Rebel Belle

Rebel Belle
by Rachel Hawkins

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth. (Description from Goodreads.com) 

I had been so utterly excited for this book.  I loved Rachel Hawkins other series, Hex Hall.  She writes great snappy, funny dialogue and the storylines were great.  I had expected to LOVE this book.  Sadly, while I enjoyed parts of it, I found that this particular book just didn't hold my interest.  

The beginning was great.  I loved the set up and in the beginning I really liked Harper's character.  As the story went on, I also really enjoyed the introduction of the other characters.  Especially David.  I think that Hawkins is a super talented author at creating funny, realistic dialogue.  In fact, I would read a whole contemporary romance book just based around conversations if Hawkins wrote it! 

So, what didn't work for me?  I think that it was the whole mix of Southern culture and supernatural abilities/secret society/apocalypse stuff.  I just wanted it really to be one or the other.  I was so disappointed to have to admit that I just didn't care about the whole reason that Harper's life suddenly does a 180!  Until the twist at the end with the prophetic dream foretelling someone very important's death...and then I cared for a heartbeat.  Will I read the sequel?  Probably not....but if Hawkins writes another Hex Hall book or starts a new series you can bet your little tushie that I'll be reading it ASAP! 

Full disclosure: Book borrowed from my Library

The Girl Who Never Was

The Girl Who Never Was 
by Skylar Dorset
The Otherworld, book one

Selkie Stewart thinks she’s a totally normal teenager growing up in Boston. Sure, her father is in an insane asylum, her mother left her on his doorstep—literally—when she was a baby, and she’s being raised by two ancient aunts who spend their time hunting gnomes in their Beacon Hill townhouse. But other than that her life is totally normal! She’s got an adventurous best friend who’s always got her back and an unrequited crush on an older boy named Ben. Just like any other teenager, right?

When Selkie goes in search of the mother she’s never known, she gets more than she bargained for. It turns out that her mother is faerie royalty, which would make Selkie a faerie princess—except for the part where her father is an ogre, which makes her only half of anything. Now, with enchantments dissolved and prophecies swinging into action, Selkie finds herself on a series of mad quests to save the people she’s always loved and a life she’s learning to love. But in a supernatural world of increasingly complex alliances and distressingly complicated deceptions, it’s so hard to know who to trust. In order to survive, Selkie realizes that the key is learning—and accepting—who she really is. (Description from Goodreads.com) 

I really liked the start of this new series.  Skylar Dorset managed to take a lot of elements of traditional faerie lore (things like Elemental magic, running water, bells, goblins and ogres) and give her world a very unique spin.  It made reading feel familiar enough to be a breeze, but also kept me riveted as new elements were introduced to Selkie's world.  

I enjoyed the characters a lot, too.  I liked Selkie and felt for her as her world spun out of control.  I felt that Ben was a great love interest and was fascinating in his own right.  My favorite character, though, was Selkie's spunky human friend, Kelsey, who ends up becoming a sidekick because she doesn't care who or what is messing with her bestie, just that Selkie's in trouble.  We ALL need a friend like that! 

I am beyond curious to see where things go in book two.  There are multiple storylines that have to be explored and a certain prophetic statement made by a psychotic mom that needs to be avoided at all costs!! An excellent start to a series I will absolutely be reading til the end. 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley 

Mini Reviews: The Lost Prince and The Iron Traitor

The Lost Prince 
by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Fey, book five

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. (Description from Amazon.com) 

I liked the change-up, getting to see the Nevernever from someone else's perspective. Someone totally human.  Ethan is tough, but totally terrified inside and that made him easy to relate to and still feel like a true hero.  I loved how desperately he tries to save Kenzie from what he knows to be dangerous and I loved getting to see Meghan and Ash and PUCK (MY FAVORITE, CAN YOU TELL?) again. 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley 

The Iron Traitor 

by Julie Kagawa 

Iron Fey, book six 

Publication date: Oct. 29, 2013

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for—his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all. (description from Amazon.com) 

I love Ethan and Kenzie's relationship.  I think that they work just as well together as Meghan and Ash did.  I'm anxious to see how they cope after the events of this book... in fact, I'm desperate to see what happens next because the cliffhanger this book leaves you on... WOWZA.  

Full disclosure: Review copy received from SLJ

Redemption

Redemption 
by Veronique Launier
Hearts of Stone, book one

Aude Vanier is a sixteen-year-old rock star with a problem—stone monsters keep attacking her. And when they do, she finds herself chanting in a language she doesn’t understand.

