Book Review: The Faerie Ring

Title: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Historical

Goodreads Summary: Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger. 

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood - Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched - and protected - by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief - all must work together to secure the treaty…

The Faerie Ring is historical YA fiction with a fantastic setting and exciting paranormal elements and since this is all stuff that I adore, I have no idea why it took me so long to read this book!

Kiki Hamilton does an excellent job of transporting the reader to the dirty, poverty stricken streets of London and the opulence of Victorian Buckingham Palace. He world building is awesome and my favorite aspect of this book which is saying a lot because the plot of The Faerie Ring is really good too.

Tiki is an interesting character, one that took me a few chapters to get warmed up to. Tiki and her band of orphans are thieves and not the Robin Hood sort who steal only from the rich. They steal what they need from anybody, rich or poor and are completely unremorseful about it. It just didn’t sit well with me at first but as I continued to read, I realized just how little options these children and teens had. It was either go into an orphanage and be forced into back-breaking child labor, prostitution or stealing. Under these circumstances, I would have become a thief too. The abject poverty and desperation these kids are in very well described and so when Kiki steals the ring, you understand her motivations behind her actions.

At 16, Kiki is the mother figure for the group of orphans and she takes care of them through any means necessary. While providing for her ‘family,’ Tiki keeps running into another thief, the handsome and enigmatic Rieker. Rieker always seems to show up when Kiki needs help and becomes her protector, but who is he really and what are his motivations? Hamilton’s smooth writing kept me guessing about Rieker throughout the entire book.

Secondary characters in the book are also very well done. The fey are appropriately vicious and I love how Hamilton weaves real people from history like Princes Leopold and Arthur into the story.

The Faerie Ring is an exciting, sweet and satisfying book and best of all, no cliffhanger! I loved the end and cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical, fantasy or sweet love stories. If you have not read this book yet, do it! It’s definitely worth your time. When the sequel, The Torn Wing, is released in October, I will be reading it right away.

Content: Kissing and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Stolen Away

Title: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Pages: 288 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

I’ve heard great things about Alyxandra Harvey’s Drake Chronicles series so when I saw that she had written a fey book, I just knew I had to read it.

Stolen Away is set in a small town that despite it being fall, is having an awful heat wave brought on by the fey king, Lord Strahan, who refuses to step down even though his reign is up. Eloise has no idea that her eccentric aunt is even married much less to a fey king. She finds out the fey are real when she is attacked and kidnapped Strahan’s minions so he can use her to lure her aunt, his wife, to him.

The story is told from the first person’s perspectives of both Eloise and her friend, Jo. Other reviewers have complained that the alternating perspective was confusing but I had no problems with it. Eloise with her rockabilly hair and tattoos and Jo with her British accent and funky clothes are both cool, likable characters.

The book is fast paced, has lots of action and has really great descriptions of the fey world. Unfortunately, the plot was not very developed and the whole story seemed rushed. Another thing I’m not crazy about is the relationship between Jo and Eldric. While not exactly insta-love, their relationship develops very fast. I was actually surprised when Jo admitted that she was in love with Eldric after talking to him a few times and spending very little time with him.

Harvey is obviously an imaginative storyteller and while I loved the idea behind Stolen Away, I wish it had more depth. The book is a quick, fun read and appears to be a stand alone novel. While Stolen Away has its flaws, I liked Harvey’s writing enough to try some of her other novels.

Have you read Stolen Away or any other books by Alyxandra Harvey? What did you think of them? Are there any you would recommend? 

Content: Profanity, kissing and violence

My Rating: Just Fine

Book Review: The Iron Knight

Title: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 386 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

The Iron Knight is the fourth and final book in the Iron Fey series and if you have yet to read these books, you have to get them! Ms. Kagawa’s world building is excellent, her characters endearing and unforgettable and her stories are fantastic and filled with forbidden and all consuming love.

While the first three books in the series were told from Megan’s point of view, The Iron Knight is told from Ash’s perspective and picks up shortly after the events in The Iron Queen. Megan is now queen of the Iron Realm but Ash cannot be with her there because the iron would kill. To be with the woman he loves, Ash embarks on an epic quest to abandon his life as a faerie and become mortal.

