Book Review: Warrior by Marie Brennan

Review: Warrior
Series: Doppelganger – Book 1
Author: Marie Brennan
No of Pages: 395
Release Date: 1 August 2008

When a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. For the witch to master her powers, the twin must be killed. But what happens when the doppelganger survives?

Mirage, a bounty hunter, lives by her wits and lethal fighting skills. She always gets her mark. But her new mission will take her into the shadowy worl of witches, where her strength may be no match against magic.

Miryo is a witch who has just failed her initiation test. She now knows that there is someone in the world who looks like her, who is her: Mirage. To control her powers, Miryo has only one choice: to hunt the hunter and destroy her.

My Thoughts:

Warrior was absolutely amazing.

Miryo is in an unusual predicament, as a witch, to gain control of her powers, she must kill someone who looks just like her, who is her. Someone who should have died when she was very young. Miryo has to kill her doppelganger, the other part of herself.

Mirage is on a mission to find out who killed a powerful witch, being wary of witches for most of her life she was uncomfortable with the contact she needs to have with them, but being the best at what she does, she is perfect for the job.

Mirage was by far my favourite of the two girls; she was the typical kick ass fantasy chick. She was a knife wielding, combat expert who people either feared or respected greatly. She worked hard to get where she was and had to fight for it every step of the way because she was different, much as she hated them, she looked exactly like a witch because of her flaming red hair.

Miryo on the other hand was a bit scared, highly intelligent but sheltered and sent off on a mission that she really shouldn’t have been sent off to.

Warrior was a predictable book, but the way it was told, the world it was told in made it something completely new to experience. Brennan’s writing was seamless in her execution of the two characters, each was completely individual, had their own voice.

Brennan crafted a wonderful world incorporating not only magic but assassins which has to be two of my favourite fantasy subjects ever; it was indeed a match made in heaven. Brennan’s writing was impeccable, her fight scenes were some of the best I’ve read in quite a long time, no skimming over details or coping out using phrases such as “I don’t know how it happened, but all of a sudden he was under me and I knocked him unconscious”, Mirage and even Miryo had to work during their fights, Mirage especially, her fight scenes were so detailed my leg started moving without me realising it as I read about her kicking her assailants in the head.

Warrior was also very realistic – well, as much as a fantasy novel can be realistic – things weren’t handed to the characters, there were no short cuts, nearly everything was hard. Mirage and Miryo may have been the best at what they did, but nothing came easy.

Warrior, in it’s mythology, was a little hard to understand at first, what with all the different hands and heads and hearts and elements. I found myself getting quite baffled when reading in Miryo’s point of view for a large portion of the front of the book, but once I understood it, which didn’t happen until about halfway through I found it to be some of the most unique mythology I have read in a long time. Two created from one, all the magic and singing spells kind of got lost in the rest of the story, which I am glad of because I wasn’t a huge fan of the idea, but the baser Witch mythology was very intriguing.

Warrior was a fantastic start to this duology, it left me thinking about it for days afterwards and I am eager to get into the next instalment, Witch.

Also in this series:
Witch

Book Review: Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer

Review: Bloody Jack
Series: Bloody Jack – Book 1
Author: L. A. Meyer
No of Pages: 290
Release Date: 1 June 2004

ADVENTURE AND DECEPTION ON THE HIGH SEAS!

Life as a ship’s boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and daring sailor as the crew hunts murderous pirates on the high seas.

There’s just one problem: Jacky is a girl...

My Thoughts:

Bloody Jack has potential to rival Captain Jack Sparrow, she is that good.

Jacky wasn’t always called Jacky; she was once called Mary, living on the streets of London after That Dark Day when her parents and sister were claimed by the plague. The first part of our story details some of Mary’s adventures on the streets of London, begging, stealing and reading for pennies but when the boy who has been her gangs leader for four years dies she decides it’s time to move on with her life, and pursue her dream of sailing on the water. Because as Jacky says doesn’t matter if you die by hanging or die by drowning, you’re still dead, so she may as well give sailing a go.

I absolutely loved Jacky in every way, her scallywag nature, her adventurous mind and her caring heart. In many situations that most people would have stood back and saved their own necks, Jacky stepped forward and did what was right. Sure Jacky also causes quite a bit of trouble as she gets older, but all of it is good natured and well meaning.

