I was eagerly awaiting this book and, with some extra money, I purchased it. The first five books in the series were quick reads that I picked it The Charmed Return (by Frewin Jones) expecting to be done with the last book in the series by the next morning. Whether it was because of obligations (*cough* school* cough *work* cough*) or the fast that I'm older now than when I started the series (My gads- Still can't believe I'm TWENTY-TWO!!!) I didn't finish the story very fast.
The Charmed Return opens with Anita Palmer, a supposedly normal sixteen-year-old girl until she goes downstairs and her mother informs her that she is the fairy princess Tania- seventh daughter of Oberon and Titania- and has spent the last nine weeks in the land of Faerie. Unbelieving, she goes in search of answers that made more sense which leads her to her friend Jade. The arrival of Edric and sister Rathina confirms her mother stories and soon the four- counting Jade- return to Faerie to rid the land of the dreadful plague that had befallen them.
All in all it was still a good read. 4 out of 5 stars!!! I take points away- sorry Mr. Jones- for the huge cliffhanger at the END OF THE SERIES. Good news is that there is a supposed novella being posted on his website sometime in the year. I will be sure to review it as soon as humanly possible.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
6: Grey Eyes
Grey Eyes by B. Alston and Quinteria Ramey started off really, really good but it became more and more confusing by the end.
Ana is an almost sixteen girl who has spent much of her life on the run with her mother from something unknown to her- calls her mother a manic in the book while describing her- but that quickly changes with the arrival of a stranger that leaves her mother dead and her running to a nearby clearing through training alone. She is met by a boy named Nathan who informs her that she is, in fact, a witch and not just any witch but a part of a royal line from the ancient first witch Merline (aka a female Merlin). It takes many twists and turns and many changes of her- not as a character but as her standing in the community she lives in. First she's a princess, then she finds out the source of her powers are as a conjurer (evil source of powers according to her people), and finally she finds she's truly an angel sent to earth in various lives to take down the "Source"- the first vampire Daemon who is her son in her very first life as Merline who she brought back from the dead- and rebalance magic.
All in all it was a good read, probably will read the next book in the series (maybe not too soon) so if you like Twilight I suggest reading this book. A 3 out of 5 rating.
Ana is an almost sixteen girl who has spent much of her life on the run with her mother from something unknown to her- calls her mother a manic in the book while describing her- but that quickly changes with the arrival of a stranger that leaves her mother dead and her running to a nearby clearing through training alone. She is met by a boy named Nathan who informs her that she is, in fact, a witch and not just any witch but a part of a royal line from the ancient first witch Merline (aka a female Merlin). It takes many twists and turns and many changes of her- not as a character but as her standing in the community she lives in. First she's a princess, then she finds out the source of her powers are as a conjurer (evil source of powers according to her people), and finally she finds she's truly an angel sent to earth in various lives to take down the "Source"- the first vampire Daemon who is her son in her very first life as Merline who she brought back from the dead- and rebalance magic.
All in all it was a good read, probably will read the next book in the series (maybe not too soon) so if you like Twilight I suggest reading this book. A 3 out of 5 rating.
5: Mockingjay
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins was by far better read than the second book in the trilogy. Katniss and Peeta are separated, one being in district 13- the head of the rebellion- and the latter being in the Capital. Katniss spends much of the novel in a state of confusion and finds herself under the thumb of President Coin and with the title of Mockingjay.
Four out of five: much about Katniss that drew me in the first book was back and Peeta was, not quite the same, which was refreshing and a little creepy. It regained the sense of urgency and budding love that was absent in the second book, but lacked the mystery quality the previous two had.
Four out of five: much about Katniss that drew me in the first book was back and Peeta was, not quite the same, which was refreshing and a little creepy. It regained the sense of urgency and budding love that was absent in the second book, but lacked the mystery quality the previous two had.
4: Catching Fire
The second book in the Hunger Games Series- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- was a slight disappointment. Katniss was a weaker character and was used from the very beginning- and allowing herself to be such. Peeta was, as always, still a sweet character that cared more about Katniss than she may have deserved.
Katniss had recieved President Snow's wrath after her stunt with the berries by being sent back to the arena in the Quarter Quell- a special Hunger Game that occurs every 25 years. There is no doubt in either Peeta or Katniss's minds that only one will be allowed to survive- if at that- and each is determined for it to be the other. They are unaware of a deeper plot that surrounds them as the twelfth districts prepare a rebellion against the Capital- a spark provided by Katniss.
I give it a 3 out of 5: the ending seemed sloppy and rushed. Not as smooth as the first book. The MC's spend much of the book in a cold war of sorts and then suddenly half each others' backs during the last half. During the final 3, or 5, chapters I was confused as to what was going on and had to often re-read pages to understand what was going on.
Katniss had recieved President Snow's wrath after her stunt with the berries by being sent back to the arena in the Quarter Quell- a special Hunger Game that occurs every 25 years. There is no doubt in either Peeta or Katniss's minds that only one will be allowed to survive- if at that- and each is determined for it to be the other. They are unaware of a deeper plot that surrounds them as the twelfth districts prepare a rebellion against the Capital- a spark provided by Katniss.
