Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This was a book that for whatever reason I kept checking out at my library and turning back in unread. I knew it would be a good book and my sister confirmed this when she read it but I hadn't been in the mood for a fantasy in a while and I had been so busy writing and querying and running my family that I just never got around to reading it. Well, that all changed the other day. I checked it out and immediately started reading. And of course, like my sister, EVERYONE on Twitter and even EW.com, I thought it was AMAZING! Here's my summary:

Alina is a war orphan in her country. Her and her best friend Mal are raised at the Duke's estate and sent out into the army when they are of age. The army fights border countries and with the help of the Grisha (those born with a magical talent) try to cross Unsea, or shadow fold, that lies in the middle of the country and separates them from their True Sea and other west provinces. The shadow fold is just what it sounds like, a dark stretch of land filled with monsters where most anyone who crosses dies. Alina and her unit are crossing the fold one day when they are attacked by those monsters. In a desperate attempt to save Mal, Alina does something incredible--she displays a highly sought after and world changing magical talent. She can summon the sun. Immediately she is whisked away to the king's palace and sent to train like other Grisha. The Darkling, the leader of the Grisha, believes Alina is the people's savior. He wants her to help him destroy the shadow fold. All Alina wants is to be back with Mal and have her normal life back. She may not have had much in the way of money or family or friends but at least she knew who she was. This girl they've turned her into isn't someone she recognizes and for the life of her, Alina can't seem to summon the sun without provocation. But as much as she misses Mal and her old life, she wants to make a difference more. And when the Darkling starts taking a special interest in her Alina finds his charms hard to resist. But when a secret ally lets Alina in on the Darkling's true intentions, Alina has no choice but to escape. She finds Mal and together the two search for a way to make Alina more powerful than the Darkling. Powerful enough that she will never be anyone's slave or weapon. But will they manage this or will the Darkling find them first? Will Alina be able to save her people or will she help to slaughter them? And will she be with Mal or will she lose him forever?

**When I think of high fantasy books that I love (see my favorites list to the right) it's hard to imagine anything can compare to those books. I wasn't expecting to like Shadow and Bone as much as I did but it blew me away. I got swept up in Alina's Russian-like world of magic and war and political power. I loved Alina's character and everything she struggled with, most especially her feelings for her best friend Mal. But I was really surprised to find myself kind of liking the Darkling and her relationship with him too. Who doesn't like the bad boy with immense power that looks at you like you're everything he wants? The ending left me wanting more but not in a cliffhanger sort of way. I can't wait to read the next book in the GRISHA trilogy, Siege and Storm. It just came out and it has been getting awesome reviews!

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment below!

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

If I were to make a list of my favorite books, (which I think I might actually do one day soon) these would definitely be at the top. By far they are my favorite fantasy books of all time--hands down, no questions asked. Laini Taylor has a way with words like no one else. Just read this excerpt from the back of Days of Blood and Starlight: "She had loved the enemy and saved him. She had set him free. And he had done this. Bitter, bitter, this desolation of angels." Um, yeah, Laini Taylor is awesome! Here's my summary of each book:

Karou is an art student in Prague. She spends her days hanging out with her friend Zuzana and sketching monsters in her art book  She's always disappearing on errands and can speak several languages. What people don't know is that not all of those languages are human and the monsters in her art book are real. Karou has no family except for a few chimaera--part animal part human creatures. She works for Brimstone, running his errands and collecting teeth. With those teeth and a little donated pain, Brimstone performs magic. He resurrects dead chimaera brought over from another world, a world where chimaera and seraphim (angels) have been at war for centuries. The chimaera would be long gone if not for Brimstone's magic. When the portals between the worlds slowly start closing by an unknown enemy, Karou doesn't know what to do. She knows Brimstone isn't telling her something about who she is and her past. Then Karou meets Akiva. He's familiar and beautiful and instantly has her heart. But there's more to him than meets the eye. When things start to spiral out of control and Karou's chimaera friends disappear, Akiva tells Karou what she needs to do. Break the wishbone Brimstone gave her, the one she wears as a necklace. Akiva knows exactly what's going to happen when Karou does because he knows the truth about who she really is. And he knows that the second the wishbone snaps, he'll lose her forever.

