Book Review: Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers
Series: Book 1 in the Theodosia Throckmorton series
Release Date: April 9, 2007
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 350
Received: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Her father may be head curator, but it is Theo—and only Theo—who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum.

When Theo's mother returns from her latest archaeological dig bearing the Heart of Egypt—a legendary amulet belonging to an ancient tomb—Theo learns that it comes inscribed with a curse so black and vile that it threatens to crumble the British Empire from within and start a war too terrible to imagine.

Intent on returning the malevolent artifact to its rightful place, Theo devises a daring plan to put things right. But even with the help of her younger brother, a wily street urchin, and the secret society known as the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers, it won't be easy.

She quickly finds herself pursued down dark alleys, across an ocean, through the bustling crowds of Cairo, and straight into the heart of an ancient mystery. Theo will have to call upon everything she's ever learned in order to prevent the rising chaos from destroying her country—and herself!

Review

Forget that you're an adult

Pretend that you're a kid again and try to recall what you used to think about adults. If you had even the slightest tinge of Miss Smartypants as a child, then you probably found yourself thinking that everything would be so much better if adults just stopped being silly and let you rule the world.

The fact that you were only 11 years old was hardly relevant.

Have you ever thought that? Well, I know I did, and that 11 year old mindset is what you need to channel to approach Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. If you look at it from an adult perspective, then I don't think you're going to be able to appreciate Theodosia or her story in the right way. Remember, this is Theodosia's story and it is told through her perspective.

MG-level sleepover party!

The guest list: Theodosia Throckmorton, Hermione Granger, Reveka and Kat Stephenson. We would bite off an adventure that would be WAY above our heads, but our combined precocious awesomeness would easily save the day.

Theodosia reminded me a lot of Hermione back when Hermione was a wild-haired know-it-all in Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. That isn't to say Theodosia is a copy of Hermione, because she's totally not. Theodosia is very clearly her own person, and that person is a respectable young lady, a little scamp, and a little girl trying to catch the eye of her busy parents.

Theodosia has many traits that could so easily go wrong and make her really annoying, but in R. L. LaFever's skilled hands Theodosia's stubbornness, defensiveness, independence, bravado, and curiosity were 100% adorable. Add in her insecurities that make her about as cute as a sad puppy picture and I'm pretty much ready to sign the adoption papers.

Her first-person narration is filled to the brim with cuteness (her little grumbled frustrations never failed to make me smile). I would try to pull out a quote as an example, but I'm having too much trouble deciding on just one.

If I were an old lady, I would SO pinch Theodosia's cheeks and give her lots and lots of hugs.

I got to live in a museum!

You know me, I'm a touch impatient, so I found the beginning a little slow. It's not that nothing happens, it's just that what does happen isn't something to get all white-knuckled about.

It's also the first book in a series, so there was a lot of "setting up Theodosia's world" going on. This didn't really bother me though because I liked Theodosia so much. So, yeah, maybe I wasn't exactly desperate to find out what was going to happen next, but I was perfectly content to keep reading about Theodosia's life in the museum.

Which, by the way, SO fed my secret wish to live in a museum (I've wanted to make the New York Museum of Natural History my second home ever since I read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler. Yeah, those kids picked a different museum, but this is MY dream).

The pace does pick up about halfway through when Theodosia finds herself in the middle of two opposing secret societies--one side attempting to harness ancient Egyptian curses for nefarious purposes, the other side determined to stop them.

Yep, you read that right. Secret societies! Automatic points for that. This part was a ton of fun.

Bottom line

I'm really happy there are three more books (and counting) in this series because I'm hooked! Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos ends nicely as a standalone though, so my motivation to keep reading is based purely on how much I like Theodosia and her adventures.

This is a MG book, but it isn't one where it feels "dumbed down" or overly simplistic (the bad guy was a surprise to me). 

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

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Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

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Book Review: Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren

Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren
Book 3 of The River of Time series 
Release Date: September 1, 2011
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pages: 388
Received: ARC from author/publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf
Goodreads Page

This review contains NO spoilers for the series!

Click to see my reviews for:
Waterfall (#1)
Cascade (#2)

Summary

From Goodreads (spoilers for the previous books):

Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times.   But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.  

Review

The perfect end

Series can be tricky things. The first part needs to hook you, the second part needs to sustain you, and the third part needs to knock your socks off AND satisfy you.  

