Again, I find myself reviewing one of my all-time favorite books and of course, MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE FICTIONAL CRUSH!!! Valek is all that my husband isn't: an assassin, a bad guy with a hint of good, and just overall an impulsive, violent, gruff guy. I'm not at all sure why I love him so much; I just know that I do. And Yelena is a heroine that I want to be like. I want to learn how to fight with a staff b/c of this book. My husband thinks I'm nuts but it's just fun for me. This book is fun for me to read. I really do love the relationships that Yelena has in this book and I'm not even talking about the romantic storyline. She makes friends with two characters that you just have to love: Ari and Janco are so much fun...kinda like brothers but still you wanna crush on them. I don't know if that makes sense but I love them. Snyder has the ability to make her characters lovable...even the bad ones, even the ones that you should dislike b/c they are cranky people, like the Commander, you end up finding them endearing. Maybe it's just me.
This book does have some bad, bad, baddies in this book--there is a somewhat description of a rape in this book so it has it's darkness issues. I tend to be careful about recommending this book to my friends b/c I never know if the dark side of this book will be too much. The reason I read beyond it is b/c the darkness/the rape/the evil villian is part of what makes Yelena so strong. She takes the bad moments are makes them defining moments to help her overcome and become stronger....and really, that's what we all should want to do. Overcome the bad and become better for it. So yes, it's a bit rough in some spots but I love this book....LOVE IT! It's one of my go-to books.
Amazon description:
Murder, mayhem and magic…
Locked in a coffin-like darkness, there is nothing to distract me from my memories of killing Reyad. He deserved to die—but according to the law, so do I. Here in Ixia, the punishment for murder is death. And now I wait for the hangman's noose.
But the same law that condemns me may also save me. Ixia's food taster—chosen to ensure that the Commander's food is not poisoned—has died. And by law, the next prisoner who is scheduled to be executed—me—must be offered the position.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong
I love Kelley Armstrong's stuff. She is a great fantasy/slightly horror author. She tends to take a darker side of magic...dealing with necromancers and darker witchy stuff. I will say this: if you don't want to read sex and foul language, then only read her YA stuff. Her adult stuff, while I liked the stories, were a bit too adult...even for an adult, married woman who has 4 children. I was embarassed for my husband to see what I was reading...it's that detailed.
So with that being said:
Sea of Shadows is her newest YA book and I'm excited for her to continue the series. I love how she develops characters. You get just a glimpse of some of them at first but once she takes time to introduce them in detail, it's wonderful! I love the sisters in this series and I had a hard time picking one over the other. Moria is definitely the spunky, fighter sis and I can appeal to that...I'm a bit of a scrapper but she is a little too practical for my taste and I love her little "romancey" plotline. Ashyn is too trusting, too naive, and too soft BUT she is also the dreamer in this series. I have a feeling that Ashyn will get much more mature as the series continues.
Some of this series is a bit dark, a little graphic in the reanimation of dead in this book. If you can stomach that and continue to read for the magical/mystical side of the book, then you will enjoy it. If zombies or necromancers or morbid magic is not your cup of tea, then this book is not for you.
Amazon description:
Twin sisters Moria and Ashyn were marked at birth to become the Keeper and the Seeker of Edgewood, beginning with their sixteenth birthday. Trained in fighting and in the secret rites of the spirits, they lead an annual trip into the Forest of the Dead. There, the veil between the living world and the beyond is thinnest, and the girls pay respect to the spirits who have passed.
But this year, their trip goes dreadfully wrong.
So with that being said:
Sea of Shadows is her newest YA book and I'm excited for her to continue the series. I love how she develops characters. You get just a glimpse of some of them at first but once she takes time to introduce them in detail, it's wonderful! I love the sisters in this series and I had a hard time picking one over the other. Moria is definitely the spunky, fighter sis and I can appeal to that...I'm a bit of a scrapper but she is a little too practical for my taste and I love her little "romancey" plotline. Ashyn is too trusting, too naive, and too soft BUT she is also the dreamer in this series. I have a feeling that Ashyn will get much more mature as the series continues.
Some of this series is a bit dark, a little graphic in the reanimation of dead in this book. If you can stomach that and continue to read for the magical/mystical side of the book, then you will enjoy it. If zombies or necromancers or morbid magic is not your cup of tea, then this book is not for you.
Amazon description:
Twin sisters Moria and Ashyn were marked at birth to become the Keeper and the Seeker of Edgewood, beginning with their sixteenth birthday. Trained in fighting and in the secret rites of the spirits, they lead an annual trip into the Forest of the Dead. There, the veil between the living world and the beyond is thinnest, and the girls pay respect to the spirits who have passed.
But this year, their trip goes dreadfully wrong.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Shadowborn by Moira Katson
So what to say about this book? I'm not going to say much. I usually read a book in two to three days, if it's a good book--I can knock that puppy out in 24 hrs. This book took me over 2 weeks to read and not b/c I was so busy. I found reading it tedious. I was trying to give this book the benefit of the doubt so much. I kept thinking "keep reading; it will pick up soon!" It never picked up. It never got interesting. It was a baseless novel. The story went nowhere not very fast......... It was like the book equivalent of watching paint dry. There are more in the series. I will not be reading them. I'm glad this was a free book and not wasted money. Sorry to be harsh but it was disappointing in so many ways.