Karou has been gone for quite some time. Her human friends Zuzana and Mik don't know if she's alive or dead or better, with Akiva. But Akiva thinks Karou is dead. Broken and just trying to survive each day, he helps his angel siblings kill the remaining chimaera and with them, dreams of a better world. A world without war and hate and death. But that may never happen because someone is killing the angels now. Easily and horrifically and leaving behind taunts--that they have "arisen." This could only mean one thing: someone is still resurrecting the chimaera. When Akiva saves a chimaera and follows him through an unknown portal, he gets a surprise and a wish come true--Karou is alive. And she is the resurrectionist. And worse, she absolutely hates him. With the help of the evil leader of the chimaera, Karou is raising her dead and continuing the war she never wanted part of. But like Akiva, Karou wants to put an end to all these horrors. What she does on her end and what Akiva does on his has the power to change their world. But what they don't know is that it's not only their world they have to worry about anymore. The angel army has discovered the human world and the human weapons and the human worship of angels. Now with a common enemy, Akiva and his rebel angels and Karou and her chimaera may have to put aside their differences and do the right thing. But will it work? And can Karou and Akiva ever find their way back to each other?

**As soon as you are done reading this post you have to go to your bookstore/library and get these books! The world Taylor has created will blow you away while simultaneously drawing you in. The characters are beautiful and magical and the love story is heart-wrenching and breathtaking. The war between the races will make you stop and think and the love each side has for their people will make you smile. Sometimes I would read a sentence and stop and go back and read it again and say "Wow! That was amazing!" The example above is just one of hundreds that fill Taylor's two books. I can't wait for the final installment of the trilogy, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, to hit shelves in April of next year.

Thanks for stopping by! Now go get these books!

Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns and The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

I love fantasy novels. When a writer can successfully build an entirely different world that I instantly get swept away in, that is talent! Rae Carson's GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS trilogy has blown me away with its greatness. I saw the first book in my library not long after I had read Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire. I was in the mood for more fantasy and decided to give The Girl of Fire and Thorns a try. I am so glad I did! Here's my summary:

Elisa is a princess. Her older sister, also a princess, is thin and beautiful and smart and will take over their father's kingdom one day. Elisa has never done anything remarkable. She's plain and plump and awkward. But she's also a chosen one. Once in a century one person is chosen to bear the godstone--a jewel in their navel. In order to bring peace and gain power, Elisa's father marries her off to a handsome king from another kingdom. But before Elisa can even make a difference, she is kidnapped by those seeking the power of her godstone. Elisa slowly learns that these people who've taken her aren't really her enemy--they're just people who need her help. Then there's one of her captors, Humberto. He looks at her in a way no man ever has before. The two fall in love but their happiness is short lived for there are even more enemies out there that want Elisa as well. And they will kill her to get her godstone so they can harness its power. Will Elisa be able to stay alive and bring together a country ravaged by war and death? Will her godstone give her the power she so desperately needs to make a difference?

Elisa is a hero. She's saved her people, started making a difference, and has taken control of her destiny. She thinks all of the drama with her godstone is long gone. After all, she fulfilled her destiny, didn't she? If so, then why are there still people after her? Who wants Elisa dead and why? Elisa must figure this out if she has a chance of bringing the kingdoms together and making the changes needed. With a ragtag group of friends, Elisa sets off on a journey to discover her real destiny and how exactly her godstone can help her. Along the way she manages to fall in love again. This time though, it's with the head of her guard. Hector is a friend and he is also royalty. He could be a powerful ally but an even better husband. If Elisa makes it back alive she has some tough decisions to make. One of which is keep Hector close or let him go. What she chooses will surprise you.

**Loved, loved, loved these books! The world Carson has created is magical and interesting and not hard to understand. Her characters are well drawn with fascinating personalities and character arcs that rival Elisa's. The political intrigue and constant threats on Elisa's life will keep you turning the pages. And the romance between her and Hector will have you swooning and rooting for them to GET TOGETHER ALREADY! The ending was so wonderfully surprising that I can't wait for the final installment, The Bitter Kingdom, to come out this August! In the meantime, Carson has two e-novellas set in Elisa's world to tide you over.

