Palace of Stone (Princess Academy #2)

by Shannon Hale

"Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city is a thrill to Miri. She and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding.There, Miri also has a chance to attend school-at the Queen's Castle. But as Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting she also learns that they have some frightening plans. Torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place.

Picking up where "Princess Academy" left off, and celebrating the joys of friendship, romance and the fate of fairy tale kingdoms, this new book delivers the completely delightful new story that fans have been waiting for."

Another slow starter, but that could be blamed, once again, on the lack of momentum from reading book #1 so long ago. Once I got into this book, it did have a compelling plot and lovable characters.  The story was predictable, but not without the charm Hale's Books of Bayern possess.

I enjoyed Miri's journey of self discovery, her coming of age. Specifically, I liked the fact that Miri, while sometimes confused or lost, never wavered in her loyalty and remained herself throughout the story.  I also enjoyed the continuance, although subtle, of Britta and Stephan's romance.  Peder is darling; perhaps the most endearing character.  Another favorite in this story is Frid whose personality shines through the writing.

All in all, a good follow up to The Princess Academy.

Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5)

by Melissa Marr

"Send the messengers for the Faery Courts. This is the end.

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.
Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.
Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win...and some will lose everything."

It has been quite a few years since I read the 4th installment of the Wicked Lovely series, so it took longer for me to get the gist of Darkest Mercy.  I will say that it is obviously not a stand alone novel, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  I hate when series spend the entire book rehashing the previous book, so not knowing what was going on was actually a good thing to me.  Eventually I pieced together what I had forgotten, but this review is based on Darkest Mercy alone, as opposed to part of a series.

I enjoy Marr's writing style.  I also admire the multi-faceted world she has created; making each court with an individual, almost living, personality and characters that live inside. That being said, I wasn't super impressed with the book.  It was good, but lacked the drama of the rest of the series.  Also, five books later and the ending of the series is a little lackluster.  These books have been fraught with peril and heartache and loss, but suddenly everything is right in the world, true love conquers all and Keenan is human. Everything was just a little too easy; Anti-climatic is an understatement. Still, Marr does remain true to the hope she has fostered and the book did not leave me wanting.

Days of Blood and Starlight

by Laini Taylor

"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?"

This sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, was unprecedented.  It is rare that a sequel fully lives up to its predecessor, but to surpass it is practically impossible.  Days of Blood and Starlight left me breathless for the conclusion of the series.  It provoked deep emotion and incited a familiarity with the characters.  I love Karou.  I ache for her; her loss, her heartache, her great, back-crushing responsibility, which she bears with the most beautiful and realistic grace.  She doesn't do these things because she is noble, or brave or good- she does them because she has to.  When life pushes you down and leaves you to rot, you stand up and keep going because you must.  Even in the unending desert, surrounded by creatures of myth, with a past and future twain by the schism of your two selves.

The relationship between Karou and Ziri is heartbreaking.  I found myself rooting for them, but almost guiltily as there has not been true closure between Karou and Akiva. Ziri's monstrous form is lost in his compassion, his genuine and pure nature, his humanity.  I love his sacrifice, so unselfish and heartfelt, not the product of unrequited love, but driven by a desire to make things right.

The developing characters of Hazael and Liraz are also a compelling part of this sequel.  Their relationship with each other and Akiva is tender and strong.  Additionally, we see more of Zuzana and Mik, who bring humor and sass and impossible things to the Chimaera camp.

This book, more than anything, gave me a feeling of family. The relationships between friends, kin, lovers... they are deep, emotional and extremely gratifying to be a part of.

