father Marcus. It gives an unabashed look at the cruelty of his father Marcus and the life he desperately wanted to escape from.

I like the story, Tobias started out a little different than I expected but the story made sense and I liked seeing Tori and Amar taking Tobias under their wing.

This is a fast fun read if you want a little more depth to your understanding of Tobias. It isn’t mandatory to the Divergent story line so if you don’t read it you will not be missing anything either, except the fun of the Divergent world that is.

”When you are ready – when you start to hear them crying out as well – then you will know why I came to you, and why I have stood by you, and will continue to watch over you, no matter how many times you shove me away.”

Fantasy is hit and miss for me. Sometimes fantasy has a tendency to just be a lot of traveling and camping. This is not that kind of fantasy story. It starts right away and something is always happening. I liked this book the most for the possibilities it has for future books in the series. There is a lot jammed into this first book of the series and so many hints as to where the story may go in the future. I picked up little trails of magic, mystery, political intrigue, deception, folklore, fae and a touch of destiny blended into Throne of Glass. This is a great first book for a series and I gave it 4 stars but it is probably closer to 3.5 I’m just rounding up because I love where the story could lead.

Celaena is an assassin, the best assassin in the world probably, but after her country was overthrown she was sent to work in the salt mines. She is given a choice, die in the mines or come and try to win a competition to be the Champion of the King she despises and have a chance at freedom in the future.

Chaol is the captain of the Royal Guard, Dorian is the Crowned Prince and son of the King who imprisoned Celaena. Dorian wants Celaena to be his champion in the competition for his father, Chaol just wants to make sure she doesn’t kill anyone along the way. But as both men get to know Celaena in different ways they each see that she is more than just an assassin and she might hold the key to both men’s hearts.

We all bear scars, Dorian. Mine just happen to be more visible than most…”

This started out Assassins meets survivor with a competition held every week and one competitor is eliminated to see who will be the best Champion for the King. But really you only get to see a few of the tests and then the story gets a little jumbley in the middle where there is a possible love triangle, the introduction of a lost magical religion, a Princess, a mythical beast and a quest given to Celaena by a long lost Queen. I was thoroughly entertained and even giggled a little when there was a Cinderella-esk moment at the ball. The story almost lost a bit of direction for a moment, but just a little one.

But then it all gets back on track as a few of the mysteries are solved as more come into play. The ending is action packed and fast paced. Celaena is easy to like and root for, even if sometimes she imagines how she will kill people. She is the assassin with a heart of gold. Celaena is strong and powerful but she also showed a softer side many times making her likable. She is perhaps a bit perfect for an assassin but I liked her. Between the two heroes of the story there is a love interest to like; The Pretty-Pampered-Persistent-Prince or the Heroic-Quixotic-Duty-bound Captain of the Guard. I myself am a Chaol girl all the way.

It was a sense of loyalty to his country that went beyond the man seated at the table. Far inside of her, she found a golden chain that bound them together

The evil King is evil and there is definitely a plot afoot involving magic. I was left wanting more at the end caring what happened to all the characters. Good first book in a series can’t wait to see what comes next.

Warning I didn't really enjoy this book and so my review might be a little snarky. If you liked this series at all you should not read my review.

This book is full of poetry and longing much like the other two books that preceded it. I had issues with this one as well as I never bought into the unyielding love between Casha and Ky, I always preferred Xander as a character above all of them. For months they have been separated and Casha still talks dreamily about Ky like they’ve known each other for a lifetime. All the characters are separated for so long and the rebellion that has been building for two other books ends up trying to take over by using a plague but then the plague mutates and now everyone is just struggling to survive.

I was sorely disappointed by the direction the rising took. It was clear from the beginning that it was just going to be another form of society. Instead of wearing white, they wear black and they run things almost all the same. Also I take issue with the jobs each of the characters were given. I guess Casha is like a statistician and that is what sorting is and maybe Ky was given enough training in a few months to fly, but then Xander is practically a doctor. These kids were like 17 and had the jobs of thirtysomethings. There were so many unneeded little story lines like that with the archivists. Some of the other stuff I just never bought into. People with the plague were kind of bound to the people they cared about so they knew when they died. I rolled my eyes more in this book than any other I’ve ever read.

I don’t have any quotes to give from the book because I just didn’t care about any of it. I will do a brief highly over simplified synopsis of the entire series so you will know if it is something you will like.

Book 1
The society can only have 100 of anything. 100 dresses, poems, songs, history lessons, science lessons, stories etc.
When you are 80 they kill you with poison
When you are 17 they pick who you will spend the rest of your life with
Girl 1 has been practically in love with boy 1 all her life.
Girl 1 and Boy 1 and matched and will eventually get married and live happily ever after.
Boy 2 shows Girl 1 how to write and tells his story through pictures.
Girl 1 forgets she has loved Boy 1 forever and tells Boy 2 she loves him
Boy 2 is found out to be against the society and is sent away
Girl 1 swears to find him

Book2
Boy 2 is in a camp that gets bombed, makes some friends and excapes
Girl 1 makes friends with Girl 2 and they run off to find Boy 2
Boy 1 is sorely missed by me most of this entire book but he did give Girl 1 blue pills
Girl 1 finds Boy 2 and yay they will be together forever but have to go through a canyon
They all find a village and more poetry
Girl 2 makes a play for Boy 2 but he says “nah”
Girl 1 and Girl 2 leave Boy 2 and go down a river n a raft to join the Rising
Boy 2 meets them at the rising camp
The rising splits Boy 2 and Girl 1 up and send them to be in different places for the rebellion and they say ”ok” even though they spent the whole book trying to find each other and be together.

Yep out of all the dystopian series I have read this year this was my least favorite.