Shadowborn (Light and Shadow): amazon description
Catwin has always been good at being unseen…that is, until one fateful mistake brings her to the attention of the Duke of Voltur: the commander of the bloodiest battle in living memory, a man of legendary ruthlessness who is determined to be the power behind the throne. To this end, he has chosen Catwin to be a Shadow—spy, shield, and blade—to his niece Miriel as she works to catch the eye of the King.
But the Duke’s carefully laid plans are only a piece of the intrigue swirling within the royal court. Shadows gather: legacies of the centuries-long rivalries for power, old betrayals, the endless plots of the courtiers, and the murmur of rebellion in the southern provinces.
Greater forces than Catwin can imagine are massed against her, determined to eliminate Miriel and impose a new order of their own. If Catwin and Miriel are to survive, they must learn quickly who to trust, and when to turn their skills against the very people who have trained them...
Shadowborn (Light and Shadow): amazon description
Catwin has always been good at being unseen…that is, until one fateful mistake brings her to the attention of the Duke of Voltur: the commander of the bloodiest battle in living memory, a man of legendary ruthlessness who is determined to be the power behind the throne. To this end, he has chosen Catwin to be a Shadow—spy, shield, and blade—to his niece Miriel as she works to catch the eye of the King.
But the Duke’s carefully laid plans are only a piece of the intrigue swirling within the royal court. Shadows gather: legacies of the centuries-long rivalries for power, old betrayals, the endless plots of the courtiers, and the murmur of rebellion in the southern provinces.
Greater forces than Catwin can imagine are massed against her, determined to eliminate Miriel and impose a new order of their own. If Catwin and Miriel are to survive, they must learn quickly who to trust, and when to turn their skills against the very people who have trained them...
Silver by Talia Vance and Gold by Talia Vance
Okay so Silver is the first book in this series of two by Talia Vance, making Gold, obviously as the sequel. What to say about this series....hmm....well,
1st off--there is sex in this book and the language is almost not bad at all in the first book but Gold has quite a bit of language in it. And I have to say that while the sexual content isn't too bad in the first book, by the second it seems like certain chapters are reserved for talking about how much she loves sleeping with him. I got lost a little bit as I read along. So you might ask "why did she keep reading?' By the time the second book gets to be too much, I was already invested in the story and wanted to see what she did with it. I will say however that thankfully there wasn't a third book b/c I don't know if I would've made it through another one. As it is, she left it somewhat open-ended so I could see the author trying to go for a third book in the series. With all that being said, I don't know that I'd recommend this book. I don't know that it's really something an adult woman would relate to or find as a fun book to read. It had a fantasy quality about it and I was drawn to the Celtic lore aspect of the book but it was very minimal and a disappointment to me. I'll still include the amazon description for anyone who would like to read it.
Silver (amazon description):
Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can’t resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party when Brianna’s charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her that she’s been hiding even from herself.
Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.
But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.
Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.
Gold (amazon description):
Descended from an Irish demigod, Brianna has fled to Ireland to escape destruction at the hands of her sworn enemies, the Sons of Killian. Taking refuge at the estate of her former nemesis, Austin Montgomery, Brianna discovers a rift in time that opens to an era before the feud began.
Wrestling with her newfound feelings for the younger Austin—who she meets a thousand years back in time—Brianna begins to wonder if altering the past could change her future. But when Brianna and the present-day Austin learn that the Sons are raising an army of mythical beasts, the pair will need to combine their magical strength to avoid a tragic destiny.
1st off--there is sex in this book and the language is almost not bad at all in the first book but Gold has quite a bit of language in it. And I have to say that while the sexual content isn't too bad in the first book, by the second it seems like certain chapters are reserved for talking about how much she loves sleeping with him. I got lost a little bit as I read along. So you might ask "why did she keep reading?' By the time the second book gets to be too much, I was already invested in the story and wanted to see what she did with it. I will say however that thankfully there wasn't a third book b/c I don't know if I would've made it through another one. As it is, she left it somewhat open-ended so I could see the author trying to go for a third book in the series. With all that being said, I don't know that I'd recommend this book. I don't know that it's really something an adult woman would relate to or find as a fun book to read. It had a fantasy quality about it and I was drawn to the Celtic lore aspect of the book but it was very minimal and a disappointment to me. I'll still include the amazon description for anyone who would like to read it.
Silver (amazon description):
Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can’t resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party when Brianna’s charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her that she’s been hiding even from herself.
Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.
But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.
Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.
Gold (amazon description):
Descended from an Irish demigod, Brianna has fled to Ireland to escape destruction at the hands of her sworn enemies, the Sons of Killian. Taking refuge at the estate of her former nemesis, Austin Montgomery, Brianna discovers a rift in time that opens to an era before the feud began.
Wrestling with her newfound feelings for the younger Austin—who she meets a thousand years back in time—Brianna begins to wonder if altering the past could change her future. But when Brianna and the present-day Austin learn that the Sons are raising an army of mythical beasts, the pair will need to combine their magical strength to avoid a tragic destiny.
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