Branded (Fall of Angels, Book #1)

By Keary Taylor

"Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.
But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear."   This book starts out slow... and never really speeds up.  Everything happens at a very leisurely pace, despite the dark subject matter within the story.  However, the pace didn't really bother me.  Taylor created a very mesmerising character in Jessica, who is very self-contained, but extremely strong and enduring and good.   The role and motivation of Cole were elements I never fully grasped. Every story must have a villain, though, and Cole made a very sinister one. Alex on the other hand was a little too good to be true, a real knight in shining armor.  The coupling of Alex and Jessica was just a little too idyllic, too perfect. Even the lack of your typical romance plot, in which the heroine and hero are tricked into a miscommunication that ultimately leads to either grave results or the final unveiling of the antagonist, was missing.  Still, I like the story and it being devoid of common cliches made it surprising.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

By Laini Taylor

"Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"

I literally could not put this book down.  It was so beautifully written, all I could think of was Eva Ibbotson's flawless imagery.  The setting of Prague was an excellent choice of setting for this strange tale.

Right away, I fell in love with Karou.  No simpering, lovesick little girl, but a smart and capable woman, even at the age of 17.  This character was neither unrealistically savvy, nor pathetically incapable.  Karou has sass, smarts, and incredible sense of self.  Her awareness that something seems to be missing is proof of that.  Akiva is a character that I was determined not to like.  However, his story, his strength and pain and the realization of his dreams of peace pulled me onto his side.  I enjoyed the glimpses of his vulnerability when he was around Karou, which stemmed from his love of Madrigal.  As a supporting character, I have to mention that I really loved Zuzanna as well.  She is a remarkable example of friendship.   I could go into all of the characters, they were really very well developed, but instead I'll just leave it at that.

As the story unfolds, mystery is stacked upon intrigue until the reader is salivating over the inevitable fitting together of this puzzle.  Taylor does an incredible job of creating a world outside of our world, playing off of myth and religion and legend to create something almost tangible within a pocket of the heavens.  I absolutely loved that she told the story of Karou, which was followed by an entirely different story of Madrigal, which all fit together seamlessly.

I can't fully articulate how much I enjoyed this book, I'd just end up rambling for another six paragraphs. I loved it.  Can't wait to find out what happens next.

Touched

By Cyn Balog

"Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work. But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there? In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . ."

I really enjoyed this book. I think that the premise was extremely unique. Nick's constant inner monologue could have gotten confusing, but Balog managed to keep the story controlled. I like the characters of Nick and Taryn, although their romance seemed a little rushed and out of nowhere, which is admittedly the case in most YA romance novels, especially in the supernatural genre. Nick, specifically was a very likable character. I was definitely rooting for him throughout the book.

The resolution of the book was beautiful. The sacrifice that Nick's grandmother made for her family was touching and a very fitting ending. It bothered me a little bit that Nick was the only one that remembered everything, which wasn't really explained. I liked this book so much, that I can overlook that detail.

Sleepless

by Cyn Balog

"Eron DeMarchelle isn't supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia, a lonely girl with fiery red hair and sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. In the past, Eron has broken rules to protect Julia, but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't reach her. Eron's time as a Sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement doesn't seem to care about his charges. Worse, Julia is facing dangers she doesn't recognize, and Eron, as he transitions back to being human, may be the only one who can save her. . . .
Even once they've become human again, Sandmen are forbidden to communicate with their charges. But Eron knows he won't be able to forget Julia. Will he risk everything for a chance to be with the girl he loves?"

I am in love with the concept of Sleepless. The idea of Sandmen, charged with "seducing" mortals to sleep and watching over their dreams is fresh and enticing.

Eron was a well-developed character and I adored his old world gentlemanly mannerisms and mentality. It seemed a little odd that he was so distanced from the world, but I suppose life is a little limited when you hang out mostly in trees for 100 years. I was also bothered by the fact that the originals, who seemed to run the whole operation, were ignorant of the modern world as well. Naive Chimere was endearing at times, but the fact that she was meant to be an authority figure made her wide-eyed, seemingly spacey personality a disappointment. However, her small betrayal in the end was a surprise to me; both innocent and contriving in its purpose.

Julia. I feel less impressed with this character. Balog's back story of her isolation and self-consciousness leaked through into the real world and I don't feel that I really had a good grasp of who Julia was, even despite her narratives. I'm not quite sure what it was that made Eron fall in love with Julia; perhaps a lifetime of familiarity, but also the thought of him being essentially her babysitter since birth is slightly disturbing.

