Disruptor—Arwen Elys Dayton

Title: Disruptor
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Publisher: Delacorte, 2017
Pages: 352 p
Source: Library Ebook
Compensation: None
Read: January 2018

Disrupter is the thrilling conclusion to the Seeker series that started with Seeker and continued with Traveler. Everything comes together in this final book and it’s well worth the wait. The series starts with Quin, Shinobu and John attempting to finish their Seeker training... and learning that being a Seeker is not what they thought it would be. Instead of protecting people, righting wrongs, and avenging evil, Quin’s father has perverted the sacred Seeker training and created a team of assassins to murder other Seekers. The young Seekers revolt but cannot even trust each other. In Disruptor we learn the true history of the Seekers and the Dreads and the only way anyone can be saved is if they work together.

I loved this entire series and Disruptor is no different. It was written perfectly, alternating chapters with the different characters, slowly revealing the secrets and mysteries set up in the first book, and keeping the reader riveted the whole time.

View all my reviews

Shadowcaster—Cinda Williams Chima

Title: Shadowcaster
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Harper Teen, 2017
Pages: 551 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: May 2017

Shadowcaster is the sequel to Flamecaster, which is the “sequel” series to the Seven Realms. I really liked the universe that Cinda Williams Chima created with the Seven Realms so I’m thrilled that she’s continuing to explore it. While Flamecaster focused on Han & Raisa’s son Ash, Shadowcaster tells his little sister’s story. Alyssa is the heir to the throne, but much like her mother, she’d rather be fighting with a sword than dealing with Princess duties. The events in Shadowcaster take place at roughly the same time as Flamecaster, with Jenna making an appearance towards the end of the book. There’s SO much in this one in addition to Alyssa and her journey. There’s a young boy Breon who has a mage mark similar to Jenna’s and who can also do strange things. There’s an honorable Arden captain who is taken prisoner by Alyssa’s company but winds up being much more. Fans of the series will enjoy this one and eagerly await the next book.

******

Goldenhand—Garth Nix

Title: Goldenhand
Author: Garth Nix
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2016
Pages: 368 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: December 2016

Garth Nix’s Goldenhand

It’s been over a year since I read this book and while I know that I absolutely enjoyed it and gave it 5 stars at Goodreads, some of the details are a little fuzzy. This is what happens when you tend to read a lot of fantasy—at some point they all blend together. Which is yet another reason for not waiting a year to do a review.

Goldenhand takes place 6 months after the events in Abhorsen. Lirael is now the Abhorse-in-Waiting and one of her first missions is to rescue Nick Sayre who has just been attacked by a Hrule creature—events that are described in the short story The Creature in the Case from the collection, Across the Wall. She helps him as much as she can but realizes that he needs medical attention that only the Clayr can give, so the two travel to Lirael’s former home, the Glacier. At the same time, Ferin races towards the Glacier to deliver a message to Lirael from her mother—a message with apocalyptic visions of the future. Lirael and Nick must again battle Chlorr of the Mask and attempt to defeat her once and for all.

I’ve loved all of Garth Nix’s books. Some more than others, but I honestly have never picked up a Nix book and said, “eh.” Although I can’t remember the minute details, I very much remember being so happy to be back in the Old Kingdom. I loved reading about Lirael and Nick again. This was a satisfying follow up to the original Abhorsen trilogy.

******

I Woke Up Dead at the Mall--Judy Sheehan

Title: I Woke Up Dead at the Mall
Author: Judy Sheehan
Publisher: Delacorte, 2016
Pages: 288 p
Source: Library ebook
Compensation: None
Read: October 2016

This is another one of those books that I found while searching my library's ebook collection for something quick and fun. The title stuck out at me as something I might be interested in.

16 year old Sarah has her whole life ahead of her--until she wakes up dead at the mall. That's right, purgatory is at the mall. Sarah hasn't moved on because she still has unfinished business that she can't let go. Although there was nothing exciting or dangerous about Sarah's life, she was murdered and she needs to find out who did it. Her death coach wants her to find peace and accept that her life is over, but when Sarah has a pretty good idea who the culprit is and discovers that her father's life is also in danger, she knows she can't move on until she does everything she can to save his life. In the meantime she flirts with fellow ghost Nick and hatches a plan for them to stay together and avoid the dreaded "mall walker" curse of ghosts who lose focus and get stuck at the mall.