I give it a 3 out of 5: the ending seemed sloppy and rushed. Not as smooth as the first book. The MC's spend much of the book in a cold war of sorts and then suddenly half each others' backs during the last half. During the final 3, or 5, chapters I was confused as to what was going on and had to often re-read pages to understand what was going on.
3: The Hunger Games
I was a little skeptical about reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins but when my mom took me to see the movie- literally kicking and screaming on one of my few complete days off- I was instantly hooked. I went home and read the book in two days. And still managed to study for my test the following Tuesday.
Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen year old girl who lost her father shortly before her twelve birthday and has been illegally hunting to feed her mother and younger sister, Prim. Her sister, now twelve, was selected in the reaping to represent the twelfth district in the 74th annual Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers and takes her sisters place, a sure death sentence as only one person had ever survived from their district, Haymitch, now a man who spends all the time drunk. Peeta Mellark, the male tribute, has been in love with Katniss for more than ten years and states so boldly right before they entered the arena. It has many twists and turns that will keep you on your seat begging for it to end, but when it does, leaving you wanting more.
Five out of five: Strong characters, humor, tearjerker, love, mystery, all that I love in a novel.
Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen year old girl who lost her father shortly before her twelve birthday and has been illegally hunting to feed her mother and younger sister, Prim. Her sister, now twelve, was selected in the reaping to represent the twelfth district in the 74th annual Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers and takes her sisters place, a sure death sentence as only one person had ever survived from their district, Haymitch, now a man who spends all the time drunk. Peeta Mellark, the male tribute, has been in love with Katniss for more than ten years and states so boldly right before they entered the arena. It has many twists and turns that will keep you on your seat begging for it to end, but when it does, leaving you wanting more.
Five out of five: Strong characters, humor, tearjerker, love, mystery, all that I love in a novel.
2: Bloodhound
Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce (one of my favorite authors) is the second book in the Beka Cooper series. It's also apart of her 'Tortall' universe.
To start off my review I'm going to go over the plot of the first book Terrier. Beka is just staring her first year as a "Dog"- a member of the Provost guard- as puppy with trainers Goodwin and Tunstall, the best Dogs in the Cesspool- the very unsavory district of Corus- the capital- where Beka choose to go after being raised in the Provost's house. It follows her through her ups and downs as she gets used to the new life and soon she is dragged into a mystery of children going missing and dying by a some using the name of a legend- 'Shadow Snake'- and her best friend, wife of the son of the dirtiest criminal in the city Crookshanks, child is killed over some strange stones. Beka uses her strange magic over dust-spinners and hearing the ghosts of the dead on the backs of pigeons to connect the two cases together.
Bloodhound takes place little more than a year later when she's full-fledged dog and doesn't have a partner of her own, keeping getting place back with her trainers Goodwin and Tunstall. Counterfeits keep finding their way into good city gold and a revolt in the Cesspool takes place when the price of day-old bread rises. Tunstall is injured while breaking it up and is waylaid at home. Along the way she adopts an abused scent hound named Achoo. Goodwin and Beka are sent to Port Caynn under the cover of "Provost Pet" and "Crooked Dog" to track the false coins undercover. They get pulled into the city's Rogue Court and get the Rogue's, Pearl Skinner, eye on them. Add in some romance and it makes an interesting fast read.
Five out five because it overdid many of her other preceding series which I loved and am looking forward to finishing Mastiff, the third book in the series.
1: Wither
My reading for the year is 100 books by December 31 and to write reviews on each book. So far I read 6 books and am 25 books behind schedule.
The first one I read this year was Wither by Lauren DeStafano. The MC is a girl named Rhine Ellery she lives in a world where women only lived to 20 years while men live till 25. This was caused by humans crating children in tubes to rid the world of diseases- called first generations- but left the following generations with severely short lifespans. The story starts with Rhine waking in a dark van full of a number of other girls and was one of the three girls chosen to marry a Governor- Linden. She meets and befriend his first wife- Rose- not long before she dies. The plot revolves around Rhine trying to escape from the manor with her life, escaping from Linden's first generation "mad scientist" father who's trying hard to keep his son alive, all while trying to maintain the first wife's privileges by pretending to love the naive Linden. Secretly falling in love with the servant Gabriel.
I give it a 4 out of 5 stars a great read and want to continue the series, but am unsure how it will play out.
The first one I read this year was Wither by Lauren DeStafano. The MC is a girl named Rhine Ellery she lives in a world where women only lived to 20 years while men live till 25. This was caused by humans crating children in tubes to rid the world of diseases- called first generations- but left the following generations with severely short lifespans. The story starts with Rhine waking in a dark van full of a number of other girls and was one of the three girls chosen to marry a Governor- Linden. She meets and befriend his first wife- Rose- not long before she dies. The plot revolves around Rhine trying to escape from the manor with her life, escaping from Linden's first generation "mad scientist" father who's trying hard to keep his son alive, all while trying to maintain the first wife's privileges by pretending to love the naive Linden. Secretly falling in love with the servant Gabriel.
I give it a 4 out of 5 stars a great read and want to continue the series, but am unsure how it will play out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)