Torrent is a win all around. Lisa T. Bergren so totally knocked my socks off and left me beyond satisfied (except for the fact that I want more, but I'm a glutton like that). Torrent was everything a concluding book should be and more.

Picked up right where Cascade left off

Torrent starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the very end (those were the tensest final 20 pages of my life!) There are some sweet moments where the characters get to rest, but these rests are very brief. All of the pulse-pounding action that I loved so much in the first two books is here in Torrent times ten. This is the end and the stakes are HIGH! No holds were barred and it felt like anything could happen.

If you read Cascade already, then you know something BIG happened right at the end. I loved this plot twist. It really enhanced my enjoyment of the story and led to a lot of awwww moments for me. I'm so happy Lisa T. Bergren did this for Gabi and her family because it couldn't have been more perfect. It was like putting in the final piece of a puzzle to make everything fit exactly how it should. 

Expanded (a lot!) on the enigmatic Lord Greco

I like this guy! Ok, so I'm not giving him my heart (Luca has it, then Marcello), but there's not much I wouldn't do to get more Greco. Or should I call him Rodolfo, because, yeah, we're totally on a first name basis now. 

Though I'm still not exactly sure if I want to make out with him like crazy, or slap him silly. 

One thing is for sure, I love the role he played in this book. Gabi's experiences with him helped sort out my own feelings for Marcello, and I've gotta say, I finally fell for Marcello. Hard. I had always liked and respected him, but wowza, he's darn near perfect now.

What does this have to do with Greco? You'll see. Let's just say that Lisa T. Bergren knows how to write a love triangle in such a way that I actually like it (when usually I HATE them). Best part about it is that it rings true and Gabi never felt like a floozy. 

Made me cry, and RAGE, and fist pump!

Yes, I actually did all three of those things. Including the fist pump. I know, so lame, right? Who actually does that?! But, um, yeah, I totally did it (and then I did this little ducking and furtively looking around me to see if anyone saw kind of move). I also exclaimed--out loud--"That's SO COOL!" on at least two occasions. 

These were completely involuntary actions. It was like the sheer level of awesome packed into Torrent possessed my body and I lost all ability to maintain the appearance of "collected cool" (like I rock that look normally? Yeah, whatever).

Arrgh, and the rage! Lisa T. Bergren can seriously write bad guys. She puts poor Gabi and her loved ones into these awful situations with these characters who I hate so freaking much that I wish someone would cut off their ears! 

Which only makes the books that much more filled with win when that sort of comeuppance actually happens! It's surprising how rare it is to have both bad guys worthy of despising on such a level where you want to curse their entire lineage AND have them get theirs. Lisa delivers on both counts. Score!

Ooooh, but I also said I cried. Prepare yourselves, because as much as I love how awesome Lisa T. Bergren is with the vengeance, and as much as the books are riddled with moments that make me want to hug puppies they're filled with so much Awwww--these aren't perfect fluff stories. 

BAD stuff happens. And to good people, too. Your heart is going to swell with happiness, but it's also going to feel like it got ripped out of your chest and stomped on. But as much as I HATE these bad things happening to characters I love, it does make the story so much richer than it would have been without these tragedies.

Of endings...and beginnings?

The River of Time series is everything I ever wanted in a YA book, and so much more. It's a rare thing to read a series that is so consistently good, but The River of Time series is one solid win after another. If anything, each book only improves as the stakes grow ever higher, more characters are introduced, and Gabi grows from a likable teenager into a strong young woman worthy of massive amounts of respect. 


Now here is my plea to you: BUY IT! Please. I'll be honest, I'm being totally selfish here. I want more books, plain and simple. I want Lia and Luca's story. I want Greco's story. I want a prequel about Marcello's secret brotherhood of kick-butt warriors (how cool would that be, right?). I want more adventures with Gabi and her family. I want to (spoiler for Torrent) see Gabi flex her muscles as the lady of the castello because I think she has grown into a woman who would totally own as a Lady in Charge. Bottom line, I want more! 

And YOU can help me! Yes, YOU! How? Buy The River of Time. Tell your friends. Tell your librarians. Ask your local booksellers to stock the series. Nominate the series for your next book club. Spread the word however you can. Because that's how we'll get more books, and I NEED more! Curious about the potential of more? Click here to read an excerpt for the potential fourth book!