What I loved most about Bloody Jack though – apart from Jacky of course – was the writing. It’s the sort that isn’t overly detailed but one still has the perfect picture of what is going on. The writing flows and reads fairly quickly. I also loved the style of Jacky’s language as she recounted her days in London and on the Dolphin. She literally wrote how she spoke with all of the:

“Methinks meself to bes a proper lady what gets married to some handsome man some day, or so methinks in me dreams and such, I knows I’m not a proper lady, but hopefully someone will takes me good-natured heart and all.”

One would think that may get a little annoying but it was so well done that it only added to the picture being painted. Jacky was no lady, and she never pretended to be, but she did have dreams and those dreams were quite big.

Bloody Jack was also split into five parts which I absolutely loved as well. We weren’t overloaded with plotlines, because Jacky can only do one thing at a time and have one thing on her mind at one time. Five different plotlines weren’t played out through the story but as each part came to a close so that part of the story was over and the next part began. It was marvellous to read because it let me keep track of everything that was going on and fit perfectly with the story.

Add into the masterful writing the plot and you have a perfect piece. Nothing about Jacky’s adventure was ever dull, but you still got time to breathe. Jacky got all the important information across without dumping it on us and still made room for witty remarks and engaging monologue.

I cannot fault Bloody Jack in anyway, the storyline was brilliant, the characters were flawless and Jacky is so loveable that I absolutely cannot wait to revisit her world as soon as possible.

Others in this series:
Curse of the Blue Tattoo
Under the Jolly Roger
In the Belly of the Bloodhound
Mississippi Jack
My Bonny Light Horseman
Rapture of the Deep
The Wake of the Lorei

Book Review: Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind

Review: Wizard’s First Rule
Series: Sword of Truth – Book 1
Author: Terry Goodkind
No of Pages: 764
Release Date: 1 January 1995

One man, Richard Cypher, holds the key to the fate of three nations, to the fate of humanity. But until he learns the Wizard’s First Rule his chances of succeeding in his task are slim. And his biggest problem is admitting magic exists at all…

A novel of incomparable scope and brimming with atmospheric detail: this is a world where heart hounds stalk the magical boundaries between countries, and worlds, for unwary human prey, blood-sucking flies hunt on behalf of their underworld masters, and where artists can draw more than just your likeness.

There is nowhere to hide, nowhere is safe. Here magic makes love twice as sweet, and betrayal and loss twice as bitter.

My Thoughts:

Wizard’s First Rule was epic, in more ways than just the page count.

Richard’s life is turned upside down after his father’s death and his encounter with a strange woman in the woods. Lifelong friends reveal lies that have been told to him since birth and a journey ensues to stop a madman from taking over the world as Richard knows it.

Where do I even start with Goodkind's tale of epic adventure... Wizard’s First Rule felt like three or four books in one, journeys to the mudflats, secret dwellings, dragons lairs and kingdoms surrounded Richards journey, all accompanied by beautiful scenery and a plethora of interesting and well developed characters.

Richard is a charming character. He is kind-hearted good willed and genuinely sweet. Kahlan is a strong stubborn woman who is the most powerful confessor in history and one of the highest ranking officials in Midland. And Zedd is not only comic relief but a powerful First Wizard who helps keep Richard safe and out of trouble by supplying information.

Wizard’s First Rule is a magical tale filled with dragons, epic journeys and quests as well as little spin off stories that Richard encounters along the way. Wizard’s First Rule is never dull even though it is meticulously detailed. I had a perfect picture in my head the entire time because of the scenery and detail being layered around the story.

One doesn’t want for anything with Wizard’s First Rule; it has romance, torture, action, adventure and a lot of logic thrown into the mix. The romance forming between Richard and Kahlan was sweet, it wasn’t lustful or committing it was a companionship that had an underlying tone of passion.

Sure Wizard’s First Rule was a little formulaic you could tell where we were going to end up but I loved the journey that we took to get there. The winding pathways that Richards’s character takes in this book though keeps it interesting. Was I expecting him to be captured by a Mord-Sith (BDSM evil chick who tortures people using their own power against them and breaks their will.)? No. Those kinds of off shoots really kept me going in this, it was the massive twists an plot forks that keep Wizard’s First Rule interesting.