This was a solid ok read. It was nice and quick and entertaining. There wasn't anything really groundbreaking or extraordinary, but it was a good book.

******

Star of Deltora: Two Moons--Emily Rodda

Title: Star of Deltora: Two Moons
Author: Emily Rodda
Publisher: Kane Miller, 2016
Pages:165 p.
Source: Purchased
Compensation: None
Read: July 2016

Disclaimer: I chose to buy this book and review it on my own. This review has NOT been paid for, but I did receive a 25% commission for purchasing the book through my Usborne Books & More Independent Consultant business.

Emily Rodda's Star of Deltora: Two Moons

Britta has passed the preliminary test to be the newest apprentice on the Trader ship, Rosalyn, in this sequel to Shadows of the Master. Now she must sail with the other three finalists and continue to prove she is worthy of working with the Trader Mab. Her sailing companions are as desperate as she is to win the contest, but one of them will stop at nothing to succeed, even if it means violence. As Britta navigates the dangerous path to Apprenticeship, she learns more about her father's mysterious quest for the Staff of Tier and begins to suspect there is something more sinister than ambitious humans on her journey. 

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. It's a very quick read and full of adventure and intrigue.  I'm looking forward to continuing the series and getting some answers. 

******

Star of Deltora: Shadows of the Master--Emily Rodda

Title: Star of Deltora: Shadows of the Master
Author: Emily Rodda
Publisher: Kane Miller, 2016
Pages: 165 p.
Source: Purchased
Compensation: None
Read: July 2016

Disclaimer: I chose to buy this book and review it on my own. This review has NOT been paid for, but I did receive a 25% commission for purchasing the book through my Usborne Books & More Independent Consultant business.

Emily Rodda's Star of Deltora: Shadows of the Master

Shadows of the Master is the first in a series about a young girl desperate to be a trader like her father. Traders are sailors that explore different lands and trade the goods found there. Unfortunately for Britta she cannot reveal who her famous trader father was because he disgraced himself searching for a mysterious object. Britta has been living in hiding ever since, but when she has a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete for a position on her father's old ship, she knows she has to go for it.

I really enjoyed this quick fantasy novel. Britta is strong and brave, but not perfect. At times she is completely oblivious to things happening right in front of her. I was intrigued by the whole trading lifestyle, as well as the mysterious magical elements of the King in the Shadows watching her. Full of adventure and a bit of suspense, Shadows of the Master was enough to entertain both my nine year old daughter and me.

******

Flamecaster--Cinda Williams Chima

Title: Flamecaster
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2016
Pages: 535 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: July 2016

Cinda Williams Chima's Flamecaster

This book is the first in a sequel series to Cinda Williams Chima's earlier series, The Seven Realms. I enjoyed that series immensely and Flamecaster was no different. This one takes place many years later and features the son of Han and Raisa, Ash. When a series of murders puts the royal family in danger, Ash escapes to the dangerous rival country, Arden. He gets close enough to the man behind the murders, the treacherous King, but can the healer Ash take a life instead of save one? At the same time, a young girl Jenna, is hunted by the King's people because of a mysterious mark on her back. Ash and Jenna are thrown together in their quest to overcome the cruel King.

I love this Universe and Chima has a way of making you care for characters. As a fan of the first series, the opening chapters were heartbreaking for me. I'm not exaggerating when I say I had a big ol' lump in my throat. While this series can stand alone--there's enough background information to understand the conflict--knowledge of the first series will enhance enjoyment of this one. As well as increase the sucker punch feel. Highly recommend!