While the first three books were awesome, I am so happy that Ms. Kagawa ended the series with this book! The Iron Knight gives us so much background on Ash, we truly get to understand how he became so cold and guarded, how he became friends and then enemies with Puck and just how much he really loves Megan.

Even more profound, this book is also about being human, what it really means to love unconditionally and to give up everything, even life, for that love. It also brings to mind the fact that we are more than the choices and we have made and more than the sum of our past mistakes (yes, I just quoted a Tenth Avenue North song but it goes so well with this book, I could not get it out of my head while I was reading!). The Iron Knight is darker that previous books in the series and the Nevernever just a bit more twisted. The book also has more action, more emotion and is just an all around spectacular read.

The Iron Knight is a completely satisfying conclusion to my all time favorite fey series. While I did feel like I was saying goodbye to old friends, I am looking forward to Julie Kagawa’s new series, upcoming books, and pretty much read anything else she writes.

Content: Implied sex, kissing, mild profanity and violence.

My Rating: The Best!

Book Review: Elemental Reality

Title: Elemental Reality by Cesya MaRae Cuono

Release Date: Aug. 21, 2011
Publisher: Revolution Publishing
Pages: 251 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC for Publisher

Goodreads Summary: When Callie Pierce was ten, her mother disappeared without a trace. On the eve of her disappearance twelve years later, the earth seemingly comes alive. The elements speak to Callie, and that's only the beginning. Everything she has ever known was a twisted fabrication to protect her. Now the truth is set free. Callie and her sister are more powerful than any Faerie ever born. Now they have to use their powers to save their mother and family from the evil hands of fate that threaten to tear them apart. Welcome to her elemental reality.

Let me start by saying that I love the cover of this book! It’s one of my favorite covers for the year and really does fit with the story.

Callie is a very likable character. The story begins on her 22nd birthday which is always a sad day because it marks the anniversary of when her mother left the family. I love how the book starts and the relationship between Callie and her friends and her family. You really get a sense of how much they care about each other. The back and forth banter among them is snarky and funny and helps to move the story along nicely.

The story is well paced until Callie meets Oli and Cayden and then everything speeds up - her relationship with Oli, finding out the truth about herself and her family, learning to use her powers, training to use her powers – it all happens in a very short period of time. Not that I like slow stories but I would have preferred if the plot and characters had more depth, especially since we meet so many minor characters in passing.

That being said, the book has tons of action, hot romance and a nice twist at the end that will keep readers looking out for the next book in the series.

Content: Kissing, profanity and violence.

Waiting on Wednesday – Stolen Away

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publish Date: Jan. 5, 2012
Genre: Paranormal, Fairies

Goodreads Summary: For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

Without a doubt, Julie Kagawa has set a new standard for fairy stories and now that the Iron Fae series is coming to an end, I am looking for another great fae book to get into. Stolen Away sounds like it could be that book. Additionally, I have heard great things about Harvey’s other books so I’m sure this will be awesome! What are you waiting for?

Author Interview: Cesya MaRae Cuono

As a part of the Elemental Reality Blog Tour, I am pleased to welcome author Cesya MaRae Cuono.

Cesya MaRae Cuono hails from a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Alvernia University where she majored in Business Administration and also received her certificate of Multi-Media & Production makeup from Cosmix School of Makeup Artistry. You can find any updates from Cesya on her website at http://www.cesyacuonobooks.blogspot.com/.

Cesya, please tell us about your debut young adult novel, Elemental Reality.
Elemental Reality takes us on a journey with Callie Pierce and her sister Lola as their life transitions from being “human” to Faeries. We get to live through their training and some battles they face along the way.

Where did you get the idea for Elemental Reality?
My mind is constantly in motion no matter what I’m doing. I was listening to one of my favorite bands (I See Stars) before I got into the shower. As I was rinsing the shampoo from my hair, a scene played out in my mind. That’s the first thing I wrote before I even knew the plot of my story or what kind of paranormal being my characters were going to be.

Can you tell us more about the main character, Callie?
She’s plagued by the loss of her mom. Little things bring back thoughts of her. She’s a very determined person and you will see her determination throughout the novel.