I absolutely cannot wait to dive back into Richard’s story in Stone of Tears to revisit the world Goodkind has created and find out what further adventure’s Richard will encounter.

Others in this series:
Stone of Tears
Blood of the Fold
Temple of the Winds
Soul of the Fire
Faith of the Fallen
The Pillars of Creation
Naked Empire
Chainfire
Phantom
Confessor
The Omen Machine

Book Review: The Shadow Seer by Fran Jacobs

Review: The Shadow Seer
Series: Ellenessia’s Curse – Book 1
Author: Fran Jacobs
No of Pages: 337
Release Date: 2 April 2009

For generations prophets have foreseen the birth of the Shadow Seer, the oracle of dark visions and fallen kingdoms. But by the time of Sorron, King of Carnia, their warnings have mostly been forgotten and his name is known only to a handful of scholars. When Sorron's grandson, Prince Candale, falls deathly ill, the Seer's legends are brought to light once again by his saviour, a witch named Mayrila. She believes that Candale is the fulfilment of those long forgotten prophecies. She believes that he is the Shadow Seer...

My Thoughts:

The Shadow Seer was an extremely interesting read, but it was a little slow in its movement.

Candale is a prince with a secret; he is having prophecies, hearing voices, and seeing people that aren’t there. The Shadow Seer starts with Candale being gravely ill and close to death. All we hear are snippets of conversation between his relatives, arguments between his father and grandfather about how to best help him.

His grandfather sends for a woman named Mayrila, a conniving, gold-digging witch, who seems to be the only person who can help him. Mayrila saves Candale, but she also changes his life forever, revealing herself as his birth mother and him as the Shadow Seer, a dark prophet whose visions will only ever be of death and destruction.

Candale is an interesting character, if a little naive. He is intelligent and easily relatable being a quiet, odd child who fits in well enough at court, but is always dreaming and looking for something more. Candale did get a little infuriating at times when he went off by himself without thinking things through only to nearly get killed by his enemies. At times I wanted to shake him, but mostly I felt empathetic and a little sad about his situation.

The Shadow Seer was well written and completely engaging because it didn’t seem like you were racing to the finish line. Each new event in the timeline was well paced and flowed seamlessly into the plot.

The only problem with The Shadow Seer was that we never really get answers to our questions, the world of Carnia that Jacobs created was superb, but there was so much groundwork to lay that we only got to see snippets about the myths behind the shadow seer and those myths were relentlessly repeated.

The Shadow Seer was an excellently written story with an engaging main character who kept me entertained and continuously coming back for more. The mystery behind who Ellenessia is and how she is going to affect Candale in the long run has me itching to get my hands on the second book in this promising fantasy series.

Book Review: Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

Review: Tempest’s Legacy
Series: Jane True – Book 3
Author: Nicole Peeler
No of Pages: 341
Release Date: 1 January 2011

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl – at least while throwing fire-balls. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news...news that will rock Jane’s world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females – supernatural, Halfling, and human – Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she’s not sure which she finds more frightening.

My Thoughts:

Yet another fantastic instalment of Jane True, packed full of side splitting antics.

Jane is devastated, she has just found out that her mother has been murdered and now she is on a mission, she is going to help Anyan and Ryu find her murderer. As they venture into the borderlands they find that this operation is a lot bigger than originally suspected. Purebloods and Halflings are going missing left right and centre and showing up in research labs either dead or mutilated.

Peeler has once again enthralled me with her world. I have said it before and I will continue saying it, I love her mix of species. This isn’t a vampire novel, nor is it a werewolf novel, it is: an everything novel. From selkies to genies to succubi to imps to brownies and gnomes. People aren’t sexualised, some aren’t even human, but all are mentioned and all play an important part.

Jane is still reigning as one of my favourite female characters and she is only getting better. Jane is now struggling with her new ruthlessness, after her mother dying and a friend gone missing she wants revenge, she wants to hurt people and she’s not afraid to like it. Jane revels in the thought of lobbing mage balls at people, seeing them hurt as much as she does inside, and she realises also that she may be willing to kill. It is a new side to the odd multi levelled character we met in Tempest Rising.

Jane is coming into herself now, she isn’t afraid and that new kickass ability and her steady decrease in vulnerability only adds more and more to her already lovable character. Her libido and her virtue are still fighting, and so are various other parts of her mind, and the fact that she has kept that through all she has been through is remarkable. Jane is still Jane but better.

