Waiting on Wednesday: Antigoddess

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

Title: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publish Date: Sept. 10, 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology

Goodreads Summary: Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.
These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Why am I waiting on Antigoddess? I love Greek mythology and Kendare Blake has proven that she can write. Her debut novel, Anna Dressed in Blood, scared the mess out of me but it was still well written. I’m really excited about Antigoddess but September seems so far away… What books are you waiting on?

Audiobook Review: The Selection

Title: The Selection by Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper Audio
Narrator: Amy Rubinate
Duration: 8 hours, 7 mins
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I know there has been crazy drama on Goodreads about this book/the author/her agent BUT I was intrigued by the summary and still wanted to read it. It reminded me of a cross between The Bachelor (a TV show I dislike) and the biblical story of Esther (a story I absolutely adore) so I figured I would either love it or hate it. Turns out my feelings are in the middle: this is an OK book for me.  

Even though The Selection is billed as dystopia, I would consider it more of fantasy novel. It’s set in a future where the US has been through several wars, has been renamed Illea and the people are subjected to a caste system. America Singer (ridiculous name, by the way), our main character, is in love with Aspen but his lower caste prevents them from being together.  

As far as characters go, America really annoyed me. She was whiny, selfish and complained her way through the book. I was never very invested in the relationship between her and Aspen (which was already established when the story started) so it didn’t bother me when he broke up with her. If he had manned up and joined the resistance to fight the repulsive caste system that kept him and his family down for generations, maybe then I could get on board with him as a swoony love interest but The Selection is not that kind of story.

On the other hand, I loved Prince Maxon and all the effort he made to really build a relationship with America. Maxon was sweet and such a gentleman. The choice between Maxon and Aspen seems obvious but America annoyingly vacillates between them both. I’m not always a fan of love triangles and did not like this one at all.

The plot of the story is all fluff, which is not a bad thing because sometimes you need fluff books in your life. There is a secondary plot involving rebels trying to overthrow the government and I found myself very interested in it but it was not extensively explored but hopefully it will be in the next book.

Cass’s writing is just OK, she does a lot of telling rather than showing and reuses certain phases a bit too much. I didn’t need to hear about Aspen smelling like his mom’s homemade soap over and over again. 

Since I listened to The Selection as an audiobook, I will take a minute to talk about that aspect of it. Amy Rubinate’s narration was decent but since the last audio I listened to was Clockwork Prince (which was EPIC!), her reading had a lot to live up to. I thought the narration started out a bit monotone but got better as the story went on.

I heard that The Selection was being made into a TV series on the CW and I think this story would make a really cool TV show. I think America would make a better TV character than book character. Like I said before, it’s fluff so if you want something more profound, this may not be the book for you. Personally, I’m OK with a book about princes and pretty dresses every once in a while.

Content: Kissing and teenage girls drinking wine.

My Rating: Just Fine

Waiting on Wednesday: Chantress

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

Title: Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publish Date: May 7, 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Goodreads Summary: Sing and the darkness will find you.

Shipwrecked on an island seven years ago, Lucy has been warned she must never sing, or disaster will strike. But on All Hallows Eve, Lucy hears tantalizing music in the air. When she sings it, she unlocks a terrible secret: She is a Chantress, a spell-singer, brought to the island not by shipwreck but by a desperate enchantment gone wrong.

Her song lands her back in England — and in mortal peril, for the kingdom lies in the cruel grasp of a powerful Lord Protector and his mind-reading hunters, the Shadowgrims. The Protector has killed all Chantresses, for they alone can destroy the Shadowgrims. Only Lucy has survived.

In terrible danger, Lucy takes shelter with Nat, a spy who turns her heart upside-down. Nat has been working with his fellow scholars of the Invisible College to overthrow the Lord Protector, and they have long hoped to find a living Chantress to help them. But Lucy is completely untrained, and Nat deeply distrusts her magic. If Lucy cannot master the songspells, how long can she even stay alive?

Why am I waiting on Chantress? This book sounds so good! Plus, this combination of historical fiction and fantasy wrapped up in this pretty cover is hard for me to resist. What books are you waiting on?

Book Review: Seraphina

Title: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 467 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

I have to start this review by talking about how original this book is. I’ve read other fantasy stories where the dragons are able to take on human appearance but none have ever been set in a world quite like this.

Seraphina Dombegh is a half dragon, half human girl born into a world where dragons and humans coexist only because of a very fragile peace treaty. The two races distrust each other intensely. Seraphina’s very existence is considered an abomination and must be kept secret and so her life is an intricate web of lies. Seraphina’s human father would gladly keep her hidden but Seraphina, a smart girl of enormous musical talent, is determined to live as full a life as she can despite believing herself to be a monster.