I'll even bribe you (click this, it's a link to a giveaway. Yeah, I'm serious about the bribing. Updated prizes!) 

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Torrent that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Want more River of Time fodder?

Check out the book trailers!

Waterfall

Cascade

Read the beginnings of each book!

Waterfall

Cascade

Torrent

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Book Review: Goddess Girls #3 & 4 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Release Date: August 3, 2010
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 224
Series: #3 of the Goddess Girls series
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Product Description:

Aphrodite delights in helping mortals in love, but she's pretty annoyed at the constant attention she gets from the godboys at Mount Olympus Academy. When she decides to give Athena a makeover, she's a bit unprepared for the result. She didn't count on all the interest Athena's new look would get. And she certainly never thought she'd find herself jealous of one of her best friends! Will she be able to put the jealousy behind her?

Like all the books in the Goddess Girls series, Aphrodite the Beauty can be read as a standalone and it is not necessary to have read the previous books.

I liked this book, but not as much as the previous two. The story was solid and continues with the excellent blend of mythology and real-life issues that I have come to expect from this series. The only drawback for me was Aphrodite herself. I didn't relate as well to her as a character and I found her to have a little less depth than Athena or Persephone. I also didn't like the way she treated a certain character, but her actions were consistent with mythology and creatively adapted to a more modern and younger audience. Plus, her feelings and actions, while perhaps not the nicest, were feelings that I'm sure many girls experience (I know I did! And I behaved much the same way when I was that age.) Despite my qualms with Aphrodite herself, her story was cute and I'm sure will ring true with many MG girls (probably not so much boys). Hephaestus makes an appearance as an adorable secondary character.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Artemis the Brave by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Release Date: December 7, 2010
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 224
Series: #4 of the Goddess Girls series
Received: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Product Description:

Artemis's friends and classmates see her as the most courageous goddessgirl at school. Little do they know that despite her expert archery skills, teh smelly Geryon, ring-nosed Minotaurs, and scorpions in Beast-ology class scare her as much as they do anyone else! But what's really bothering her now is that funny feeling she has whenever she looks at Orion. She's never had a crush before. Will she find the courage to talk to Orion, to make him see her as more than a pal, and to ace Beast-ology class?

Like all the books in the Goddess Girls series, Artemis the Brave can be read as a standalone and it is not necessary to have read the previous books.

I liked this one! So far I think this book and Athena's book are my favorites. Artemis was a very sweet character who made mistakes and learned from them. I loved her self-reflection and how she tested out new experiences but ultimately settled comfortably in her own skin. Her lessons were very sweet and, again, experiences that I think many MG girls will find easy to relate to. Greek myth is creatively and seamlessly woven into the story. What's so nice about the presentation of Greek mythology in these books is that it isn't necessary to know anything about the myths in order to enjoy the stories, but young readers are still getting a great foundation that will probably help them when they venture into reading the original myths.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about the Goddess Girls series that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for the first two books? 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

This review is posted as part of Simon & Schuster Month hosted by Cialina at Muggle-Born.net!

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Book Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Pages: 358
Received: Library, Won an ARC from Miss Remmers’ Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 
Goodreads Page

I tried NOT to give any major spoilers for the first two books

Summary

From Goodreads (highlight to read--SPOILERS for previous books!):

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Review

RioDFnyH8t9pF3q4KH;U89qqejiow;ahgh!!1!!!1!!!

Oh my freaking gosh. I had so much fun reading this book! Everything I loved about the first two books was here, but better. Everything I didn’t like about the previous two books was gone. Finally, finally Julie Kagawa gave me the story I was waiting for. All of my time spent on the first two books was totally worth it just to get to TIQ.

I love you people

All of the qualms I had about the characters just melted away in this book. I always felt like Julie was holding out on me and, as a character girl, I had to detract some stars from the previous books because I just never really felt the characters. Now I feel them. Now I love them. Major characters, minor characters, I am 100% sold. The characters have made the jump from people in a book to people in my heart that I will remember in years to come.

I was so not Team Ash for the first two books, but from page one of TIQ I was mentally printing up my Team Ash T-shirts. And not just any T-shirts, but really girly swoony T-shirts with hearts and sparkles and embarrassing phrases like “Meghan and Ash 4EVA!” You know, everything that would make Ash barf.