I loved Anyan from the beginning; he is exactly my type of male. Strong, protective and intelligent he also isn’t afraid to teach Jane how to use her magic which only makes him more likable, he doesn’t want to shelter her which is refreshing. The only thing I didn’t like about him was his habit of calling Jane “honey” towards the end and I am hoping that he breaks his newfound habit very soon.

Speaking of annoying, Ryu returns. Ryu is turning into a character that makes my skin crawl. We all know that guy at work who’s past his prime but still thinks he can get any woman he wants, when really people are talking behind his back because he is a sleaze. That’s Ryu in a nutshell, every time I visualise the guy I add another layer of grease.

Tempest's Legacy was another fantastic instalment in this mind blowing series. I cannot wait until Eye of the Tempest comes out because this series is only getting better as it goes on.

Also in this Series:
Tempest's Rising
Tracking the Tempest
Eye of the Tempest

Book Review: Born Into Fire by Tarah Scott & KyAnn Waters

Review: Born Into Fire
Series: Shadow Elements – Book 1
Author: Tarah Scott & KyAnn Waters
No of Pages: 138
Release Date: 22 November 2010

Ryalda, the Element heroes of old, leak from the void and bring with them beauty, desire...and destruction.

Change is hard, but the unexpected metamorphosis into fire goes beyond any change Kenna Lang could ever have imagined. When she discovers her ancestors are actually ancient beings who exist in a void beyond our universe and the dragons of her childhood dreams are real, life as she knows it is over.

Erion, an Air Element, answers the call of Kenna’s emerging fire to discover a woman on the cusp of transformation. He’s drawn to her, the need to mate overwhelming. However, Erion killed once before by having sex in element form, and has sworn not to merge with another Element. But the discovery that a male Fire Element is intent upon enslaving Kenna’s soul forces Erion to get involved. He will save her. But he aches to do more than protect her. He wants to touch her -- to pleasure her, but he can't risk bonding his Element to hers.

Erion is unprepared for the emotions Kenna awakens in him -- or the lengths to which she will go to save him.

My Thoughts:

Born Into Fire was very hard to follow, but made for a very interesting story.

Kenna is a glass worker, a budding artist who is trying to break into the creative world. She has what seems to be a unique but unrealised ability when she works glass, being able to create life-like colours and shapes.

Kenna is being pursued by a seemingly interested buyer in the form of Hadyn. He seems a little odd and a little too eager to get close to her, but she forgets all of that when she bumps into Eric whilst shopping for supplies. They share an instant connection and he seems familiar, like he is from a dream.

Kenna made for an interesting but shallow character, trying to be a strong presence but not quite getting there. Her work and the insight gathered from the art of glass blowing was what made her interesting, even though we really didn’t get to see much of how she worked.

Eric or Erion as he is referred to mainly is an Air Element. He commands the winds and the air around him when he transforms into air. Erion is somewhat of a mate to Kenna, drawn to her and the heat of her Fire Element. Erion is interesting, he is perfect in many ways, his quiet, protective nature being the main draw point and yet he can be so infuriating in others. In trying to protect Kenna from himself he runs, leaving her confused and vulnerable.


Born Into Fire has an amazing storyline, the idea of people turning into elements when they reach a certain point in their lives is definitely something I haven’t come across before. But it was very hard to understand until right at the end of Born Into Fire exactly what Erion and Kenna were. The descriptions for me were completely overlooked, and what details were given was choppy and under-developed. It was very hard for me to form a picture in my head of what was actually going on.

Born Into Fire also had a lot of sex-breaks. Yes it is an erotic novel, and yes those sex breaks were extremely hot, but Kenna and Erion seemed to be getting down and doing the dirty at really odd times, like right in the middle of a battle with an evil Fire Element, or in the middle of Kenna blowing molten glass. Sure their sex produced more power but sometimes it almost seemed uncalled for and extremely repetitive in their actions and feelings.

Born Into Fire was a very interesting read for me, and although it was hard to follow at first, now that I am up to speed on who and what everybody is, I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment in the Shadow Elements series.