Hartman’s world building is fantastic! It’s easy to become lost in the history, the politics and the life in Goredd. This story involves several social issues including discrimination (both on the basis of race and sexual orientation), religion and bullying. Hartman does not skimp on the details that completely bring this book to life: the music, the clothes, the importance of saints in their religion, the fantastical characters – it’s all there. Her plot is well developed and the story is well written.

So with all this awesome world building and good writing, what’s my issue with Seraphina? The book starts off really well but the middle drags and drags. This is a long book and it took me quite awhile to get through it. I found myself waiting for something exciting to happen as the story slowly developed but I found myself bored and tempted to abandon the book altogether.

Additionally, I didn’t have any strong feelings of like or dislike towards Seraphina. She is likable enough character but I didn’t really connect with her. There is also my issue with Seraphina’s love interest being engaged to someone else. Granted, Princess Glisselda and Prince Lucian Kiggs are first cousins (gross, I know), but they are still engaged and Glisselda and Seraphina are friends, making the romance even more distasteful. 

While Seraphina may have been too slow for me, I’m in the minority as most other reviews I have seen rave about the book. If you love high fantasy and don’t mind a slow moving plot, Seraphina may be the book for you. The action does pick up in the end and while there is no cliffhanger, Seraphina does not appear to be a standalone novel, but the first in a series.

Content: Kissing, discrimination, bullying and violence.

My Rating: Just Fine

Book Review: Fated

Title: Fated by Alyson Noel

Release Date: May 22, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Mythology, Fantasy
Source: Won from Goodreads First Reads Program

Goodreads Summary: Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

While I have not read Alyson Noel’s Immortals series (I have seen lots of mixed reviews about it), I was very excited to read Fated. The summary is awesome and the cover is gorgeous. Fated is a cool mix of South American and Native American mythology with interesting characters and a little romance mixed it.

While Daire has always experienced interesting phenomena like stopping time for a few minutes, it’s on her sixteenth birthday that she has an episode in Morocco where she sees things and lashes out violently at the people around her. After several more episodes, her mother has to either have her committed to a mental hospital or send Daire to live in New Mexico with a grandmother she has never met but who promises to treat Daire with natural remedies. Daire grandmother tells her she is not crazy but descended from a long line of Soul Seekers, and while Daire responds to this new information with a healthy dose of skepticism, she begins to have otherworldly experiences that make her realize her grandmother was telling the truth all along.

I love the Southwestern setting, it’s perfect for the mythology in the book. There are some very cool aspects to this story such as the way Daire descends into the Lowerworld and the spirit animals. I also really liked the portions of the book where Daire shifts her consciousness into various animals and insects, especially the cockroach. 

I like Daire. She has a cool sense of style and I love how tough she is and the way she stands up to the mean girls at school. I also like the secondary characters such as Daire’s grandmother and her friend, Chay. Daire’s mother is flighty, childlike and completely unaware of what’s going on with her daughter and even though I’m not a fan of absentee parents in YA books, the circumstances here are well done as Daire’s grandmother is very active in her life. Of course, there is a bad guy: the gorgeous Cade who just happens to have an identical twin, Dace. Cade and Dace and complete opposites: evil twin and good twin and not surprisingly, Daire falls for good twin Dace.

I don’t really like the relationship between Daire and Dace. It’s not exactly insta-love because Daire had been dreaming about Dace before they ever met but their relationship is not exactly well developed either. Additionally, Dace comes across as being so good, he just seems naïve to me. Just like his brother and Daire, Dace also has powers and I feel he should have a clue about what his evil twin was up to.

Despite my issue with the romance, I enjoyed the mythology in Fated and look forward to the next book in the series.

Content: Kissing, violence and underage drinking.

My Rating: Just fine

Waiting on Wednesday: The Archived

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

Title: The Archived by Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Hyperion
Publish Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

Why am I waiting on The Archived? The summary had me at the very first line! This sounds dark, eerie and so good. The cover also adds to the awesomely spooky factor and I cannot wait to read this. What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Days of Blood and Starlight

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

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Publish Date: Nov. 6, 2012
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Why am I waiting on Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2)? Daughter of Smoke and Bone was incredible! You can read my review here. It was easily one of my favorite books for 2012 and I have been anxiously awaiting the sequel ever since. Additionally, the cover of Days of Blood and Starlight is so beautiful and complements the first book perfectly. What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Stormdancer

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

Title: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Publish Date: Sept. 18, 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk

Goodreads Summary: A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium is verging on the brink of environmental collapse; decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshippers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, land choked with toxic pollution, wildlife ravaged by mass extinctions.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of the imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger—a legendary beast, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows thunder tigers have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a hidden gift that would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Why am I waiting on Stormdancer? Look at this cover you guys! I adore books with multi-cultural characters and/or settings and this fantasy Japanese setting sounds awesome! PLUS, Stormdancer has steampunk, griffins and the main character is both telepathic and a samurai?!? This is pretty much a must read for me. What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Assassin’s Curse

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

Title: The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clark

Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Publish Date: Oct. 2, 2012
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: Ananna of the Tanarau is the eldest daughter of a highly-ranked family in the loose assortment of cutthroats and thieves in the Pirate's Confederation. When she runs away from the marriage her parents have arranged for her, they hire Naji the assassin to murder her.