Griffin was an excellent villain. His motivation was pain and loss and selfishness. I liked seeing the progression of his grieving process, which took him from the always smiling jokester to the slightly manic, near homicidal evil doer.

The book ended too abruptly for me and I would have liked a little more conflict resolution after all the build up. However, overall, this was a fun read.

Endlessly (Paranormalcy #3)

by Kiersten White

"Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

So much for normal."

"...when you are happy, you don't do anything! If you are content, the rest of the world and those who need you fall away into the background." -Reth

Yep. That's pretty much it.
Saying that it was better than the second book is not saying much. Endlessly actually had good storyline and I liked how the characters all ended up coming together. Terribly predictable, but warm and fuzzy, nonetheless. I'm still bothered by Evie and Lend's relationship, although I do have to say that water boy is a good guy; ALMOST too good, but I found enough flaws to make him at least realistic as a fictional character. I think I dislike Evie even more. I understand her annoyance at being manipulated and feeling pushed into her fate, but I really wanted this heroine to be a little more noble, a little less short-sighted and I could do without the influx of hormones as well.

Good wrap up, but I'm glad the series is has ended.

Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, # 1)

by Lian Hearn

The debut novel of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series, Across the Nightingale Floor, is set in a feudal Japan on the edge of the imagination. The tale begins with young Takeo, a member of a subversive and persecuted religious group, who returns home to find his village in flames. He is saved, not by coincidence, by the swords of Lord Otori Shigeru and thrust into a world of warlords, feuding clans, and political scheming. As Lord Otori's ward, he discovers he is a member by birth of the shadowy "Tribe," a mysterious group of assassins with supernatural abilities.

The Otori series was literally thrust into my hands by a friend. I was intrigued by the premise, but not necessarily eager to start Across the Nightingale Floor. However, I was soon captivated by Hearn's Japan, Takeo's potential and Shigeru's mystery.

I enjoyed this book immensely and, although Takeo was an almost flawless protagonist, fell in love with him immediately and really wanted him to succeed. I was also rooting for Kaede and Takeo's romance to work out. The plot was fantastic and I think Hearn wove the story together beautifully. There were many sides to this book, as there were many dimensions to the characters.

There are things about this book, both good and bad, that I'd like to expound on, but my overall impression is simple: Across the Nightingale Floor was a stand alone book that definitely made me eager to dig into the sequel.

Warrior

by Marie Brennan

When a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. For the witch to master her powers, the twin must be killed. But what happens when the doppelganger survives? Mirage, a fierce bounty hunter, lives by her wits and lethal fighting skills. She always gets her mark. But her new mission will take her into the shadowy world of witches, where her strength may be no match against magic. Miryo is a witch who has just failed her initiation test. She now knows that there is someone in the world who looks like her, who is her: Mirage. To control her powers and become a full witch, Miryo has only one choice. To hunt the hunter and destroy her.

Warrior was a great concept, poorly executed. It took me way too long to get through this book. I wanted to get into it, but there was too much idle, pointless, trying-to-get-there. It was hard to move between the perspectives of Mirage and Miryo from chapter to chapter as well. Basically, it was just a lot of sleuthing without a lot of action.

I liked the characters and was rooting for the two women to find a way around killing each other. I appreciated that, while loyal to each other, the Hunters within the same schools did not take trust for granted, or blindly give it. I loved the fact that, while two halves of the same whole, Mirage and Miryo were two separate and unique individuals.

Overall, the story was good, if slow, the characters ingratiating, the setting unique.

The Mermaid's Madness

by Jim C. Hines
The Mermaid's Madness is a companion to The Stepsister Scheme. I say companion, because it doesn't necessarily continue any plot from the first book, although it does continue shortly after the conclusion of The Stepsister Scheme.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters better. I loved the plot of this second book and the way it continues on in revealing the truth behind beloved fairy tales. Adventure, intrigue, romance and sacrifice were all prevalent in this story. It was fun and engaging, heartbreaking and tragic. I can't wait for the next installment!