Apparently my shirt comes with gigantic shoulder pads

I totally get where Meghan is coming from now. TIQ-Ash struck that perfect balance of sensitive and caring, but never weak or weenie-boy. He was still sexy, capable, and masculine, but he wasn’t a cold fairy with a pole up his butt anymore. His banter with Puck was equally great, hitting that mark of “brothers in arms” that I so love to read about (and watch--Dean and Sam, anyone?)

My other hang up with the earlier books, especially The Iron Daughter, was Meghan’s suckage. She was ok in the first book, but by the second book I thought she became a total Too Stupid To Live character. She must have gotten some sense knocked into her somehow though, because by the third book she had made a complete 180 and became so incredibly kick ass. In the second book I so wouldn’t have let her sit at my lunch table, but I’d totally wear friendship bracelets with The Iron Queen Meghan. She was made of win!

Meghan just kept pulling out the awesome. You know how a book will set up a scene and you think about what the character should do, but you don’t really expect it to happen because, well, the character in question just isn’t that awesome? MEGHAN DID IT! Every time. Gone was the weak-will, wacky priorities, moping and pathetic Meghan of The Iron Daughter. This Meghan knew how to take charge, make tough choices, and do what needed to be done. Armed with a steel sword, Meghan spends most of the book wearing dragon skin armor, and she needs it because this Meghan doesn’t run from a fight.

Action! Battles! Questing!

Oh the fights! I was swooning like crazy over those battles. Um, maybe I should rephrase that. Remember the discussion post about book features that make me say YES PLEASE? Another feature that makes me automatically fall in love with a book is the prospect of battles. I loooove battles. The tension, the peril, the hot guys with swords! Ah, battles. Julie Kagawa combined battles and questing and I practically died from happiness.

Not only did Puck and Ash look completely sexy as they fought on the fairy frontlines, and then fought their way into the Iron kingdom, and then out again, and then back on the front lines again (look at all the battles and questing!!), but Meghan totally rocked, too. She didn't sit back and let the boys protect her. She was IN IT. I almost wish I read this book on some sort of e-reader because I think my white-knuckled death grip of OMGTHISISAWESOME!!! might have bent the book up a little.

Julie Kagawa keep me at the edge of my seat while also continuing to entertain me with her inventive take on fairies and the Iron fey. Her world building is so engrossing. I have such a crystal clear picture of what everything and everyone looks like (except, I'm sorry, but my Meghan has black hair. Why? I don't know). The more Meghan and crew journeyed into the Iron kingdom, the more unique creatures we met and the more enthralled I became. There are a bunch of new characters that, along with the old characters (Go Grimalkin!), made such a mind-blowingly awesome cast to read.

Tears of joy, sadness...and impatience

And then the end. Oh my gosh, the end! AAaah, I won’t spoil anything, but that ending was just, wow. I loved it. I wasn’t expecting it at all, but I am so totally happy with it! As soon as I finished reading I immediately signed into Goodreads to check when The Iron Knight will be coming out. If Goodreads was a person, I’d be gripping Goodreads by the collar and shaking them screaming, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER!?!”

And, ok, in the world of sequels, November 2011 really isn’t that long to wait, but it feels like an eternity because I need that book in my life NOW. Prior to reading The Iron Queen my thoughts on TIK were pretty much, “Meh, Ash’s story?” But it’s going to be so much more than Ash’s story. It’s going to be awesome. And if Julie Kagawa keeps this up, it will be epic.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Series Info:

 The Iron King (#1)

Winter's Passage (#1.5, novella)

The Iron Daughter (#2)

The Iron Queen (#3)

Summer's Crossing (#3.5, novella)

The Iron Knight (#4, coming November 2011)

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Book Review: Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren

Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren
Release Date: June 1, 2011
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pages: 399
Series: Book 2 in The River of Time series
Received: ARC from author
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

This is book 2 in a series! 

This review may contain slight spoilers for the first book. 

Click here to read my review of the first book, Waterfall.

Summary

From Goodreads. Highlight to read. May contain spoilers for the first book.

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead. But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

Review

I wanna marry this book. This whole series. It's like Lisa took everything I want out of a book and put it all together to make the best series EVER! Even if you don't like historical fiction or time travel, this series is so much more than that. The River of Time defies simple categorization and gives readers something they so rarely get.