Book Review: Random Magic by Sasha Soren

Review: Random Magic
Author: Sasha Soren
No of Pages: 397
Release Date: 1 January 2010

When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice in Wonderland, young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes. Along the way he meets Winnie Flapjack, a wit-cracking doodle witch with nothing to her name but a magic feather and a plan. Such as it is. Henry and Winnie brave the Dark Queen, whatwolves, pirates, Struths, and fluttersmoths, Priscilla and Charybdis, obnoxiously cheerful vampires, Baron Samedi, a nine-dimensional cat, and one perpetually inebriated Muse to rescue Alice and save the world by tea time.

My Thoughts:

I am still actually trying to look for the words to describe Random Magic, other than completely random.

Random Magic follows the story of Henry and Winnie on their search for Alice from the book, Alice in Wonderland. She escaped from the pages of her book into the pages of another.

Henry provided the human eyes to view the story through. Being a smart kid and extremely observant the train of thought we gleaned from being in his perspective made you feel like you were walking along side the pair as they searched.

Winnie was probably my second favourite character in the entire story, and considering how many characters there were, that’s really saying something. Winnie is a doodle-witch the name for a person who practises magic when they have nothing better to do. Winnie is one of those characters that no matter how many times you read the book, you could never really tell what exactly is going through her mind. She is constantly one step ahead and nothing ever seems to really faze her.

Random Magic wasn’t character driven and it didn’t really seem plot driven either. Random Magic reads like a jumbled mind, as things are thought of they are added, some back story here a visit to an ancient castle there all the while trekking on to the final point which was to find where Alice had ended up. I say this and some people will inevitably think “well what’s the point of that then?” and I say to you: The point is to get lost in the story.

I think this is why I loved Random Magic so much, sure at times it was hard to follow, but I got lost in a world that wasn’t structured or even mildly predictable. A world full of vanishing cats, hostile forests, moving chess pieces and evil substitute teachers from hell. None of it made sense and yet it all came together so well. There were cameos from nearly every fairytale I remember reading and characters that really just wouldn’t fit in anywhere else my favourites being the Muses.

The nine muses took form in Random Magic, one of those muses being Callie the writing muse. Callie was no doubt my favourite character and will remain my favourite character because Random Magic not only let me get lost in a world full of random magic, but it also let me get lost within my own imagination once again.

I can say right now that Random Magic will not be for everyone. There are inconsistent time jumps, a few unanswered questions and especially in the beginning it is a little hard to follow but for anyone that really wants to get lost in a story once again and not have any way of knowing how the story ends or what on earth is going to happen in between will absolutely love it.

Is it just me? The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind

The newest Richard and Kahlan novel! Coming 2011.

I am uber excited about this info! Although I only got halfway through The Sword of Truth Series I am restarting it and I was always sad to think the Confessor was the last book in the series because I absolutely love Richard and Kahlan.

Now finding out about The Omen Machine I am both excited and scared...because of the synopsis.

"An accident leads to the discovery of a mysterious machine that has rested hidden deep underground for countless millennia. The machine awakens to begin issuing a series of increasingly alarming, if minor, omens. The omens turn out to be astonishingly accurate, and ever more ominous. As Zedd tries to figure out how to destroy the sinister device, the machine issues a cataclysmic omen involving Richard and Kahlan, foretelling an impending event beyond anyone's ability to stop. As catastrophe approaches, the machine then reveals that it is within its power to withdraw the omen ...In exchange for an impossible demand."


********

Is it just me or does that sound a bit like a Sci-Fi Novel?

I don't seem to remember there being any machines in the Sword of Truth world or it talking...

That was more Wizard of Oz type fantasy rather than Midland Fantasy.

Hopefully it will have a little more context once I get around to it...

Book Review: The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott

Review: The Swan Kingdom
Author: Zoe Marriott
No. Of Pages: 258
Release Date: 11th March, 2008

Shadows have fallen across the beautiful and lush Kingdom. The queen was attacked by an unnatural beast, and the healing skills of her daughter, Alexandra, cannot save her. Too soon the widowed king is spellbound by a frightening stranger – a woman whose eyes reflect no light. In a terrifying moment, all Alexandra knows disappears, including her beloved brothers, leaving her to a barren land unlike her own.