Thanks for reading! See you back soon (:

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

When deciding what book to review today I realized, I don't read a lot of books by male authors. I started scrolling through my Amazon list (yes I keep a list of all the books I've read over the last few years!) looking for a young adult book written by a male writer that I had read. Well, I didn't have to look too long. I came across Every Day, which I read back in October. It too was a recommendation from EW's Shelf Life. Levithan is a popular author who is well known for writing and co-writing several very loved YA stories. Here's my summary of Every Day:

Meet A. For as long as A can remember, he wakes up each day in the body of someone else. He doesn't know why this happens, who his parents are, or if it will ever stop. He has vague memories of being a young child but doesn't know if he ever had a real, actual body or identity. A has rules in which he lives by as he goes through his strange life. He stays under the radar, doesn't get too attached to people, and doesn't interfere in the body's life. But when A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets his girlfriend Rhiannon, all those rules are thrown out the window. Rhiannon is like no one A has ever met before. A finds himself acting like, well, himself. Not at all like who he is supposed to be, Justin. Rhiannon couldn't be happier. Her jerk of a boyfriend is finally being the guy she fell in love with. Rhiannon and A spend the entire day together like any other happy teenage couple and when night comes A couldn't be more sad. As much as he hopes he can stay in Justin's body, he knows it won't happen. The next day A wakes up a few hours away from Rhiannon and in a new body. He quickly decides he has to find Rhiannon and tell her the truth. It takes a few days and many different bodies but Rhiannon finally agrees to get to know A better. But how can two people ever really be together if one of them wakes up a new person in a different place every day? 

**The concept of this story was one I wasn't sure I would get into. Before the logistics were explained and I got to know our MC, it just seemed strange. Once I really dove in and got used to A and his personality, I loved it! A really made you feel the difficulties of being adrift in life and how much of who we are is tied to having our own body and most importantly, family and friends. A has no one. He is all alone living the lives of other people. He tries to make things better for those people when he can--his own way of leaving his mark on the world. So as difficult as it was to watch him deceive Rhiannon, I understood. Who would believe the truth? I was so glad when A chucked caution to the wind and did just that, told her the truth. And I was even happier when Rhiannon finally accepted A for who he was. I loved how this story asked so many questions about self and identity and most importantly, how we love. Do we love the person we are with or the shell they are in?

Thanks for hanging out with me! Feel free to comment below and come back soon.

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I often read the "shelf life" section of EW.com for book reviews and author interviews and never once have I been disappointed with a book they've recommended. Cinder was one of those books. When I saw it, I thought: "oh great, here's another retelling of Cinderella. And with cyborgs? Seriously?" But since EW has never steered me wrong I decided to give it ago. Needless to say, EW was right. Here's my summary:

Cinder is a cyborg. She and many other androids live among the humans of New Beijing. Cinder is also a mechanic. She spends her days fixing what's broken and hanging out with her only friend, a full on robot. She puts up with her awful stepmother's constant berating and ordering her around. You see, her stepmother blames her for her stepsister's illness. But illness is everywhere in New Beijing. People are disappearing and dying all the time. When Prince Kai comes to Cinder and asks for her help fixing his android, Cinder immediately gets pulled into palace politics and intrigue. But she wants nothing to do with all the lies, secrets, and betrayals that are all too common among the royals. And try as she might, Cinder can't seem to ignore her growing feelings for Kai. But what chance could she possibly have with the Prince? Then Cinder learns Kai may have to marry Queen Levana. She's the ruler of the Lunars, those who live on the moon. When Cinder intercepts a transmit from a girl named Scarlet, she learns that the Lunars and their Queen aren't all they seem. But what is it they want?

**I enjoyed this book so much. The New Beijing Meyer has created is filled with science and technology and the characters are dynamic and full of life. Cyborg or android, you don't even notice her writing is that good! The slow growing of friendship into love between Cinder and Kai is sweet and realistic. While there were many aspects similar to the original Cinderella, Meyer goes far beyond the fairy tale to create a unique story that is much more modern and relatable. The next book in the Lunar Chronicles, Scarlet (yes that's Little Red Riding Hood!) is sure to be a big hit.

Thanks for stopping by and reading another review. See you back here again tomorrow!