Princess Ben

by Catherine Murdock

"Every fairy tale, it seems, concludes with the bland phrase "happily ever after." Yet every couple I have ever known would agree that nothing in marriage is forever happy. There are moments of bliss, to be sure, and lengthy spans of satisfied companionship. Yet these come at no small effort, and the girl who reads such fiction dreaming her troubles will end ere she departs the altar is well advised to seek at once a rational woman to set her straight."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved Ben and the fact that she developed and underwent a metamorphoses. I also liked that she wasn't the typical beautiful, perfect princess and that even though she had insecurities, she also didn't let them crush her. She had real character and found her innate goodness and compassion.

I really enjoyed Murdock's writing and the world that she created. The fact that this world is one that is not a fantasy, fairy tale world, but that ends up having magic and dragons hiding in the walls is compelling and unique.

The relationship between Ben and her prince was, unfortunately,less developed than I would have liked, but given the depth of the book and the amount of pages, their love didn't exactly come out of the blue.

This is going down on my list of books to pass on to my daughter.

The Stepsister Scheme

by Jim Hines

The Stepsister Scheme is kind of like all your favorite fairy tales got together and took some Acid. The story's main characters, essentially Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella, are Walt Disney meets Charlie's Angels.

I loved this book. It's no secret that I'm addicted to any and all spin offs of popular and obsolete fairy tales, Old Wives Tales and legends. This book was right up my alley and did not disappoint. I enjoyed the personalities of the three princesses and the dynamic between them. I loved the magical elements and the encounters with various mythical and fantastic creatures.

Hines took each well known story and uncovered the truth behind it. These horrific realities, somewhat more along the lines of what the Grimm Brothers may have envisioned, were heartbreaking and gave the princesses more dimension.

I loved this book; it's one that I could read over and over again.

Enna Burning

by Shannon Hale

Enna Burning is the sequel to The Goose Girl. The story is told from the perspective of a character, Enna, who played a minor role in the first book.

I really think this type of book is Hale's niche. Very fun to read, well developed plot and characters and a great continuation of the series. One thing I particularly liked is that Hale managed to continue Isi's story as well in this installment, while still allowing Enna to be the main voice.

This book was just a simple, enjoyable read and I don't have a lot of criticism. I'm excited to read the remaining books in the Bayern series.

Bloodfever

by Karen Moning

Bloodfever is actually book two in Moning's "Fever" series. However, I don't feel like I missed anything in Darkfever. This book stands alone and seems to have recapped its predecessor successfully.

This is one of those books that I felt was a little too much like a placeholder; a segway into the next book. I don't have a lot to say about this one. I enjoyed it, it was a very fast read and it left me wanting to read the next installment.

There is so much mystery in Bloodfever, it seems something more should have been revealed by this point in the story, and certainly the reader should be let in on some serious secrets by the end of book two. I have no idea who, or what, Barrons is. Mac keeps making really dumb mistakes, which should be refreshing, finding a less than extraordinary heroine, but it's almost like a bad horror movie, the cliched kind that possesses one to yell at the movie screen, "Don't go that way! Run!"

I like this somewhat original perspective of the Fae world. The different breeds of Seelie and Unseelie are interesting. Moning does an excellent job of giving Mac a voice within her writing which is casual and real, where it could be forced and difficult to read.

There is language and mild sexuality in this book.

The Amaranth Enchantment

by Julie Berry

The Amaranth Enchantment was an unexpected find.

This book combined mythology with elements reminiscent of Cinderella. The writing was uncomplicated and the characters were likable. It was a little disjointed in trying to connect several story lines and I felt that there were two books that could have been written with the myriad of ideas floating around.

All in all, I liked this book.

The Goose Girl

by Shannon Hale

I have had The Goose Girl sitting on my shelf for MONTHS, but for some reason I haven't been able to pick it up. Once I did, I didn't want to put it down.

The book starts off a little slow, typical of Hale. I like that the story starts out in one place and the story evolves from there, creating history and depth as you're reading. I also appreciated the fact that there weren't hundreds of pages dedicated to narrating weeks-long journeys; apples gathered, bales of hay slept in, etc. The best part of this book was the way the protagonist, Ani, changed and gained an awareness of who she was, who she wanted to be and, ultimately, who she became. It was all very subtle and enmeshed in the story.