When a mysterious woman in a dress shop offers her magical assistance for dealing with the assassin, Ananna accepts. She never went in much for magic herself -- she lacks the talent for it -- but she's not quite ready to die yet, either. Unfortunately, the woman's magic fails.

Fortunately, Ananna inadvertently saves the assassin's life in the skirmish, thus activating a curse that had been placed on him a few years earlier. Now, whenever her life is in danger, he must protect her -- or else he experiences tremendous physical pain. Neither Ananna nor the assassin, Naji, are pleased about this development.

Follow Annana and Naji as they sail across the globe, visiting such mysterious places as the Court of Salt and Waves, in their desperate effort to lift the curse. Soon they will discover that only by completing three impossible tasks will they be able to set themselves free.

Why am I waiting on The Assassin’s Curse? I know I’m not supposed to judge a book by its cover but seriously guys, the artwork on this cover is gorgeous! Plus, it sounds really, really good and like the kind of high fantasy book that I love. What books are you waiting on?

Book Review: Prophet

Title: Prophet by R. J. Larson

Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Christian
Source: Won from LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Goodreads Summary: Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified and bad-tempered, and at age seventeen she's much too young. In addition, no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as Parne's elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.

Yet she can't imagine living without Him. Determined to hear the Infinite's voice, Ela accepts the sacred vinewood branch and is sent to bring the Infinite's word to a nation torn apart by war. There she meets a young ambassador determined to bring his own justice for his oppressed people. As they form an unlikely partnership, Ela battles how to balance the leading of her heart with the leading of the Infinite.

I love crossover Christian fiction. It gives everyone, even those who normally wouldn’t read a Christian novel, the chance to enjoy the genre without feeling that they are being preached to. Prophet is a fantastic example of really good crossover Christian fiction. This book easily appeals to YA readers, fantasy lovers and anyone who likes action and supernatural elements in their books.

In a vision, 17-year-old Ela Roeh sees the city of Ytar being attacked and burned to the ground by the rivaling city-state, Istgard. Ela hears the voice of the Infinite choosing her to be his prophet and go to Istgard, tell them to turn from their evil ways and free the women and children they look captive in Ytar. Even though she is afraid, Ela accepts this enormous and daunting task, one that changes her life in ways she could never imagine.

The world building in Prophet is awesome. Larson makes it easy to envision impressive ancient cities, bloody battle scenes and ferocious wild animals with deadly venom. I really enjoyed getting lost in Ela’s world and especially loved the characters.

Ela is not your typical main character. She doesn’t wield a sword (her staff is very cool, however) or is able to singlehandedly fight off armies of men. She is really just an ordinary girl who is chosen for an extraordinary purpose. I love Ela, she is brave, determined, completely trusts the Infinite and through Him, she does extraordinary things. I love that she is still human and works hard to keep her snark in check. Even though every prophet from Parne has died young, Ela still marches courageously into every situation not knowing if she will survive it. The other characters are very well written as well and I loved the sweet romance between Ela and Kien. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, Judge, to see where this romance goes.

Prophet is an exciting and sweeping novel that I highly recommend for fantasy lovers everywhere, teens and adults alike. Judge comes out in November and it’s definitely on my must read list for the end of the year. On a side note, the cover of Prophet is perfect! It looks exactly like how Ela is described in the book.

Content: Kissing and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Waiting on Wednesday: Throne of Glass

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

Title: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publish Date: Aug. 7, 2012
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Why am I waiting on Throne of Glass? Have you guys heard all the buzz about this book? It sounds awesome and I love a good fantasy novel! Additionally, it’s also been getting rave reviews and I’m really excited to read it for myself. What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Splintered

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

Title: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Publisher: Amulet Books
Publish Date: Jan. 1, 2013
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell -- the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers ... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.

Why am I waiting on Splintered? The cover is so gorgeously creepy and perfect for a story involving Alice in Wonderland! The summary sounds awesome and fantastical. I can’t wait to read this! What books are you waiting on?

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!