But this is a second book in a series, so you probably have some questions. Second books always sort of scare me, especially when I loved the first book like I did with this series. Will the sequel measure up? Will it spoil the happy feelings the first book left me with? Reading shouldn't be so dangerous, but when you're as emotionally invested in a series as I am with The River of Time, then the idea of opening up the sequel can be scary!

I'm going to try to answer the questions I had when I started reading. I'm going to try to avoid any spoilers for both Cascade and Waterfall, but some things can't be avoided (like if I mention a character appearing in Cascade, then you kinda know they didn't die in Waterfall...) So if you haven't read Waterfall yet (WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!), then you might not want to read this review.

Do the characters I love show up?

Oh yeah! Of course Gabi, Marcello, and Luca have plenty of page time, but Lia is also elevated to MC status (and she is totally awesome!). Romana and Fortino make a small appearance, but they're not really present much. I know, I was bummed about the lack of Fortino, too. You know who does show up and totally surprised me? Paratore. I thought we had seen the last of him, but that jerk is back for more...and I love it!

We're also introduced to two more characters who were totally awesome additions: Momma She-Wolf and Lord Greco. Momma She-Wolf is Gabi and Lia's mother who travels back in time with them. She is kick butt! I love that Lisa included their mother. Parents are so often ignored in YA, but when you're torn between living in the 14th century or going back home without the love of your life, well, that's kind of a decision you'd want to talk over with your mom, right?

Lord Greco is such a great character. I love hating him and I can't help admiring him (and finding him attractive. Yeah, there's another hot guy). Is he bad? I'm not sure. I can't tell if he's good or if I'm just trying really hard to make him good because I like him so much. I'm not even sure if I want him to be good or bad. He's such a great villain, but he is totally swoon-worthy so, you know, having him be a villain might complicate things.

Will I be happy with the romance?

Ugh, middle books usually suck when it comes to romance. You have all the happy "Yay the couple got together!!" coming off the end of the first book, but usually authors try to complicate things in the sequel. Love triangles, misunderstandings, anything to make the honeymoon end.

BUT NOT LISA! I just want to give her a huge hug for not putting me through that agony. Gabi and Marcello are just as awesome together in Cascade as they were in Waterfall. Not only that, but Lisa also totally avoids the annoying "Gazing into each others eyes for pages" thing that also usually happens when couples have been together for too long in books. You know how it can get boring seeing a couple just be together? Not here. Their relationship is growing and it's tender and sweet, but also realistic and still totally clean. Marcello is a 14th century guy, and while that provides a lot of perks, he also has a very different approach to relationships than we have today (like marriage age, divorce, etc).

I loved the scenes where Gabi and Marcello hashed out these differences. The fact that Gabi is actually considering these differences and how profoundly her life will change is so refreshing. YA girls are so quick to throw away everything in their life for their paranormal insta-love guy. This gets old and I can't help but lose a little respect for those girls. Gabi acknowledges how much she loves Marcello, but she also carefully considers all of the ramifications to both herself and her family if she chooses to stay with him in the 14th century.

And Lia and Luca? *Squeeee* SO adorable!

How's the action? Is it as good as it was in Waterfall?

It's better! Waterfall was a battle. Cascade begins a WAR. The stakes are super high and, honestly, I never knew what was going to happen next. There's secret passageways, espionage, heart-pounding escapes, double crossing, and plague! The political intrigue is so intense I had my eyes glued to the pages and was left gasping in surprise. I couldn't believe some of the things the characters did! Let me tell you, the 14th century is filled with JERKS. Conniving, horrible, ruthless jerks.

My poor, wonderful characters go through so much in this book. I was so worried about all of them, and with good reason! We're lulled into a false sense of security with some cute but benign scenes in the beginning, but before long bad things start happening and we don't have a moment's rest. The action kicks into high gear and stays that way throughout the rest of the book. Once you hit that spot you won't be able to put the book down. I'm talking taking a sick day at work because you don't want to stop reading kind of feeling. 

How are the Christian fiction aspects?

If you like Christian fiction, then I think you'll be happy with the progression of Gabi's dawning faith. If Christian fiction isn't your thing, then I don't think you'll be bothered at all. The presence of Christian elements is very subtle in both Waterfall and Cascade. While Gabi slowly comes around to embracing the idea of God and God's plan, the story stands just fine on its own without these elements.