Hale is a very accomplished writer and the culture of Bayern flowed seamlessly. I liked the characters, although I would have enjoyed a more complete development of Geric. The antagonists were deliciously villainous and possessed intelligence, which I find more realistic than a group of dumb thugs. The jealous goose boy, Conrad, provided some wonderful, if predictable, conflict as well.

The biggest complaint that I have with The Goose Girl is the gory and morbid imagery of punished miscreants and, especially disturbing to me, was the sub-plot involving Ani's horse, Falada. It was heart wrenching, but too graphic and cruel.

This book would have a "G" rating if not for the violence. Excellent and fun read despite.

Fairy Tale

by Cyn Balog

Fairy Tale was a huge success...if you don't have high expectations.

The story of Morgan and Cam is bittersweet, filled with magic, love and sacrifice. The idea of a changeling who is being reclaimed by the Seelie after sixteen years is one that I haven't seen spun in this way before Fairy Tale. From the first few paragraphs I thought I was going to love Morgan. However, she quickly turned into your average, self-obsessed teenager. Balog tries to balance a brave, selfless heroine with a typical 16-year-old and, unfortunately, the immature Morgan shone through a little brighter. Despite that, I still liked the character for the most part. Although Cam is supposed to be the big focus in this book, I felt detached from him and I wasn't rooting for him to stay with Morgan. I loved Pip. He was an almost unrealistic ideal of perfection and chivalry. The naivete and true selflessness of this character and the almost childlike awkwardness made me want to invest in him.

I was bothered by the fact that Morgan's psychic powers were virtually non-existent after the first two or three chapters; leaving that in the background is almost akin to snatching away her parents after the first few chapters, or maybe changing the color of her hair midway through. Also, I would have liked a more in-depth explanation for why Morgan was able to see Dawn, distinguish the changes in Cam and remember him after he was gone.

I loved the ending of this book. I thought it was exactly how it should have ended and it was made even better by the fact that Morgan and Pip's relationship was not just a Fairy trick, but that it had been developed throughout the whole story, making their seemingly lifelong connection easier to accept at the end.

There was use of mild profanity in this book and allusions to sexuality (in dreams).

Fragile Eternity

by Melissa Marr

Fragile Eternity is Melissa Marr's third book in this series, but I would call this one more of a sequel to Wicked Lovely and classify Ink Exchange as perhaps a companion book.

It's been a while since I read Wicked Lovely, but I remember loving it. Ink Exchange was crap, but Marr mostly redeemed herself, as I was hoping, with this third book. It returns to the original characters and continues their story, but I found that I didn't care much for Aislinn. I hated how whiny and immature she came off and I didn't really understand or enjoy the dynamic between herself and Keenan. The thing that really annoyed me was the loosey goosey ending. It was obviously a cliffhanger for another installment, but it didn't leave me panting for the next one, only irritated that there were so many unanswered questions.

The writing is good, although I don't think it's as good as the author thinks it is and there are moments of imagery that don't quite conjure a clear picture. I really liked seeing how each of the courts fits together and, despite it being a little unexpected and weird, I liked seeing into Sorcha's court and the relationship that develops between her and Seth.

Fragile Eternity was good enough to get me to read the next one. It had some sexual content, nothing graphic, and profanity.

Wings

by Aprilynne Pike

I was really excited to read this book. After Melissa Marr's depiction of cruel and cold fairies, I thought Wings would be a bit softer and fairy-tale-like.

I liked this book, but I should have known that it wouldn't be as good as I wanted it to be from the review on the cover by Stephanie Meyer. This book read somewhat like one of Meyers' books, although slightly more juvenile. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I felt that they were a little two dimensional. I felt like the entire book's purpose was to set up for another book, when there was a lot of fluff that could have been trimmed and the substance I feel is coming could have made the book complete now. I was left hanging, but not on the edge of my seat and not feeling like my questions were answered at all. It was lacking.

There was nothing inappropraite in this book.