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Traveler--Arwen Elys Dayton

Title: Traveler
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2016
Pages: 402 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: July 3, 2016

Arwen Elys Dayton's "Traveler"

Traveler is the second book in an interesting fantasy trilogy about a group of people who can manipulate time. The first book, Seeker, set the stage for the conflict. This second book continues where it left off. I read it half a year ago (yes, I am just reviewing it now, yes, I need to schedule my life better) and while some of the details are fuzzy as I try now to write the review, most of the story has stayed with me--which is one of my benchmarks for a good book.

Quin Kincaid is a strong heroine, battling her controlling evil father, her controlling revenge-seeking ex-boyfriend, and dealing with her new relationship with Shinobu. There's more history of the Seeker families, as well as information on the Dreads. It's absolutely necessary to read the first book in the series to understand any of what is going on, although there are flashbacks and reminders to events from Seeker. Once again, I found myself drawn to the Young Dread's story and I'm excited to discover that there is a novella all about her! I'm looking forward to reading that as well as the conclusion to the trilogy.

******

Crimson Skew, The--S.E. Grove

Title: The Crimson Skew
Author: S.E. Grove
Publisher: Viking, 2016
Pages: 432 p.
Source: VOYA
Compensation: None
Read: May 2016

S.E. Grove's The Crimson Skew

The Crimson Skew is the third and final book in the Mapmaker’s Trilogy, a fantasy series unlike any other. The first two books (The Glass Sentence and The Golden Specific) set up the main plot. In 1799 the world experienced what is known as the Great Disruption—all of the continents were strangely pulled out of time and put back in different eras. Nearly a century later, Sophia and Theo, two young friends searching for answers in this disjointed universe, continue on their separate journeys in this exhilarating conclusion to the trilogy. Sophia is closer than ever to finding out the truth about the disappearance of her parents. Theo is forced to fight in a war he does not believe in, while Sophia’s Uncle Shadrack is forced to work in a government he does not believe in. They all have very important roles to play in the final battle and the future of the world.

S.E. Grove has created a wonderfully unique series with multiple layers for students and teachers to explore. On the surface, this is an entertaining fantasy and adventure story for kids. Deeper, there are themes of xenophobia and racism and how people’s actions have an affect on the world on a fundamental level. The Crimson Skew and the entire trilogy are great fun books to read, as well as perfect choices for book groups and class reading.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Golden Specific, The--S.E. Grove

Title: The Golden Specific
Author: S.E. Grove
Publisher: Viking, 2015
Pages: 501 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: May 2016

S.E. Grove's The Golden Specific

The Golden Specific is the sequel to The Glass Sentence and is the second book in The Mapmaker's Trilogy. Make sure you've read The Glass Sentence first because this fantasy world is a bit complex. And because you'll enjoy it. While I generally try to avoid major spoilers in my reviews, any review of a second book will spoil the first, so consider yourself warned.

I think I may have even enjoyed The Golden Specific more than the first book. So much happens! Sophia and Theo have rescued Shadrack and are enjoying life in New Occident together. Theo has begun exploring with one of Shadrack's closest friends and Shadrack has been given a seat in the government, which leaves Sophia alone to continue the search for her parents. She finds a clue that will surely lead her to more information and when Theo returns from his expedition, they decide to travel together to follow up--without Shadrack's knowledge or permission. On the day they are supposed to leave, Theo gets caught up in a murder case and Shadrack is blamed. Unaware of the trouble at home, Sophia thinks Theo has abandoned her and leaves on a ship alone. Thus begins Sophia and Theo's separate adventures.

The novel is told through both Sophia and Theo's perspectives. This lets us have more information about Theo's background and why he is so untrusting. In addition to Sophia's storyline, we also get snippets from her mother's diary from right before she and her husband disappear. Sophia befriends a couple of unlikely travel companions and learns more about mapmaking and reading as she tries to retrace her mother's footsteps.

The Golden Specific is a solid fantasy novel that is entertaining and thought-provoking. Luckily for me, I had the ARC of the final book in the trilogy waiting for me when I finished this second installment. It would have been a very long wait otherwise!
 