What I mean is, you know how sometimes in Christian fiction the entire premise is based on religion. It's a major plot point and the book doesn't work if it were removed. That's not the case here. Gabi is a strong character and able to do what she does because she's a strong, capable girl.

Will I be able to survive until September?

This is where I'm at right now:

But with longer arms. And like times infinity. The idea of waiting--waiting at the edge of WAR where everything hangs in the balance and I don't know if **** and how **** and whether or not **** and how **** will pan out...well, this is also where I'm at:

So, if in your travels you happen upon a mad woman raving about a castello and Italian hotties and the She-Wolves of Siena, please don't worry. That's just me trying to carry on the best I can until September.

And if you want to get a piece of this beautiful agony, make sure you enter the giveaway for a copy of Cascade!

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Cascade that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for the first book in the series? Or a character interview with Gabi?

Click on the pictures to go to the posts.


Click here for the Small Special Week schedule including reviews, interviews, and giveaways! 

Don't believe it's THAT good? Check out Logan's review!
She's also holding a giveaway for a copy of Cascade! 

Check out these super cool buttons! (Notice MY quote?!?! *Happy dance*)

You can use them too! Just save a copy to your computer and then upload them like a normal picture.

 

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Book Review: All Just Glass by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

All Just Glass by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Release Date: January 11, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 256
Received: Library
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars 
Goodreads Page

There are NO spoilers in this review!

You can read this review even if you haven't read the previous books in the series.

Summary

From Goodreads:

Sarah Vida has given up everything for love. From a legendary family of vampire-hunting witches, Sarah was raised to never trust a vampire, to never let her guard down, and to avoid all tricky attachments of the heart. But now Sarah IS a vampire—changed by the boy she thought she loved. Her family has forsaken her, and Sarah herself is disgusted by her appetite for blood.

Aida Vida is Sarah's older sister, the good, reliable sibling who always does her family proud. But when Aida's mother insists that Sarah be found and killed, Aida is given the one assignment that she may not be able to carry out.

Taking place over just twenty-four hours, ALL JUST GLASS tells the story of a game-changing battle that will forever change the world of the Den of Shadows. And at its center is the story of two sisters who must choose between love and duty. Dark, fully-imagined, and hard to put down, ALL JUST GLASS will thrill Amelia's fans—old and new.

Review

This is the sequel to Shattered Mirror and book 7 in the Den of Shadows series, but DON’T STOP READING YET! I promise this review doesn’t have any spoilers for the previous books.

But let me just gush about Shattered Mirror for a minute

Shattered Mirror was published in 2001 when Amelia was a teenager, but you’d never guess her age based on her book. I devoured Shattered Mirror and have been singing its praises for years. Two hot vampire brothers—one good, one seductively bad—and the girl in the middle of the two (sound familiar?). Only in Shattered Mirror, the girl is a witch and vampire hunter, which adds in a whole level of delicious forbidden love and conflict.

The vampire and witch lore is so thorough I feel like that world could actually exist around me. Her characters were real and likable. I care about those people. I squeaked with joy when I heard there would be a sequel.

Time Gone By

While ten years have passed in the real world, practically no time has passed between Shattered Mirror and All Just Glass. The events of this book take place over the course of a mere 24 hours. I thought this was gimmicky and unnecessary, adding nothing at all except mild annoyance. I suggest just ignoring the time stamps at the beginning of each chapter. You won’t miss anything.

Who the heck are these people?!

All Just Glass features almost all of the main characters from the first book and throws in a few more. The cast is HUGE and I had a hard time keeping track of everyone. I could barely tell the difference between a bunch of characters, having to rely solely on superficial traits (that one’s the witch with vampire blood, that one’s the witch with psychic powers, etc).

Even worse, the characters I knew and loved from the first book had nothing in common with their versions in this book. Nikolas had such a strong and distinct personality in Shattered Mirror, but here he’s completely different and barely present. This was the biggest let down for me.

The other characters from the first book met the same fate. They all felt washed out and incomplete, relying solely on the development of the first book (which in many cases contradicted their actions in this second book). As the characters stand in this book, I don’t care at all about any of them and they all score a big whopping ZERO on my WWMCD Test.

Where am I? Who am I?

The plot pacing felt uneven, jumping around with repeated promises of interesting events and then fizzling out. The tight plotting and steadily building pace of Amelia’s earlier books was absent here. Instead events seemed to meander around without coherent form or goal. I wanted to chuck the book across the room at the epically anticlimactic ending.