I read that you are now working on book two in the Elemental series. Can you tell us a little about it? How many books are planned for the series and when will they be released?
I am actually. The outline is almost finished and then I’m going to start a rough draft. We’ll see a side of Lola no one expected but that’s all I can tell you right now. There are two more novels for the series and possibly a novella but that’s not set in stone yet. The two novels, Battle Scars and Rebirth, will be released in 2012 and 2013.

Do you read the same genre as you write? What are you currently reading?
Yes, I do. I love YA. Ha! I’m currently reading 10 different books but the one I’m trying to finish first is If I Stay.

What do you love most about writing paranormal books?
That’s an easy question! You can have fun with your characters’ powers. It gives you a chance to make them unique and put a new twist on them.

If Elemental Reality were made into a movie, who do you picture playing the lead roles?

• Tyler Blackburn as Oli.
• Amber Heard as Callie.
• Julia Voth as Ady.
• Matt Lanter as Emery.
• Skyler Samuels as Lola.
• Jeremy Sumpter as Cayden.

Is there anything more you’d like to share with us about upcoming projects or events?
I have a book signing on August 28th. The details can be found on my author page (www.facebook.com/cesyamaraecuono) but that’s all I have for right now. Anything you want to know about me can be found on Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/cesya_marae), Facebook (www.facebook.com/cesyamaraecuono), Twitter (@Cherrybomb_xox), or my blog (http://www.cesyacuonobooks.blogspot.com/).

Title: Elemental Reality by Cesya MaRae Cuono
Release Date: August 21, 2011
Publisher: Revolution Publishing
Pages: 260 pages
Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

When Callie Pierce was ten, her mother disappeared without a trace. On the eve of her disappearance twelve years later, the Earth seemingly comes alive. The elements speak to Callie, and that's only the beginning. Everything she has ever known was a twisted fabrication to protect her. Now the truth is set free. Callie and her sister are more powerful than any Faerie ever born. Now they have to use their powers to save their mother and family from the evil hands of fate that threaten to tear them apart. Welcome to her elemental reality.

Book Review: Born at Midnight

Title: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 416 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Born at Midnight is a fun paranormal read about a girl who is going through a lot externally with family and friends and internally with herself. Kylie is still hurting from being dumped by her boyfriend and her parents are getting a divorce. Kylie had started seeing a therapist because she was having horrible night terrors and occasionally seeing a soldier appear and stare at her, but no one else can see this man. At the advice of Kylie’s therapist, her mom sends her to a summer camp for troubled teens so Kylie feels dumped by her parents as well.

Shadow Falls Camp is a haven for paranormal teens and even though C.C. Hunter does not go into the mythology of the different paranormals in a ton of detail, it’s enough to answer your basic questions. There is a love triangle (maybe even a bit of a square if you throw in the ex) but it was not the book’s main focus, which is great. The story is about Kylie coming to terms with what she may be and her relationships with family and friends.

Born at Midnight is the beginning of a really good new paranormal series. There is so much more story with these great characters and plot and I am excited about the next book, Awake at Dawn.

Content: Profanity, sexual situations, kissing, underage drinking and violence. Recommended for older teens.

Review of The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: January 25, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 358 pages
Author Website: http://www.juliekagawa.com
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: My name is Meghan Chase. I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Review:  It’s very rare for books in a series to get better with each progressive book, but Julie Kagawa has done it. The Iron Queen, third in the Iron Fey series is the best one so far and that’s saying a lot because books one and two are really good!

The Iron Queen picks off almost exactly where The Iron Daughter ended with both Megan and Ash exiled from the Nevernever. Both the action and the romance start right away and it never slows down.

This book is a perfect balance of plot and romance, one never overpowers the other. Ms. Kagawa’s world building continues to be awesome, with vivid and rich descriptions of the iron kingdom and the creatures that live there. I love a well written fight scene and this book has tons of them.

As great as the plot and the setting are, it’s the characters that really stand out in the series. Megan has matured significantly since book one. She is no longer the self conscious 16-year-old from book one. Instead, she has grown into a strong young woman who understands she has responsibilities and embraces them. And Ash, oh Ash…. I am and always will be Team Ash! The Winter Prince is so swoon worthy, far from perfect, but perfect for Megan. Puck is awesome as always and Grimalkin, well Grimalkin is the brains of the operation.