Book Review: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

I originally heard of this book when a lot of people on Twitter started talking about it. Then Literary Rambles did an interview with the author. I read the interview and loved what the author had to say about how she came up with the idea for her story and what it was like writing the characters. I knew I wanted to read this book and was very excited when my library ordered it. But then I saw a tweet that Pulseit, the website I recommended on Friday, was offering a free reading of Let the Sky Fall! Score! I signed up with the website and started reading. Here's my summary:

Vane Weston is a "miracle child." He survived a category 5 tornado that killed his parents and didn't have a scratch on him. But he has no memory of his life from that day or before. He was quickly adopted and moved across the country where he has a great relationship with his new parents. But every night he is haunted in his dreams by a dark-haired girl. Vane doesn't know if she's real but he feels connected to her. So much so that he can't seem to have a successful date with any other girl. Then one night, determined to have his first kiss, he instead gets caught up in a wind storm and meets Audra. She tells him she is his guardian. Vane is not human. He, like Audra, is a sylph--an air elemental. Sylphs can control the wind, understand it's languages, and shape it into a weapon. Audra needs Vane to start training because the Stormers, the people who killed both their families, are coming for them. Vane has to learn the 4 languages of the winds. He is the last West and if he can master all the wind languages he will be the most powerful sylph. He will take his place as King and hopefully defeat Raiden, the Stormer who is slowly killing all the guardians. But in order to teach Vane what he needs to know, Audra must unlock Vane's memories--memories that once he get's back, might forever change the love he feels for her. And Audra doesn't want this; she's falling in love with Vane too. 

**I loved this book! Messenger has created a story unlike anything I have ever read. The sylph mythology is unique and interesting and the way she writes about the air is like poetry. Vane is your typical teenage boy that just wants to be normal and kiss girls. And Audra is so realistic that I felt like I knew her! She's experienced some tough things in her life but instead of wallowing she put up a wall up and became the best guardian she could be. I loved how dedicated she was to her job and to Vane. I thought her character was made even more interesting in that she didn't even realize she had feelings for Vane. We got to see her discover that and come to terms with the things her feelings have made her do and the consequences of acting on those feelings. And Vane was so sweet in letting Audra figure everything out and deal with her demons. He pushed her just enough to get her to realize how she felt but not so much that it caused her to close up even more. I can't wait to see where Vane and Audra end up in the next book and to learn the repercussions of all the events that transpired in Let the Sky Fall.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below and I will see you tomorrow.

Book Review: The Infernal Devices trilogy: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Usually when I do a post over a trilogy of books I include a summary of each. This is hard to do without giving away spoiler-y details but I try my best. I'm not going to do that here. 

Let me start by saying that Cassandra Clare is my absolute, all-time favorite author. I first heard of her Mortal Instruments books not long after I finished the Twilight books. EW did a review on the last book in the trilogy and said they were must reads. Well EW is never wrong for me so since the final book was out and I knew I wouldn't have to wait to read all of them, I checked them out at my library. I was blown away. Couldn't put these books down, devoured them in a weekend, in love. I told my sister she had to read them ASAP. She did and thus started our complete marvel and adoration of all things Cassie Clare (we seriously can discuss her books for hours). When the Mortal Instruments trilogy ended I was satisfied. Sad to leave the world Clare had created, but satisfied. Then wait! She announced she was writing a new trilogy set in the same world but about 150 years earlier. YAY!! Since then, I've been painfully and patiently awaiting each release of The Infernal Devices, buying them as soon as they came out and tearing through them in like 2 days. I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of Clockwork Princess thanks to a Literary Rambles contest. I had to put off reading it for about a week but I just finished it this morning. Clare did not disappoint. She wrote a beautiful conclusion to an amazing story. I cannot wait for the last book in the Mortal Instruments series (which didn't stop after the first three after all but went on to include three more) because I know Clare will do it justice like she did Clockwork Princess.  

So you're probably asking: What are the books about?

Well I will briefly sum The Infernal Devices up here:
Tessa Gray leaves New York in 1877 for London in search of her brother. What she finds when she gets there completely changes her life. Tessa is not entirely human. And there is a whole world of secret people and creatures she never knew about. From faeries, to demons, witches, warlocks, angels, vampires, werewolves and even Shadowhunters: the half-angel, half-human (Nephilim) secret society that protects mundanes (humans) from the things that go bump in the night. Tessa ends up at the Shadowhunter Institute and meets Will and Jem, amongst others, and slowly gets caught up in not only a fight for her life, but a fight for her new family her old family and even the world. Eventually Tessa learns just who and what she is. She finds love and feels loss. But her story doesn't end there--she'll go on in the lives of other Shadowhunter characters for generations to come.