Making matters worse are all of the competing narrators. The book is written in the third person, but the focus shifts from character to character with little rhyme or reason. Some characters’ focuses are returned to again and again, while others only have one or two scenes (scenes, not even whole chapters). This felt sloppy and convoluted, especially since most of the characters all sounded the same.

Secrets were revealed for many characters, presumably to create depth and “shades of gray.” I ended up disliking them even more. I also felt like this added confusion because none of their secrets are revealed coherently. Ever run text through a translator and eventually you get the gist of what was written but the details are missing and you’re left with a jumble of broken English? That’s what this felt like to me.

Whatever tension there might have been was completely killed for me after numerous letdowns and the realization that even my memories of these characters couldn’t make me care about what happened to them now.

  

Bottom line

Read Shattered Mirror! And, really, all of the first four books in the series. Each ends as a standalone, so you can pick one up and not have to worry about reading a whole series or dealing with loose ends. I’m very disappointed with All Just Glass, especially since I know the author is capable of much better.

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

This book satisfies the following challenges:

• Most Awaited YA Releases Challenge
• YA Series Challenge
• Morbid Romantica Challenge
• Library Reading Challenge

Other books in the series--Each can be read as a standalone! (click on their covers to go to Goodreads): 

 

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Book Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: July 27, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 359
Received: Library 
Series: Book 2
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads (highlight to read): 

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. 

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review

Here and back again

I actually did enjoy The Iron King, even though I don’t usually like fairy books. Julie Kagawa changed my world when it comes to fairies. Given that good experience, I was looking forward to really enjoying this one. I was even more excited because I’d heard most reviewers say that this one was even better than the first.

But I’m so not one of those reviewers. I didn’t love this book or even like it as much as the first. The first book was a steady, fast-paced action/adventure with a romance in the background. This book moves in fits and starts with a slow beginning, romance in the foreground, and some really great action in the background. The action parts are what I prefer, so I was disappointed that they took backseat to the (irritating) romance.

Meghan and Ash sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G

I still love Grimalkin. Only this time I almost wished he would totally screw over Meghan because she was really starting to bother me. I gave her the benefit of the doubt in the first book. She’s new to this world, she’s young, and she’s learning how to cope with all this fairy stuff. Ok. But now? Now she’s run out of excuses.  

The first 100 pages Meghan is taken over by the spirit of Bella Swan during the time when Edward made it very clear he wanted nothing to do with her and she responded by stalking him, fawning, and crying. A lot. Ash is a jerk to Meghan and she just keeps crying over his jerky snubs and telling him she loves him. I was embarrassed for Meghan. I even cringed.

I found this whole part to be very boring and I had a hard time getting into the book. I can see why I like Ash. He’s hot, he’s a skilled fighter, he has a tragic history, and he looks hot when he fights. Sounds pretty good to me. Added bonus, he’s not a jerk to me. But why does Meghan love him so much? He hasn’t been particularly nice to her, he helped her under compulsion, and he made it pretty clear to her that he’s not on her side. On top of all that, he’s still carrying a flaming hot torch for his former woman. Oh baby, oh baby. What more could you want in a lover? Meghan lost major respect points from me.

Excuse me while I fangirl

In the first book I liked Puck, but this second book made me solidly Team Puck. I had mentioned in my review for the first book that I thought he was more of a sidekick character. He comes more into his own in this book, though still not as much as I’d like. I’m hoping book three gives him a little more depth and page time. He’s so close to being amazing, but he isn’t quite “alive” yet for me.

But still, compared to Ice Boy, Puck is a pretty sweet choice. He’s been Meghan’s best friend for years, so she actually, you know, knows him. He’s proved himself to be loyal, too. Where Ash refused to go against his queen, Puck pretty much told Oberon to shove it and helped Meghan even though he was risking punishment from the Big Bad Summer King. He’s funny, nice, and a pretty impressive fighter himself. Plus, he’s hot too. So Meghan gets a big “You’re an idiot” from this Team Puck girl.

Back to the review

You want to know about the book though, right? My crushes don’t do it for you? Fair enough. When Meghan isn’t swooning over Ash, the plot of The Iron Daughter is just as interesting as The Iron King. There are a number of action scenes that are a ton of fun. I was speeding through these parts. The story of the Iron kingdom became a lot more interesting and the impending war hanging over their heads was tense and exciting. The climax of this book was also a lot more hard-hitting than the climax of The Iron King.