******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Glass Sentence, The--S.E. Grove

Title: The Glass Sentence
Author: S.E. Grove
Publisher: Viking, 2014
Pages: 493 p
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: May 2016

S.E. Grove's The Glass Sentence

Thank you VOYA. VOYA has a tendency to send me the third in a trilogy to review... when I haven't read the first two. Sure, I grumble because I'm the type of person who has to read the first two and my time is seriously limited, but without fail I wind up loving the books and grateful for being introduced to them.

This case is no exception.

The Glass Sentence is the first book in a truly unique fantasy series for Middle School students. Sophia Tims is a young girl living in Boston in 1891. But this is not Boston in the United States because there is no United States. In 1799 time paused for everyone--people frozen in whatever they were doing--as they watched an entire year flash before their eyes. When time resumed again, the continents were all flung into different time periods. Places that were once known, were now foreign and undiscovered. After a hundred years the Eastern Seaboard became known as New Occident and developed quite differently than it would have without the Great Disruption of 1799.

Sophia lives with her Uncle Shadrack, a famous cartologer and explorer, because her explorer parents disappeared 8 years earlier on an urgent mission. When the government decides it needs to close the borders and prevent foreigners from coming in, Sophia is concerned her parents will never find their way home. When Shadrack is kidnapped, Sophia knows it's up to her to save him and embarks on her first adventure outside of the border. She's joined by Theo, a refugee from the West, who has his own secrets.

I truly enjoyed this novel. The premise was pretty unique--a world made up of different time periods--as well as the fantasy elements--maps are not just two-dimensional pieces of paper but can be made using different elements and when awoken they let the mapreader actually experience what the map shows (memory maps). I'm a big fantasy reader and I loved the world-building in this series. It's the perfect book group book--some kids might need a little help conceptualizing the different time periods--and it has much deeper issues that are relevant today of border closings and being afraid of foreigners. My 11 1/2 year old blitzed through the series after I gave him a brief description (and chose to do his school book talk on the second one) and my 9 year old just started it. It might be a bit above her with all of the time talk and memory maps, but I had no problem letting her try it.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Dearest--Alethea Kontis

Title: Dearest
Author: Alethea Kontis
Publisher:  HMH for Young Readers, 2015
Pages: 288 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: May 2016

Alethea Kontis's Dearest

I really loved Enchanted and Hero by Alethea Kontis so it's not surprising this third book in the series about the Woodcutter sisters is just as good. Dearest focuses on Friday, the fifth oldest Woodcutter sister, who is a magical seamstress. Friday's carriage is a casualty of Saturday's flood, but luckily for her, a traveler discovers the unconscious girl and brings her to Queen Sunday's castle. While at the castle she stumbles upon seven sleeping brothers and falls immediately in love with Tristan. Unfortunately her beloved and his brothers are cursed to be swans during the day. Their sister holds the key to the salvation--but only if she can weave seven shirts from nettles before the new moon. Can Friday's special magic help the cursed siblings and save her true love?

Fans of the Woodcutter sisters will not be disappointed with this installment. Although I enjoyed the first two a bit more, I still really like Dearest and would recommend it to anyone who likes fairy tales.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Trix and the Faerie Queen--Alethea Kontis

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

I don't normally sign up for book tours (in fact I've never signed up for one!) but how could I pass up an opportunity to get a copy of Alethea Kontis's newest Arilland book? Read on for information from the tour, my review of the book, and a giveaway. Don't forget to check out the other tour stops.

Title: Trix and the Faerie Queen

Author: Alethea Kontis
Publisher: Alethea Kontis, 2016
Pages: 210 p.
Source: Author/Prism Book Tours
Compensation: None

Alethea Kontis's Trix and The Faerie Queen

Summary from the tour:

Join Trix Woodcutter on an epic new animal-filled adventure!

Fey magic and animal magic: that troublemaking imp Trix Woodcutter has both, if not the ability to use them to their full potential. While traveling with his companion—the golden girl Lizinia—to see the King of Eagles, Trix is sent a vision of the Faerie Queen, who is in desperate need of his help. An evil sorceress has stormed Faerie and trapped all the fey magic under the Hill, leaving the Faerie Queen powerless! Trix’s talent for communicating with animals is desperately needed…but before he braves the wild world of Faerie he must arm himself, with nothing less than the bow and arrows of a god.