If you read any YA books in your life, you have to read Cassie Clare's books. You don't have to like paranormal romance to like her stories. She brilliantly intersects her two series in a way that is so much fun for the reader to experience. You don't have to read one series to read the other but it's all the better if you do. Clare is a master writer who can foreshadow like no other. She geniusly drops puzzle pieces all over the place that once put together will have you envious of her amazing storytelling skills. These are books that you can read again and again and each time you do, you will discover something you missed. Her characters feels so real that when you talk about them with other fans, you feel as though you are talking about actual people. You will breathlessly, with your heart pounding, tear through these books and want to share them with everyone you know.

Thanks for stopping by! I could probably write about my love of all things TMI and TID all day long but I'll stop here (: Feel free to comment below!

Book Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

This was a book I'd seen some advance praise for not too long before it was published. I'd read a couple of books about dragons already so I had a pretty good idea that I would like this one. I had plans on picking it up at the bookstore but one of my local libraries got it in before I had the chance to so I checked it out. This book was so much more than I had imagined--different from any of the other dragon books I'd read and written beautifully. Here's the summary:

Seraphina is an unusually talented musician living in the kingdom of Goredd. Four decades of peace have passed between the dragons and humans and for the most part, they all live in harmony. The dragons just want to be accepted but the humans can't help but fear that the dragons will one day up and decide to eradicate them. Dragons are the mathematicians--the rational scholars and teachers and ambassadors in Goredd. They fold themselves into human shape and rarely revert to their natural dragon forms. When one of the members of the royal family is murdered, everyone believes a dragon is to blame. Seraphina is drawn into the action and paired with the Prince in an effort to solve the crime. And even though he's engaged, Seraphina and Prince Lucian find themselves falling for one another. In the process they uncover secrets that could destroy the kingdom. And all the while Seraphina does everything she can to protect her own secret--one so important that it could mean an end to everything she cares about.

**This is Rachel Hartman's debut YA novel and I couldn't have loved it more. She creates an epic fantasy unlike any other. Seraphina's world is completely different than our own but the medieval elements and easily lovable characters make it feel familiar. In some high fantasy novels it can be confusing to learn about the world the author has created but that's not the case in Seraphina. The questions you have don't frustrate you. You get the answers you need in subtle ways that make sense with the tone and pace of the story. At first I felt that Seraphina's secret was revealed too soon and not all that surprising but then I realized that her secret was only one small part of the story. Seraphina's need to be loved and accepted, the mystery of what was going on in Goredd, and the relationships and characters, were all so much more important.  All in all, I can't recommend this book enough. The sequel, Dracomachia, is due out early next year.

Book Review: Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined by Aprilynne Pike

My sister was actually the one who introduced me to this series. She called me up one day not long after the first book was published and said: "Did you know there's such a thing as fairy mythology?" I told her it made sense considering there's werewolf and vampire mythology but I hadn't come across any books about fairies. She told me about Wings and I thought it sounded interesting so I gave it a try. I'm glad I did. Here's a summary of the four:

Wings: Laurel has been home schooled her whole life. She starts public school in the tenth grade when her family moves, leaving behind the beautiful land she has always called home. Laurel has always felt she was different than other kids her age. She knows she was adopted but she loves her parents. She fits in pretty well at her new school and even becomes interested in a boy, David. One day she starts to grow a bump on her back. It gets bigger and bigger until it blooms into a long-petaled flower. She hides it as best she can from everyone around her. Everyone except David. He tests her blood and determines she is not human. She has the same characteristics as a plant. When Laurel goes back to her old home, she meets a strange and handsome boy named Tamani. He's a faerie and he tells her she is too. Then Laurel learns that some evil trolls are trying to take over her family's land so they can control the door to Avalon that's on it. Laurel and her friends, some faerie and some human, begin the fight to save the land. Laurel struggles with balancing her old life with her desire to learn more about her new one. She has to decide where she wants to stay and what boy she wants to be with. And she has to stay alive in the process.

Spells: Laurel is summoned to the Academy of Avalon to begin her studies and learn more about what it means to be a fall faerie. She needs to find a way to stop the trolls from taking over her land and destroying Avalon. She meets many interesting faeries while at the Academy and gets to know Tamani better. Laruel spends a lot of time questioning where she belongs. She doesn't want to give up her human world or her boyfriend but she can't deny her love for Avalon and her growing attraction to Tamani. Eventually she decides who she wants to be with and returns home where the stakes are higher than ever. The trolls are getting more threatening and Laurel isn't the only one in danger anymore.