Guillaume de Rouen has been stuck as a gargoyle on a church for the last seventy years, until Aude’s chanting releases him back to his seventeen-year-old human form.

An ancient Iroquois prophecy about the destruction of Montreal is coming true. Together, Aude and Guillaume can stop it. But Aude is the descendant of a centuries-old coven of witches—a coven that Guillaume failed to protect seventy years ago. This time, if they fail, the world will never be the same. (description from Amazon.com) 

Okay, I have to admit first thing that I am very fond of gargoyles. I love books with gargoyle characters. This stems directly from one reading the Xanth series by Piers Anthony, which brought some amazing character concepts to life for me, including Geis of the Gargoyle's, Gary Gargoyle.  That combined with my interest in art history and the beautiful stonework that exists on many historic buildings leads to a love and fascination for gargoyles and other stone creatures. 

 

I found Launier's debut book to be great conceptually.  It combined the existence of gargoyles with a very spiritual and pagan sort of witchcraft. Added to that mix is a Mohawk prophecy about the end of the world and you have a very, very intriguing sort of end of the world story.  

I really liked Aude and Guillaume as the main characters.  Aude, or as she likes to be known "Odd," is a rock princess who generally knows what she wants from life.  When her life is thrown into chaos, she very realistically goes through some stages of denial, acceptance, and general WTF?! I really liked how in some respects she was very much in charge of herself and knew what to do to handle things and in other scenarios, she accepted that she couldn't control the things happening around her.  Guillaume was able to help keep her safe and to give her a touchstone in the crazy new world she had to deal with, but he also respects that she is powerful in her own right.  At first, I didn't like jumping between their perspectives, but as I continued reading I actually found it to be a great way to see all facets of the story.  

This was a great summer read for me. Fast-paced, interesting and with a romance thrown in to boot. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series goes... 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley

A Fractured Light

A Fractured Light

by Jocelyn Davies

A Beautiful Dark, book two

 

When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. It's not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she'll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.

Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion. (decription from Amazon.com)


Picking up right where the first book left off, Skye must now deal with the fallout of finding out who she truly is, and being unsure of where she really belongs. With ties to both sides in a holy war, Skye must decide who she feels more beholden to...or does she. What I truly loved about this book was that though Skye falls in love, she does not let that emotion define her (unlike some other paranormal heroines...*cough* *cough* Bella *cough*). Skye chooses to forge her own path, regardless of the consequences. 

With romance, secrets, and a much stronger heroine than might appear on the surface, this trilogy (assuming the last book is as good as the first two) is truly one of my faves in the paranormal field.

Full disclosure: Copy received to review for SLJ


Mini Reviews - The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Warlock
by Michael Scott
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, book five

In the fifth installment of this bestselling series, the twins of prophesy have been divided, and the end is finally beginning.

With Scatty, Joan of Arc, Saint Germain, Palamedes, and Shakespeare all in Danu Talis, Sophie is on her own with the ever-weakening Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. She must depend on Niten to help her find an immortal to teach her Earth Magic. The surprise is that she will find her teacher in the most ordinary of places. (description from Amazon.com)

Full disclosure: Signed copy received at BEA 2011

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Enchantress
by Michael Scott
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, book six
 
The two that are one must become the one that is all. One to save the world, one to destroy it.


San Francisco:
Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have one day left to live, and one job left to do. They must defend San Francisco. The monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island have been released and are heading toward the city. If they are not stopped, they will destroy everyone and everything in their path.

But even with the help of two of the greatest warriors from history and myth, will the Sorceress and the legendary Alchemyst be able to defend the city? Or is it the beginning of the end of the human race?

Danu Talis:
Sophie and Josh Newman traveled ten thousand years into the past to Danu Talis when they followed Dr. John Dee and Virginia Dare. And it’s on this legendary island that the battle for the world begins and ends.

Scathach, Prometheus, Palamedes, Shakespeare, Saint-Germain, and Joan of Arc are also on the island. And no one is sure what—or who—the twins will be fighting for.  Today the battle for Danu Talis will be won or lost.  But will the twins of legend stand together?

Or will they stand apart—one to save the world and one to destroy it? (description from Amazon.com)

Full disclosure: Finished copy received to review for VOYA

Okay, I read these back to back, so I'm going to review them together...and it's going to be somewhat short and vague because I don't want to spoil the end of the series for anyone.