With the help of his gilded companion, her ghost-cat godfather, a blind brownie and a sister or two, the Boy Who Talks to Animals must befriend a mischievous leprechaun, best a wolf, and journey into the depths of Faerie to restore order and free the fey magic before the imbalance destroys the world.

Trix and the Faerie Queen is second in The Trix Adventures and sixth in the Books of Arilland.

Fans of the Woodcutter Sisters: Desperate to know what happened to Saturday and Peregrine after they found Trix at the end of HERO? Here’s your chance!

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble

My review:

Trix and the Faerie Queen picks up where Trixter left off-- Trix and his new companion are on their way to find the King of Eagles. But Trix has yet another vision, this time from the Faerie Queen, which delays his quest and sets him on a new adventure to rescue the Queen and save all of Faerie-land.

This latest offering is a very quick read. Readers will enjoy the blossoming fairy tale friendship between Trix and his golden girl Lizinia. Their budding relationship is totally fairy tale--Lizinia is the perfect companion and Trix is completely appreciative of her talents. Fans of Arilland will be happy to see a couple of Trix's sisters and hear about more. Readers will be left clamoring for more at the end of the novel and eagerly await the next installment.

There were a few instances in the ebook I received that would benefit from better editing to fix the typos and incomplete sentences, but overall the story is quite good and anyone interested in Arilland will overlook them.

Other Books in the Series

Alethea Kontis is a princess, author, fairy godmother, and geek. Her bestselling Books of Arilland fairytale series won two Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Awards (Enchanted and Tales of Arilland), and was twice nominated for the Andre Norton Award. Alethea also penned the AlphaOops picture books, The Wonderland Alphabet, Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome, Beauty & Dynamite, The Dark-Hunter Companion (w/Sherrilyn Kenyon), and a myriad of poems, essays, and short stories. Princess Alethea lives and writes on the Space Coast of Florida with her teddy bear, Charlie. You can find her on her YouTube channel, all the social media, and at www.aletheakontis.com.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│YouTube

Tour Schedule

April 2nd: Launch

April 3rd: Rockin' Book Reviews & Wishful Endings

April 4th: Brooke Blogs & Zerina Blossom's Books

April 5th: deal sharing aunt & Goddess Librarian

April 6th: Becky on Books & Colorimetry

April 7th: Mel's Shelves, A Backwards Story, & Amanda K Thompson

April 8th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway



3 copies of Trixter and Trix and the Faerie Queen (signed copies if US, ebooks if INT)

Ends April 15th



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trixter--Alethea Kontis

Title: Trixter
Author: Alethea Kontis
Publisher: Alethea Kontis, 2015
Pages: 144 p.
Source: Purchased ebook
Compensation: None
Read: March 2015

Alethea Kontis's Trixter

I discovered Alethea Kontis's first book in the Arilland series, Enchanted, while browsing my library's shelves for something interesting.  Then I discovered the second book, Hero, while browsing my library's ebook shelves. After that I would periodically check the ebook collection to see if there were more. I came across the rest quite by accident--or fate--while checking my twitter feed one night. I'm not quite as good about checking that account--I'm usually on my personal one talking about running--but I've been trying to be better about it. This particular night Kontis tweeted the covers of the other books in the series and I realized I was quite behind! My library still didn't own the ebooks and I was sitting on my couch, so when she tweeted that Amazon was selling the ebook for only .99, I figured I'd better listen & buy it.

Trixter tells some of the events of Hero from adopted cousin-brother Trix's point of view. At the beginning of Hero, Trix has poisoned his family so that he could travel to see his recently deceased birth-mother. After discovering what Trix has done, Saturday unwittingly summons an ocean and sets about on her adventure. In Trixter, we see the effects of that magical ocean as well as the rest of Trix's journey. Before Trix can complete his quest to see his birth-mother, he must survive the ocean's sudden coming and leaving. The Boy Who Talks to Animals is helped by both normal animals and magical creatures and gains a new traveling companion when he stumbles upon a bewitched cottage with a golden girl.