Illusions: Laurel's been living her life content with her choice and praying the danger to her and her friends is over. Then Tamani enrolls in school with her to keep watch over a new threat--a student named Yuki. He gets close to the new girl to try to figure out what she knows and how much of a danger she is. David and Tamani don't like not being the only boy in Laurel's life. And Laurel doesn't like all the time Tamani is spending with Yuki. In the end the group of friends discover just what they're up against--a threat to faeries and Avalon that none of them ever could have imagined.

Destined: Laurel and her friends now know just how dangerous Yuki is, who exactly she is working for, and what they plan to do. It's a race against time and the stakes are higher than ever as Laurel and the two boys she loves and her best friend Chelsea fight to save Avalon. There's loss and heartbreak in the war that ensues. Laurel makes her final descision between David and Tamani and the fate of Avalon is ultimately decided.

**Since reading the Wings series I have read many fairy books, each unique in their own way. What Aprilynne Pike does so beautifully is create a story about a very relatable girl learning how to navigate two very different worlds. She expertly captures what it feels like to be an in high school and fall in love for the first time. The introduction of Avalon and Pike's take on fairy mythology feels familiar but also fresh. I like how the suspensce of who the bad guys were and what they were going to do kept you turning the pages. The love triangle had me constantly switching teams. David or Tamani? How could a girl choose between such great guys?! I felt the characters were all well-developed and the ending was satisfying. I can't wait to read what this fantastic author writes next!

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave your comments and come back and visit again soon!

Book Review: Shiver, Linger, and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy wasn’t a set of books I thought I would like when I first picked them up. Before then, I hadn’t read any werewolf stories and I didn’t think it was a mythology I was interested in. It didn’t take but a few pages into the first book before I was hooked. These books are so much more than werewolf books. The characters are richly drawn and the words are beautifully conceived. Here’s a summary of each book: 

Shiver: Grace was almost killed by the wolves in the woods behind her house when she was nine. But a yellow-eyed wolf saved her. Every winter she watches those woods for her silent protector to return. There's something about that wolf that she is drawn too and she needs to know more.

Sam has always watched Grace from afar. In the winter from the woods by her home and in the few precious warm months of summer when he gets to be human and see her around town. 

Suddenly one of Grace’s classmates is killed by a wolf. A hunting party forms to take out the animals. When a familiar yellow-eyed boy shows up shivering and naked on Grace’s porch, Grace knows she has found her wolf. The two slowly get to know each other and fall in love. And while the pack tries to hide and protect itself they also make a startling discovery: some of them aren’t changing back into humans anymore. Grace and her friends race to find a cure for Sam, who would give anything to stay human and be with Grace. So will this be the first and last time the two get to be together? Or will their improvised cure work?

Linger: A new wolf is in town. Cole is a boy who embraces his wolf and shuns his troubled, human past. But why is he here? 

Sam spends his days broodily adjusting to his new life and worrying about Grace, who is suffering from symptoms similar to what happens when the wolves first transform. After all this time, is she finally changing into a wolf? Sam can't help but question why she never changed when she was bitten as a child. What makes her different? 

Isobel is a classmate of Grace’s whose brother didn’t survive the improvised cure they gave him after his wolf bite. She spends her time trying to help Sam and Grace and not fall for Cole. When a local teen goes missing, the hunting party decides it wants blood. But the pack won’t give up so easily. They have a plan for sticking around and taking care of each other. So can a real, permanent cure be found? What’s going to happen to Grace? Will hers and Sam’s love survive when one is a wolf and the other is not?

Forever: Now two local teens have gone missing. The hunting party, headed by Isobel’s father, blames the wolves and is preparing for one final shoot-out to rid Mercy Falls of them forever. 

Cole and Isobel have found happiness in one another and Cole has decided that maybe he doesn’t mind being a human so much after all. He throws himself into finding and perfecting a cure. So will he get it done in time? Or will the hunting party get to the wolves first? Will the missing teens (presumably now wolves) be found? How and where will our four main characters end up?

**Maggie Stiefvater is a brilliant writer. Her writing style for each of her series of books is different from anything else out there. Her settings are vivid and descriptive; atmospheric. In the Wolves trilogy, the romance between Sam and Grace is full of ache and happiness. The introduction of Isobel and Cole’s perspectives provides a much needed counterweight of comic relief and sarcasm to balance out Sam and Grace's introspective personalities. While a lot of people feel Stiefvater left the ending of the trilogy too open ended, I disagree. I felt it was fitting with the wonder and romance set forth in the prior two books. I liked not having all the answers and being able to use my imagination to figure some things out. I highly recommend these books to anyone who likes their stories lyrical and their romances paranormal.