So, here's the short and sweet version :
This series covers a LOT of action during a short period of time. There are a lot of characters to keep track of...finally in these two books, we get more character development. Especially in Josh and Sophie.  You really begin to feel for the characters and hope they will find their true place in the world. 

Want a book that will surprise you? There are a ton of twists and surprising developments in the final installment of the series. Scott wraps things up in a really fascinating and intricate way.

Fans of the series will be clamboring to finish this series and I don't think that anyone will be disappointed...

Check out the book trailer for Harbinger!!

OMG. It's not too often that I see a book trailer and actually confuse it for a movie trailer, but wow...they did an awesome job on this one. Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne, coming out on Feb. 2nd, was already on my TBR list, but this is definitely bumping it up a couple of notches...
Check it out!

Wake Unto Me

Wake Unto Me
by Lisa Cach

Caitlyn Monahan knows she belongs somewhere else. It's what her dead mother's note suggested, and it's what her recurring nightmares allude to.

Desperate to flee these terrifying dreams--and her small town--she accepts a spot at a boarding school in France. Only, when she arrives, her nightmares get worse.

But then there are her amazing dreams, so vivid and so real, with visits from an alluring, mysterious, and gorgeous Italian boy from the 1500s. Caitlyn knows they are soul mates, but how can she be in love with someone who exists only in her dreams?

Then, as her reality and dream world collide, Caitlyn searches for the real reason why she was brought to this school. And what she discovers will change her life forever. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I really enjoyed this book. The description was intriguing and it fulfilled everything that was promised. First, let me say that I LOVED the setting. The descriptions of the castle that the Fortune School is housed within made me want to jump right onto a plane to head for some of Europe's famous castles. Each stained glass window, each weather-beaten stone stair, each hidden statue just fed more and more into my love of historic buildings. *so good*

Then, even though I couldn't buy at first quite how Caitlyn didn't question her good fortune to win a scholarship to this amazing school, I got wrapped up in everything that was going on in her life and I began to understand exactly how that could happen. Caitlyn's mother's passing, her not fitting in at school, her nightmares...all combined to make one unhappy home life. Of course she jumped at the chance to potentially, irrevocably change her life forever!

However, things never go as easily as they should and Cach did a great job at bringing all of Caitlyn's past right with her to a new setting and then intensifying it. She really ramped it up a notch. Soon poor Caitlyn's so confused about what's real and not that she's spinning in circles and failing her classes.

There are layers upon layers built here of ghosts, prophetic dreams, prophecies, time travel, and dangerous plots. Cach masterfully wove all of these elements together. Though the romantic element was wrapped up a little neatly for me at the end, the other things all falling into place was very satisfying. A great debut.

Full disclosure: ARC copy sent by author for review

2011 Debut Author Challenge title

Demon Princess - Books One and Two

Demon Princess: Reign or Shine

Demon Princess: Reign Check

by Michelle Rowen

As if trying to fit in at a new school isn't stressful enough, sixteen-year-old Nikki Donovan just found out that her long-lost father is, in fact, the demon King of the Shadowlands - the world that separates and protects us from the Underworld. When she is brought there by the mysterious - and surprisingly cute - messenger Michael, she learns that her father is dying, and wants her to assume the throne.

*potential spoilers* Fresh from finding out she is a demon Princess and meeting her father for the first time, Nikki Donovan is looking forward to getting back to her regular high school life. But then Rhys, the handsome teenage King of the Faery realm, enrolls at her school as a foreign exchange student. This, coupled with a new prophecy stating that Nikki could destroy the entire world, means that Nikki won't be getting back to "normal" anytime soon.
(Descriptions taken from Amazon.com)

When I first received book two from SLJ, I inwardly groaned. I did not really expect this series to be all that good. There are just SOOO many paranormal romance series in YA lit right now. I was pleasantly surprised!

I found Nikki to be an honest and likeable character. Her best friend is a surprisingly complex character, and a girl who really pushes to stay BFFs with Nikki. Her parents are even great, even if her Dad is the Demon King.

Nikki handles the discovery of her familial obligations with grace, after the initial shock and mild horror. The setting and premise are surprisingly believable. There is humor, there is love, there is friendship...

All in all a good new series, and I will definitely read book three when it eventually comes out!

PS - I posted two different covers for book two, Demon Princess: Reign Check, because the first one is the one that I got as an ARC and really matches the tone of the first book. The second is the final cover and I don't really see the correlation or why they chose to make this change...any thoughts?

Full disclosure: Book one borrowed from Library, Book two ARC sent from SLJ for Review.