Just as enchanting as the previous books of Arilland, Trixter will not disappoint fairy tale fans.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Lady Midnight--Cassandra Clare

Title: Lady Midnight
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry, 2016
Pages: 720 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: March 2016

Cassandra Clare's Lady Midnight

Oh, the FEELS.

I am officially proclaiming my membership in the Shadowhunter fan club. I wasn't sure how I would react to this book... I am a Jace/Clary fan and I found the Emma parts of the previous series to be a bit distracting. So I went into this new series a little hesitant. I mean, I knew I would read it, but would I love it? Would I respond to Emma the way I did to Clary?

I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Lady Midnight takes place five years after the events in City of Heavenly Fire. The Shadowhunters are trying to recover from Sebastian's treachery and the Dark War. 17 year old Emma is still trying to recover from the murder of her parents--blamed on Sebastian although she doesn't believe it--and bent on revenge. Afraid that she would be taken from the only family she's known, she agreed to be parabatai with Julian Blackthorn when she was just 12 years old. Julian's father was also killed during the Dark War and even though his Uncle has legal custody of him and his 4 siblings, Julian is the one who really takes care of both the family and the Institute. 

As parabatai, Julian and Emma have a sacred bond. One that prohibits romantic love. This isn't a problem until a series of events occur that push the two closer together. The Clave has laws that seem unjust and unnecessary, but sometimes their laws really are intended to protect Shadowhunters. But for Emma and Julian, it might be too late.

At the same time Emma and Julian are dealing with forbidden love, dead bodies have been turning up with cryptic writing on them--just like the writing found on Emma's parents. Some of the bodies have been fairies, so the Wild Hunt makes a bargain with the Blackthorns. If they investigate, they will release half-fey Mark Blackthorn from his service to the Wild Hunt and allow him to choose his own fate. Mark has been gone 5 human years, but countless fairy ones, so his transition back to the family is not as smooth as the younger Blackthorn siblings had hoped.

There are twists and big plot reveals that I am trying very hard not to spoil. It is going to be quite difficult waiting for the next book!

So, yes, I did fall in love with Emma and Julian. I did get swept up in the story and invested in their futures. Fans of the Shadowhunters will love this one as well. Those unfamiliar will want to read the earlier books. Although this is Emma and Julian's story, our favorites do make tiny cameos. Clary and Jace, Magnus, Jem and Tessa. Others are mentioned as well giving us updates on characters from the other series. I can't wait for the next one!

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Carry On--Rainbow Rowell

Title: Carry On
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's, 2015
Pages: 522 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: Dec 2015

Rainbow Rowell's Carry On

Simon Snow made his first appearance in Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl as the subject of Cath's fan fiction. Very reminiscent of Harry Potter and the Hogwarts magical universe, this book tells Snow's story as the chosen one destined to defeat the evil Humdrum. Unfortunately Snow is not a very good chosen one. His spells don't work right, he often doesn't know what to do, and he's more focused on his nemesis Baz than the actual Humdrum. He should be having a great final year at his wizard school--Watford School of Magics--but instead he's having problems with his perfect girlfriend, feeling distant from his father-figure school head, and he can't stop thinking about Baz.

Carry On has plenty of magic and monsters and supernatural things, but at it's heart it's a love story between two very unlikely people. Anyone who ever read Harry Potter fanfic (particularly the Harry/Draco plots) will love this book. Carry On was the name of Cath's story in Fangirl, but this book is not written by her (or by the author of the Simon Snow series in that world). This is Rowell's story inspired by her own work. It's not necessary to have read Fangirl to appreciate Carry On. The story itself is entertaining, especially to fantasy fans, but as usual it's Rowell's characters who make us come back for more. Simon is the main character, but Baz is the most complex and interesting and proof that everyone is not always show they seem to be.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Hunter--Mercedes Lackey

Title: Hunter
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 2015
Pages: 374 p.
Source: VOYA
Compensation: None
Read: July 2015

