Mistwood

Mistwood
by Leah Cypess

Reviewed from ARC sent by SLJ. Publication date: April 27, 2010 (Greenwillow)

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

I loved this book! It's been quite a while since I closed a book and sighed... I was actually sad that there were no more pages. This book was everything I loved about Graceling by Kristin Cashore, plus had the court intrigue and political plots of Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia series.

Isabel (the shifter) is a character that I routed for wholeheartedly. She was strong, independent, yet vulnerable and easy to like. Her lack of understanding in human emotion only drew me further into the emotional depths of this story.

I can't even really verbalize yet how much I loved this story. It felt as if I had been blown right over, but by a gentle summer breeze. I really hope to read more from Leah Cypess in the future!


*added 2/22/2010
Here's the Book Trailer from YouTube:

Darklight

Darklight

by Lesley Livingston

Faerie can't lie...or can they?

Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie Princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt. Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.

When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to to risk everything to claim that power. Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting alliances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom...or tear them apart.

I loved Wondrous Strange and Livingston impressed me again with Darklight. This genre is so popular right now that I become nervous picking up new titles. The first book contained all the ideals of a modern faery tale, both the light and the dark sides of immortal life. As Kelley and Sonny's story picks up after the disolving of the Wild Hunt, Kelley must come to grips with her new life as a Faerie Princess.

What I love about this series is that Kelley and Sonny's love is idealized, yet it rings true. Unlike Bella and Edward or more recently, Grace and Sam, though the love that Kelley and Sonny share is wild, passionate, and overwhelming, it is also dangerous, consuming, and flawed. I can't say too much more without giving spoilers, but let me say that the decision Kelley makes at the end of Darklight is very heartwrenching, yet hopeful, and totally left me breathless for the concluding third book.

When it comes to setting, Livingston does a fantastic job blending modern New York City with the Fae Realm's Otherworld. The surroundings are lush and my imagination had no trouble conjuring the various locations. Central Park is so forefront in the story, that it almost becomes its own character.

In fact, all of the characters in this series are excellent. Every time I thought I had a character pegged, they would display a new facet of themselves. Both mortals and Fae are incredibly complex and intriuging. I cannot wait to learn more about their lives.

As this is the second book in the trilogy, I can't discuss the plot too much without giving away where the series is leading. Let me just say that there were some BIG revelations in this book and I definitely need to read the next one!

PS - LOVE the cover! The coloring is amazing and very ethereal.