Friday, October 25, 2013

Froi of the Exiles--Melina Marchetta

Title: Froi of the Exiles
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2012.
Pages: 400 p
Source: library ebook
Compensation: None

A couple of years ago I read Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta and I LOVED it. Truly, loved it. I have been living under a bit of a rock myself this past couple of years and had NO idea that she's written a trilogy! I discovered them while browsing my library's ebook collection one night while desperate to find something to read. The good thing about living under a rock is that now I don't have to wait for the third book. I was able to download both ebooks at once.

Anyway.

As the title suggests, this is not Finnikin's story. Or Isaboe's. Although they do play prominent roles and we get to see glimpses into their lives. The bulk of the story is about Froi, the young boy Isaboe and Finnikin rescue in the first book. Froi has been trained with the Captain's Guard and is about to embark on his most dangerous mission yet--to infiltrate the enemy kingdom of Charyn and assassinate its King. His mission is even more dangerous than he could have imagined when he falls in love with the King's mad daughter. Froi gets embroiled in Charyn politics which is expected and family politics which is completely unexpected. A simple assassination attempt turns into something much much more complex than Froi could have ever believed.

Once again Marchetta has written a thrilling emotional story that will leave readers reading well into the night, way past their bedtimes. She has surpassed the brutality of Finnikin of the Rock. The horrors Charyn inflicted on its Lumateran neighbors were tragic, but the horrors it inflicts on its own people--its own Princess--are incomprehensible. It is difficult to read and I would not recommend this for tweens. This is most assuredly a YA book. Marchetta makes sure to add moments of levity, usually with Finnikin and Isaboe and their demanding toddler Jasmina. We also get some resolution with Lady Beatriss and Finnikin's father Trevanion. The novel ends on a serious cliffhanger and it's a good thing I don't have to wait for the final installment to be released.

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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Mind Games--Kiersten White

Title: Mind Games
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2013
Pages: 261 p
Source: Library
Compensation: None

Fia has sworn to protect her blind sister Annie ever since their parents died in a horrible accident. Fia and Annie are both special--Fia has flawless instincts and Annie has visions of the future. Annie thinks they've finally found a peaceful home with the Keane Institute, but Fia knows better. Unwilling to make her sister unhappy, Fia ignores her intuition and allows the Institute to control her life and train her as an assassin. Annie discovers the true nature of her precious boarding school too late. It's up to the sisters to plan--without planning--an escape that just might end their lives.

This is a fast paced action story with a strong heroine and nice paranormal twists. It's a quick read and guaranteed to enthrall readers looking for a nonstop action thriller.

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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Perfect Scoundrels--Ally Carter

Title: Perfect Scoundrels
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Hyperion, 2013
Pages: 336 p
Source: Library
Compensation: None

Kat and Hale have always worked together to pull off a con--usually for noble reasons--but in this latest installment in Ally Carter's Heist Society novels, Hale is the mark and Kat must call on all of her resources to try to protect him.

Hale's beloved grandmother has died and left him her company and he is thrown back into the high stakes world of socialite tycoons. Kat smells a rat though and must come up with an elaborate plan to locate the original will, discover the motives of the family's greedy lawyer, and hold on to Hale in the process.

This novel is just as fun and entertaining as Carter's other books. She probes a little deeper into Kat and Hale's relationship--are they romantic, were they, will they ever be again?--while at the same time keeping the story moving with nonstop action. Carter's fans will not be disappointed.

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Monday, October 21, 2013

far far away--Tom McNeal

Title: far far away
Author: Tom McNeal
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013
Pages: 371 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None

Jeremy Johnson Johnson is an unusual boy and this is an unusual tale. It is a tale of a boy who can hear voices and the ghost who speaks to him; of a boy and the girl who looks past his weirdness and accepts him for who he is; and of a small town where strange things happen but nobody notices. Fairy tale, romance, suspense, supernatural, mystery all wrapped up into one engaging book.

Jeremy's ghost and the narrator of the story is none other than Jacob Grimm--the fairy tale expert himself--who has made it his mission to protect Jeremy from the unknown "Finder of Occasions." Jacob is not sure how the Finder of Occasions will strike so his best idea is to help Jeremy get out of his strange little town by attending a University elsewhere. He helps Jeremy with his studies and urges him to concentrate on his schoolwork and nothing else. It all goes fine until a fiery Ginger takes a liking to Jeremy and starts involving him in her crazy pranks and schemes. Unbeknownst to them all, the Finder of Occasions is watching and waiting for his opportunity to forever change their lives.

This book is so hard to put down. From the moment it begins we are drawn into Jeremy's tale, wondering what horrible fate awaits him and if he will get out of it unscathed. We sympathize with the poor ghost Grimm who still suffers from memories of his mortal sorrows and will stop at nothing to protect Jeremy. McNeal has written a powerfully captivating tale that would make the Grimm brothers proud.

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