Book Review: Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Kristin Cashore is another one of those writers whose work I adore. In her Seven Kingdoms Trilogy she creates a fantasy world unlike any other. Each book centers around a different teenage girl--all of them unique, complex, and strong in their own way. Here's a summary of each book:

Graceling: Katsa lives in the Middluns with her uncle, King Randa. Select people in the kingdom, those with mismatched eyes, are gifted with a "grace." The graces vary from person to person. Katsa's grace is killing. She can kill anyone with ease. Because of this, her uncle uses her as his own personal killing machine--something Katsa hates but accepts. On a mission for her uncle she encounters another Graceling, Prince Po. Together the two discover not only the treachery in their kingdom but also the truth about each other's graces. Then they stumble upon a lost princess--a little girl on the run named Bitterblue. 
**This first books does well in defining the seven kingdoms. The setting has a fantastical, medieval feel that isn't overt or stuffy. And Katsa is an amazingly drawn heroine. She's not at all what you'd expect though. She's against marriage and doesn't always do and say what you think she should. Like many teenage girls, she fumbles her way through relationships and life. She's flawed. But rather than make her unlikable, her flaws just add to her complexity and help you to more clearly see her character development. The minor characters in this book are vividly drawn so that each are easily recognizable and their importance is clearly understood. And Prince Po is the perfect counterpart for Katsa. His charm and ease in life and with others will win you over. He and Katsa are one of my favorite book couples. 

Fire: This book is set in the mysterious lands across the mountains from the seven kingdoms--the Dells. Here, beauty is hated because those who are beautiful, whether they be animal or person, can control the minds of others. They're "monsters." Fire is the last human monster. She hides out in the forest with her friend Archer, trying to stay away from those who would have her dead. Then she learns that everything in King City is in chaos. Rebel lords are trying to overthrow King Nash. Fire is drawn into the action and into the city. She meets the royal family and the alluring Prince Brigan and decides to help them save the kingdom from not only the rebels, but also from a familiar villian met in Graceling. Ultimately, Fire must learn to love herself and she comes to realize that she's not a monster--their's more to her than just dangerous beauty.
**While Fire's quest is largely an internal one, the action in this book isn't lacking. Her world is distinct and well-conceived. Fire's love for two different men, her best friend Archer and Prince Brigan add a romantic richeness to the story that has you rooting for Fire to have a happy ending. The mysterious villain from Graceling is an intriguing element of the plot that smartly connects the two books and sets the stage for the final installment.

Bitterblue: This story takes place eight years after the events in Graceling. Bitterblue is now the Queen of Monsea. She's trying hard to rebuild her kingdom and heal them from the aftereffects of her violent father, King Leck. Leck was a graceling that altered the minds of his people and bent their wills to his liking for over 30 years. While her advisers think the past should be forgotten and everyone who committed a crime under King Leck's spell should be pardoned, Bitterblue disagrees. She starts sneaking out of the castle in disguise in an attempt to learn about her city and how to best to help her people. There she meets Saf, a thief who steals to right the wrongs of Bitterblue's father. Saf opens up Bitterblue's eyes and challenges her views of the world. Slowly, Bitterblue begins to unravel the clues and mysteries that still plague her kingdom. She feels the only way to move forward is to learn about and from the past. In the end, Bitterblue figures out Leck's evil secrets and discovers how to get her kingdom on the path to healing. She also starts finding her way as queen by standing up for herself and for what she believes in.
**Bitterblue is such a refreshing character. While Katsa and Fire were unique for being gifted, Bitterblue stands out by just being normal. The unraveling of her father's many secrets is smart and intriguing. The discovery and feelings of first love and coming into womanhood are a nice journey the readers get to take with Bitterblue. And the bringing together of the characters from the first two novels gives this last book a nice note to end on. 

Again, I can't recommend these books enough. Cashore's imagination is something to be envied. Her female characters are by far the strongest I have ever read and I love the feminist themes throughout. These women are partakers in their own sexuality and their journeys of love are realistic and relatable. Companionship and marriage aren't written as important parts of becoming a woman but rather as another option in life. Once you start these books you won't stop until you're done!

Thanks for stopping by!