Alexandra has more gifts than even she realizes as she is confronted with magic, murder, and the strongest of evil forces. She is unflinchingly brave and clever as she struggles to reclaim what she knows is rightfully hers.

My Thoughts:

I have always loved the story of The Wild Swans by Hans Christen Andersen. This book does not disappoint.

The Swan Kingdom in itself, is a very well written tale, the underlying tones of The Wild Swans just makes it that much better.

As with all retellings, The Swan Kingdom does take many aspects from The Wild Swans but not so much as to not make it unique. I read Marriott’s reasons as to how and why she wrote the book, answering questions she asked when first reading The Wild Swans and I can understand where she is coming from, although I would have preferred it if she had stuck a little closer to the story.

Alyxandra is a good, strong character. She is a little dumb in the fact that she never actually explored her powers like any normal child would, but she makes up for it with her intelligence of getting away from the forest and back to where she needed to be.

The secondary characters aren’t fleshed out as much; Alyxandra gives us a brief description of her brothers and the guy she meets. But other than that it was all Alyxandra, which can get a little boring at times, she was very colourful, whereas all the other characters and her world, were black and white, and sometimes a little blurry.

I don’t get why it was added, but I loved the power from the earth aspect and how she could bring greenery back to life with her thoughts and touch. The part she played in this aspect of the story was a little far-fetched though towards the end.

Overall, The Swan Kingdom was a wonderful revisit to one of my favourite childhood stories. Although not as good as the original, it makes its mark as a strong story of its own, and one that many who like myself love Hans Christen Anderson’s work, will love this as well.

Available at:
Amazon
Book Depository

Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Review: The Iron King

Series: Iron Fey – Book 1
Author: Julie Kagawa
No. of Pages: 363
Release Date: 1st February 2010

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY – ONE SHE NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

My Thoughts:

The Iron King doesn’t live up to the surrounding hype in my opinion.

It’s all been done before, daughter of Oberon, the close friend Puck, the trek through faeryland and a changeling somewhere in the midst of it all. The Iron King has its high points and there was a good plot driving the story, but I couldn’t help but get the feeling of déjà vu.

Meghan’s brother is taken by someone from faeryland and replaced with a changeling. Meghan who has never fit into the society around her finds out that her best friend, Robbie Goodfell, is actually the Puck of legend. She asks him to help her get her brother back. And so, the adventure ensues.

The start was a bit slow, but once we get out of the summer court The Iron King does get quite intriguing. The detail put into the book was very vivid and although a bit much at times, created a colourful image in my mind that I quite enjoyed exploring through the eyes of Meghan.

Meghan is a strong character, she is focused and wilful. And smart. That was the high point of The Iron King, Meghan wasn’t stumbling around waiting for people to save her, she actually figured things out for herself, and while making a few mistakes they weren’t the cringe worthy disasters I have grown so used to when it comes to YA adventure stories. She worked out exactly how to bargain with the fey, where to go and after being taught, tapping into her power source.

Meghan was also believable. At one point towards the end, she is tempted by an offer, and to be honest I probably would have had a tougher time saying no to what was on the table. Yes she was tempted, she’s half human. She didn’t take it, but she was tempted. She also wasn’t all over Ash, the love interest, she was able to stay focused on the task at hand, and although some tantalising flirting was explored, Meghan didn’t lose sight of what she was there to do.

Grimalkin, the cat, I loved him, so smart, so funny, so witty, so Cheshire. Every time he spoke I got the Cheshire cat in my head. I don’t know if Kagawa did it intentionally, but if she didn’t...

The only other point was the swearing. We were censored for the first part of the book, when her mother was around. But as soon as Meghan entered faeryland, it’s like the gloves were off no holds barred so to speak. The language that was used was not offensive in my opinion but considering the fact that we had the line “said a word my mother would have grounded me for” in the first part to full blown S-bombs in the second and third, it was just a little unexpected.

So The Iron King, intriguing, strong character – read it for Meghan in my opinion – a little cliché, funny and strong story. Anyone who like faeries will love it, anyone who likes smart characters who don’t need to be told what is right in front of their faces will love it, and anyone who likes Alice in Wonderland will love it as well.

Others in this series:
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen

Others who have reviewed this:
Tigers All Consuming Books
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!