Except, we go to prom. Uh huh, you read that right. Meghan finally stops moping and the action finally picks up and I’m all “I’m so into this!!” and then we break for prom. Yep.

Oh yeah, and right before this whole prom digression Meghan loses major cool points from me.

Spoilers:

Her dearheart Ash is saved by Meghan’s awesomeness, but he’s gravely wounded. Instead of rushing to his side and whisking him off to a healer, she….checks out her bedroom? Apparently mom replacing her furniture is a bit more pressing than saving the life of her one and only. Puck’s all like, “Um, hello, Princess? The guy you’re ditching me for even though I love you and am so much better for you than him is bleeding out in your living room. Could you maybe check out your bedspread later?” And she’s all, “But I want to make sure mom didn’t mess with my anime posters.” What??

When prom ends, the action picks up again and everything is pretty much made of awesome for the rest of the book. I gave The Iron King a half star more than this book, but if I could have hacked out a bunch of scenes and dropped Meghan’s annoying stuff I would have given the book four stars. So much potential, though readers who don’t mind prominent romance (especially of the Ash hating on Meghan variety) shouldn’t have any problems with The Iron Daughter. 

Of endings and sequels

This is the second book in the series and you really have to read the first book (The Iron King) to make sense of this book. Like the first book, I thought The Iron Daughter ended really well and felt like a satisfying, complete ending. I still want to read more about the characters, but there are no big annoying cliffhangers or anything like that here.

The first book was good, but it did read like a debut in a lot of ways. This second book shows marked improvement in her writing and characterization. Her world building is still phenomenal. I will be reading The Iron Queen, book three in the Iron Fey series*

*I’ve since read the third book and OMGAAHH!!! *happy dance*

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

This book satisfies the following challenges: 

• YA Series Challenge
• Wish I'd Read That Challenge
• Library Reading Challenge
• 350 Page Books Challenge
• 2nds Challenge
• Most Awaited YA Releases Challenge

More Iron Fey:

The Iron King (book 1) review
The Iron King Review Comparison

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Book Review: Goddess Girls #2 Persephone the Phony

Green Bean Teen Queen hosts a meme on Tuesdays called Tween Tuesday where great books for tweens are featured. 

More of my Tween Tuesday posts.

Persephone the Phony by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Series: Goddess Girls #2

Release Date:  April 6, 2010

Publisher: Aladdin

Pages: 160

Received: Library

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads: 

AS PERSEPHONE'S MOTHER ENCOURAGES HER to do, she often "goes along to get along" instead of doing what she really wants. But when she meets Mount Olympus Academy bad-boy Hades, she finally feels she has found someone with whom she can be herself. He's the first person who actually listens to her, and she finds herself liking him, despite the fact that the other goddessgirls think he's bad news. But if he makes her feel so special -- and so comfortable -- can he really be all that bad?

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

Review

This is the second Goddess Girls book I’ve read and the second book in the (still on-going) series. The first book followed Athena and was a self-contained story. This second book follows, perhaps obviously, the character Persephone. I don’t think it is necessary to have read these books in order and Persephone ends completely and without any cliffhangers.

Everything I loved about the first book (Athena the Brain) is present here as well. Greek myths are continually referenced in both the overarching story arc and in little cameo appearances throughout the book. Knowing the myths already makes these references hugely fun to spot, but they won’t seem confusing or out of place for readers unfamiliar with the originals.

My other favorite thing about these books are the characters. Their voices ring so true. In each book the main character struggles with some issue most people have probably experienced at one point or another. In Persephone’s case, she grapples with finding her true self and worrying whether her friends will like her if her honesty isn’t always placid and agreeable.

I wish I had the opportunity to read these books when I was younger. I think I would have gained much comfort and good advice. The characters feel like good friends and confidants.  As it is, I still enjoy them now despite the fact that I am well outside the target age.

I currently have the next book, Aphrodite the Beauty on my library TBR and fully plan on continuing with this excellent series.

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

This book satisfies the following challenges: 

• YA Series Challenge
• 2nds Challenge
• Library Reading Challenge

Previous Tween Tuesday reviews (click on the covers): 

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