Waiting on Wednesday: Crewel

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

Title: Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: Oct. 16, 2012
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: Incapable. Awkward. Artless. That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Why am I waiting on Crewel? The summary sounds very original and the time weaving element sounds fantastic. I’m really excited to read this! What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Defiance

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

Title: Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publish Date: Aug. 28, 2012
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Why am I waiting on Defiance? The summary sounds fantastic and the cover is absolutely beautiful. HarperTeen definitely has some of the most beautiful YA book covers out there. What books are you waiting on?

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: Magic Under Glass

Title: Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Release Date: Dec. 22, 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 225 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Read for the Multi-Cultural Book Challenge

Goodreads Summary: Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir.

Unsettling below-stairs rumors abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

Magic Under Glass is a short and sweet fairy tale. The story is told from the first person perspective of Nimira, a dancer and singer who is hired to perform with an automaton that people believe is haunted.

The story is set in a world where humans were at war with fairies in the past and relations with them are still very strained. Nim is an outsider in the country of Lorinar, a brown-skinned foreigner who went there to make her fortune. Nim is treated poorly by most people and jumps at the chance to work for Parry, partly to get out her dead-end job situation and partly because she secretly hopes the rich and powerful sorcerer may be romantically interested in her. All that changes when she meets Erris and finds out that he is not an automaton at all.

I liked the fantasy world the Dolamore created and thought her descriptions of the settings were wonderful. However, I did not connect with any of the characters emotionally and thought they were underdeveloped. I liked Nim and Erris and wanted them to have their happily-ever-after, of course, but I would have loved some more depth from both of them.

Despite my feelings about character development, I am looking forward to the sequel, Magic Under Stone, which was released yesterday. Magic Under Glass is sweet and worth reading, especially if you are in a fairy-tale mood.

Content: Kissing and violence

My Rating: Just Fine

Cover Reveal: The Lost Girl

Title: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Publisher: Balzer+Bray
Publish Date: Aug. 28, 2012
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Summary: Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination - an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her 'other', if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she's ever known - the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love - to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

I recently discovered this book on Goodreads and have been excited about it ever since. Now that it has a this beautiful cover, I’m even more excited. Loving the idea that the main character has to go to India, because a story involving forbidden love and India has got to be awesome!

Waiting on Wednesday: Ironskin

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

Title: Ironskin by Tina Connelly

Publisher: Tor Books
Publish Date: Oct. 2012
Genre: Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It's the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain -- the ironskin.

Now Jane returns to the war-torn country to help a fey-cursed child. Helping the unruly Dorie suppress her curse is hard enough -- she certainly didn't expect to fall for the girl's father, the enigmatic artist Mr. Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio -- and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows he cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things are true? Step by step Jane must unlock the secrets of her new life -- and discover just how far she will go to become whole again.

Why am I waiting on Ironskin? The summary had me at fey curse and Great War, but the awesome cover really sealed the deal. What books are you waiting on?

Book Review: Touch of Power

Title: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Release Date: Dec. 20, 2011
Publisher: Mira
Pages: 304 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

I’m a fan of Maria V. Snyder. Poison Study and Inside Out are two books I absolutely love so I was excited to see that she has a new fantasy series for me to get lost in. Touch of Power is classic Snyder and it does not disappoint.

No doubt, Snyder is a master at world building. The plague ravaged Fifteen Realms is in shambles and the political leaders that are left alive are scrambling to grab as much power and territories as they can. Avry, who has been hiding and on the run for years, becomes a pawn in this political game. Throw in characters with special magical abilities and carnivorous flowers big enough to swallow a person whole and you have an unputdownable book that will keep you absolutely engaged to the end.

Speaking of characters with special abilities, Avry’s healing is very cool. She is also snarky and having the story told from her perspective is a treat. My only complaint is that at times, Avery’s narration is a bit too modern and out of place with the rest of the fantasy setting. Still, I love Avry, she is definitely another wonderful and memorable character that Ms. Snyder has created.

Kerrick is a huge jerk at the beginning of the book. He’s a brooding kill-joy and a bit of a bully at first, but thankfully, he fully redeems himself by the end. While I know I shouldn’t, I did compare him to Valek from Poison Study and while I don’t love him as much as Valek, Kerrick does have his own kind of awesome going for him. The secondary characters are very well written as well. Kerrick’s men are so lovable and the bad guy is especially pervy and awful. He is definitely the guy you love to hate.

As an escapist reader, I really enjoyed getting lost in another of Maria Snyder’s fabulous worlds. I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers everywhere, and even if you don’t usually read fantasy, you should try Touch of Power. It’s that good! 

Content: Kissing, sexual situations, implied sex (no detailed descriptions) and violence. This is not a YA novel and most of the characters, including Avry and Kerrick, are in their twenties. I don't think it is appropriate for younger teens but older, more mature teens should be fine.

My Rating: The Best!