Available at:
Amazon
Book Depository

Book Review: Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

Review: Fire Study
Series: Study Trilogy – Book 3
Author: Maria V. Snyder
No. Of Pages: 441
Release Date: 1 December 2009

THE APPRENTICESHIP IS OVER – NOW THE REAL TEST HAS BEGUN

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder – able to capture and release souls – spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena’s unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before...

Honour sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself – and save the land she holds dear.

My Thoughts:

Book Review: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Review: Magic Study

Series: Study Trilogy – Book 2

Author: Maria V. Snyder

No. Of Pages: 390

Release Date: 1 September 2009

YOU KNOW YOUR LIFE IS COMPLICATED WHEN YOU MISS YOUR DAYS AS A POISON TASTER...

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be united with the family she’s been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But although she has gained her freedom, she once again finds herself alone – separated from her lover Valek and suspected as a spy for her reluctance to conform to Sitian ways.

Despite the turmoil, she’s eager to start her magic training – especially as she’s been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes embroiled in a plot to reclaim Ixia’s throne for a lost prince – and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn’t bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with her new enemies...

My Thoughts:

Book Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Review: Poison Study

Series: Study Trilogy – Book 1

Author: Maria V. Snyder

No. Of Pages: 361

Release Date: 30 December 2008

CHOOSE: a QUICK DEATH OR A SLOW POISON...

On the eve of her execution for murder, Yelena Zaltana is offered an incredible reprieve – on the condition that she becomes the food taster for the military leader of Ixia, Commander Ambrose.

Avoiding poison is the least of her troubles, however...General Brazell, father of the man she killed, has vowed bloody revenge; she’s beginning to have feelings for her captor, Valek; and someone is plotting the downfall of the current regime.

In a desperate race against time, Yelena must learn to control the growing magical talent within her and master the demons of her past. The Commander’s life, the future of Ixia and all those she loves depend on it...

My Thoughts:

Book Review: Wondrous Strange by Leslie Livingston

Review: Wondrous Strange

Series: Wondrous Strange Trilogy – Book 1

Author: Lesley Livingston

No. Of Pages: 327

Release Date: 23 December 2008

SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME, THE FAERIE HAVE TAKEN...

Seventeen-year-old actress Kelly Winslow always thought faeries were just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery. He’s a changeling – a mortal taken as an infant and raised among Faerie – and within short order he’s turned Kelley’s heart inside out and her life upside down.

For Kelley’s beloved Central Park isn’t just a park – it’s a gateway between her ordinary city and the Faerie’s dangerous, bewitching Otherworld. Now Kelley’s eyes are opening not just to the Faerie that surround her, but to the heritage that awaits her...a destiny both wondrous and strange.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book!

To be perfectly honest I was a little afraid to read this because of all the hype, everyone loves it, which usually means that I don’t but this case everyone was right, Wondrous Strange is a masterfully written tale.

Kelley is stubborn and wilful but in the absolute best way possible, she’s smart and uses her head, she knows when things are wrong and doesn’t go charging into danger deliberately. Although it does seem to find her. I can relate to her in the way that she handles things, she takes it all in might not believe half of it and just goes with the flow which is wonderful to witness.

Sonny is perfect. He’s charming and caring but not overbearingly so, he is there for Kelley when she is in danger but doesn’t treat her like a child. He treats her like a person and actually asks her to stay safe, not tell her, which is refreshing.

I think the main reason I loved this book is because it incorporates my all time favourite play, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. The fact that the play was acted out within the book, Kelley is the actress playing Titania, whilst everything was going on in the real world was awesome.

I will chuck in a little extra peek, the guy who plays Puck in the play who befriends Kelley in real life, is awesome! Once you know who he is your jaw will probably drop like mine did, so make sure if you read this book to pay attention.

I was admittedly a little confused in the beginning with all of the new terms and dream sequences but as the story progressed I became more and more engrossed. I did figure out a couple of the big bombshells early but there were definitely things that took me completely by surprise as I read them.

I will say that I think, from memory, this is my first real trip into the world of Faerie. I can’t remember reading too much about them before this unless they cropped up in other book but were not the main focus. This is the perfect introduction to full on Faerie and I recommend it to everyone.

This book is part of a trilogy and I will definitely be picking up the next two books.

4.5/5

Others in this Series:
Darklight


Others who have reviewed this:
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!

Available From:
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