If you have not started The Iron Fey series, I highly recommend it. It is one of my favorite and I love it so much that I already pre-ordered The Iron Knight, book four in the series, from Amazon. Now I just have to try to wait patiently until October to get it!

Content: Sexual situations and violence. A note to parents who may be screening this book for a younger teen, the romance between Ash and Megan is a lot more intense than in previous books in the series.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: The Faerie Ring
Author: Kiki Hamilton
Publisher: Tor Teen / Macmillan
Publish Date: Sept. 27, 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal, Historical

Summary: London, December 1871. Orphaned and picking pockets in London’s Charing Cross station to support not only herself, but her ‘family’ of orphans, sixteen year-old Tiki steals the Queen’s ring and thinks she’s solved their problems. That is, until Rieker, a pickpocket from the North End, suspects her in the theft and tells her that the ring is really a reservoir that holds a truce between the British and Faerie courts.

When he warns her that the fey will do anything, including murder, to recover the ring, Tiki is unsure whether to believe him or not. To complicate matters, Rieker seems to know something about the unusual birthmark on Tiki’s wrist. But when Tiki and her family are threatened the game changes.

In a dazzling debut that takes you from the gritty slums of Victorian London to the glittering ballrooms of the Royal Palace to the menacing Otherworld, you won’t want to miss this thrilling tale of mystery, adventure and romance.

This book sounds like an amazing mix of paranormal, historical, action and adventure plus the cover is so gorgeous! I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

What books are you waiting on?

Review of The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: August 1, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 359 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review: The Iron Daughter is the sequel to The Iron King, a book that I really loved. The story picks up where the novella, Winter’s Passage, ends and gives us beautiful, vivid descriptions of the Winter Court and the Nevernever.

The Iron Daughter has a bit of everything: action, adventure, romance and an awesome group of characters, some old, some new. The secondary characters really add a lot to the story, especially Ironside, Leanansidhe and especially Grimalkin.

Megan’s character is a sixteen year old girl struggling with first love. She starts off a bit shaky with lots of angst, but she matures and really comes into her own. I love the fact that Megan is so honest with Ash, even at the expense of her own feelings.

While I do like the forbidden, Romeo and Juliet-like romance between Ash and Megan, I do see Puck’s appeal. Both guys are just wonderfully written and it’s the romance and the tension of this love triangle that stands out in the story for me. I usually don’t like love triangles, but this one works. 

The Iron Daughter is a great sequel. I actually think it may even be a bit more exciting than The Iron King, which makes me really anxious to read the third installment, The Iron Queen. This series is shaping up to be one of my favorites!

Content:  Language, violence, lots of sexual tension between Ash and Megan

Review of Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: October 1, 2009
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: In this sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

Review: Let me start by saying I love Maggie Stievater’s writing. I am a fan of her Wolves of Mercy Falls series and really enjoyed Lament, so I was excited to read the sequel and see what happened with the characters.

In Lament, we met Dierdre, or Dee, had the unfortunate distinction of being a cloverhand, one who can see faeries, and this earned her a spot on the faerie queen’s hit list at the hand of Luke, the queen’s assassin. A bit of a love triangle developed with Dee, Luke and James, Dee’s best friend who had been in love with her. I loved Dee’s character in Lament. She was strong, resourceful and grew so much throughout the story. James was an awesome character, handsome, smart, snarky and totally deserving of his own story, especially since (SPOILER) he did not get the girl at the end of the first book.

Ballad is James’ story and it’s great to hear from him. I still love him but I just could not connect with his love interest Nuala or their romance. Dee was virtually unrecognizable, floating through the story every now and again, heartbroken and depressed, her butt-kicking days somewhere behind her.

Stiefvater’s storytelling and knowledge of Celtic lore are solid. Her descriptions of the faeries, the music and the poetry are beautiful. I really do feel like this series needs a third book to redeem Dee and develop Nuala’s character, but I am not sure if another book is in the works.

Content: Language, violence, sexual content, a character is assaulted (I am still not sure if she was raped or not)