Mercedes Lackey's Hunter

Joy has been hunting monsters ever since she was a young child. In her remote isolated village, hunting monsters is a normal activity and everyone is expected to contribute to the cause. Regular citizens handle the less dangerous types (like gnomes), while those with magic—like Joy and her fellow Hunters—protect them from the bigger sinister Othersiders like dragons. When Joy is summoned to Apex City to protect the most important people in this post-apocalyptic society, she is baffled by the way they live. Citizens feel safe behind magical barriers and view Hunters as entertainment, watching their every movement on reality TV channels. Joy quickly realizes that this sense of security is just an illusion as more and more Othersiders break through the barriers.

Lackey does a good job of setting up the conflict between the traditional monster-hunting Joy and the vain reality star Hunters of Apex City. There are brief scenes between Joy and the most dangerous of the Othersiders, the Mages, that hint at a much larger story to come in the following books of the series. Fans of Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games series who like a little more magic and fantasy with their dystopia will appreciate this new series.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

Seven Realms Series--Cinda Williams Chima

In an attempt to make my life a little easier (I am behind on quite a few reviews), I am going to review this entire series in one post.

Title: The Demon King
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2009.
Pages: 506 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Cinda Williams Chima's The Demon King

I enjoyed Cinda Williams Chima's other series--The Heir Chronicles--but I really liked this one. In this first book we are introduced to Han, a rough street kid with a heart of gold and thick silver cuffs on his wrist that he cannot take off. Selling those cuffs could feed his family but they are magically attached to him and all they've ever done is give him his streetname--Cuffs. Things start happening for Han when he runs into the bratty son of the High Wizard and he and his friend Dancer steal the boy's magical amulet. At the same time, the young Princess heir Raisa has just returned to court determined to be more than a figurehead ruler. When Raisa and Han's worlds collide, the entire Seven Realms will never be the same.

Title: The Exiled Queen
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2010.
Pages: 586 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Chima's The Exiled Queen

Han has finally been able to remove his cuffs and claim his role as a wizard, alongside his clan friend Dancer. They enroll at Mystwerk house to learn proper sorcery. On the same campus, Raisa has secretly enlisted at the military academy to escape the High Wizard's devious plan to marry her to his son. Raisa learns more than she expects while posing as regular student Rebecca Morley. 

Title: The Gray Wolf Throne
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2011.
Pages: 517 p.
Source: Amazon e-book
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Chima's The Gray Wolf Throne

Han discovers his good friend Rebecca Morley near death and knows he must do everything he can to save her. When he discovers her true identity he feels betrayed and hurt. Han has never had any love for the royalty who are responsible for so much pain in his life. But he must honor his vow to help Raisa become Queen. Raisa is unsure of Han's loyalty. They both doubt each other's motives but cannot deny the bond they share.

Title: The Crimson Crown
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2012.
Pages: 608 p.
Source: Amazon ebook
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Chima's The Crimson Crown

Queen Raisa is faced with the difficult task of uniting her warring kingdom, protecting it from outside enemies, and repairing the hostility between the clan people and the wizards. Han does his best to help her, but he seems to cause even more hostility and trouble. The series wraps up when a thousand-year-old lie is finally uncovered.

I loved this whole series. I loved Han and Raisa, I loved the clan and wizard conflict, the world-building. Fantasy, romance, political intrigue. I loved it enough to buy the last two e-books in the series so I could read them immediately.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.

The Sorcerer Heir--Cinda Williams Chima

Title: The Sorcerer Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2014
Pages: 512 p
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: April 2015

Emma and Jonah are brought together by their love of music and their shared history at Thorn Hill, but their secrets and guilt threaten to tear them apart as the weir guilds continue to struggle to keep the peace. This final book in the Heir Chronicles answers the questions surrounding the mysterious massacre at Thorn Hill.

I liked this book as I read it a few months ago but I'm struggling to remember enough details to add to this review. This storyline wasn't as captivating as the initial tale of warring wizards and magical people.

******
I'm an Amazon Associate now. If you click on the Amazon links and buy anything I might make a tiny bit of money.