They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.
Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.
Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers. Quoted from Goodreads
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Read this book.
I'm serious. Go to the library, borrow it from a friend, visit your local bookstore---whatever you need to do to get your hands on this book. It is that good.
This book picks up a few months after Steelheart (and if you haven't read that book yet, what are you waiting for?). Someone is sending Epics to attack Newcago, so Prof, Tia, and David head to Babylon Restored to confront Regalia, Oblivion, and Firefight/Megan. If you liked book one, this is possibly (probably) better. In Steelheart, we mostly see Steelheart. Here we have multiple Epics to destroy and more mysteries to solve.
This book starts with a bang and never lets you put it down. I loved Steelheart, so this was clearly one of my top anticipated books of 2015, and it met every expectation and then some. Some of the things I loved: David. He is one of my favorite main characters. I love his focus, his worry about being a nerd, his horrible (totally makes me laugh) metaphors/smilies, his earnest belief in others, and his impulsive nature. Plus he grows even more in this book. He leaves the only city he's ever known, and has to deal with a different world, full of different rules and people. I love how he discovers and confronts his fear of water, watching his interactions at his first party, his relationship with Firefight/Megan and Prof.
Worldbuilding: It's Brandon Sanderson, so you know this is going to be good. I love the new city---New York, aka Babylon Restored---and how creative it is. It's a complete contrast to what we saw in Newcago and even more creative. It's a completely unique end of the world scenario and I really loved the feel of it. Plus, it presents its own challenges and trials. Along with the city itself is the mystery surrounding Epics and their weaknesses. There are so many fun and unique powers here. We get to skip right past the standard super strength and flight to truly unique and creative skill sets.
Action: There is so much action. We start with a fight, and that's just the beginning. I mean, how are you supposed to resist these two sentences. "My name is David Charleston. I kill people with super powers." You can't. This book hooked me in from the beginning and just kept getting better and better. By the last quarter so many amazing things were happening I couldn't stop smiling with excitement . . . or turning pages.
Basically, this book is amazing. I said it with Steelheart and I echo it again. If I were a hollywood producer/director, this is the movie I would make. It's got everything you could possibly want it a good story: tight plot, amazing bad guy, unexpected twists, mystery, action, peril, flawed/real characters, and an unique backdrop for it all to take place.
This book is a strong 5 stars for me. I know that's starting the year out on a high note---I mean, where am I supposed to go from here---but this book totally deserves it. Read it.
Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.
The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.
The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over. Quoted from Goodreads
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Loved it.
I was going to leave it at that. I mean, if you've made it through the previous nine books, you have to be a fan of the series, but I'll be honest, I never would have thought I'd enjoy it as much as I have when I started reading the first book.
This was the perfect ending to the series. It's reminiscent of the first book, The Lost Hero, in that we get POV from Jason, Piper, and Leo (with Rayna and Nico thrown in, which made for a more complete story and a nice change). It was an excellent way to end the series, but at the same time, that was probably my only complaint with the book. I wanted to at least get a chapter or two from Percy's POV, maybe get a little bit of Annabeth thrown in there. We still find out what happens to the characters, and see plenty of action with them, but we never get their POV specifically. Granted, the arcs that Rick Riordan did choose to follow made sense and covered all the important parts of the story and what was happening. It's just the selfish part of me that wanted a chapter or two from Percy.
As for action, this book, like all the others never lets up. It's like Rick Riordan is trying to torture his readers. Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, and when he switches POVs, it's in the most inconvenient place ever. There is always screaming or mortal peril involved. Still, it keeps you turning pages, making the book next to impossible to put down.
As for the end? I loved it. It was perfect. Really, besides my whole Percy rant, it was better than I could have expected. I'm not going to go into details about who lives or dies and what happens after, but really, it was everything I wanted, and I'm perfectly satisfied with the way everything ended up.
If you're a fan of the series, pick up this book now. It's got everything you might want in the story and wraps up the series nicely. I know I've been really vague about everything, but I don't want to give anything away. I'm giving The Blood of Olympus 4.5 amazing stars. It's been a fun roller coaster ride and I'm sad to see it end. Still, there's always his Norse mythology series that comes out next year . . .
How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.
Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.
Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate. Quoted from Goodreads
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I hardly know what to say about this book. Did I enjoy it? Of course. But it's in a hard position. There was so much hype after the first one, that how could the second one live up to it? Personally, I think it did a pretty good job. Did I have a few issues? Sure. Does it suffer a bit from second book syndrome? Yes. But it's still a well written, adventure filled book in a devastatingly tragic world.
This is a fast read. Things happen and keep happening, breaking off at the worst possible moments so you have to keep reading or skip ahead, just to know if the characters you love survive . . . because some of them don't.
Just a heads up, the format in this book is a bit different. The first two thirds is a nice rotation between the main characters we got in The 5th Wave, with the addition of Ringer (which, I'll be honest, kind of bugged me a bit. It's not that I didn't like her story or find it compelling because it was. I just didn't care as much about her as I did Cassie, Ben, Sam, or Evan). Then the last third is entirely Ringer, so while I came to care about her as a character and her story was interesting, I wanted to see more of the characters I loved so well from the first book.
Of course, loving characters is always a danger in this series. People die. It's sad. It's shocking. and it tears your heart out just a little. At the same time, there's just enough hope and mystery that you can't help but keep caring about the different characters in their struggle to survive.
One of the things I enjoyed most was the mystery of why the aliens were destroying humanity the way they were. They talk about the dinosaurs being wiped out with one meteor, so why the different waves? It's cruel, intended to destroy what makes people human, and I found it to be an interesting question I can't wait to explore in the next book.
I read several reviews before reading the book, trying to gage how much I should lower my expectations, and one thing I found completely wrong was the repeated statement that there was basically no romance in this book. There is. In fact, it's the realistic, perfect amount for the situation. Sure, there's no great declarations of love or overly-detailed make-out scenes, but that would not have fit into the world that's created or the characters.
I realize this book review is rather vague. I just didn't want to give anything away and spoil the book for you. So, should you read this? Absolutely---especially if you loved the first book. It's a nail-biting, heart-pounding adventure, full of betrayal, death, compassion, consequences, and promises. I'm giving it a strong 4 stars. Now I'm forced to endure until the third book comes out, answers all the questions, and I know who survives this roller coaster.
“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him. Quoted from Goodreads
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This very possibly my favorite Kiersten White book, and that's saying something. I adored her Paranormalcy series and thoroughly enjoyed her Mind Game duology, but this one is better. Maybe because it was only one book, but really I think I just loved the characters, setting, all of it.
Jessamin is a perfect main character. She defies society's conventions, but instead of feeling forced or modern, like so many books, it works because she's foreign, and it makes a difference. She's strong, independent, and determined to make her own choices (you can see one of the reasons the title works so well). Because she's an outsider, we also get to see Albion through her eyes, introducing us to the country and the world of the book in an organic way.
It's not just Jessamin who is wonderful. You can't help but love Finn, of course. He's gorgeous, smart, sweet, and mysterious. He's the reason this story takes place, the single factor that starts everything, but the story ends with Jessamin. But the good characters don't end there. Possibly my absolute favorite is the girl who becomes Jessamin's best friend, Eleanor. She's bubbly, vivacious, and deceptively cunning in the best way possible. She's one of those characters I would love to be best friends with, and she steals the spotlight whenever she enters the story.
As for the villains, they are horribly evil in the best way possible. Besides shadowing her with black birds (Hitchcock's The Birds, anyone---so creepy), he tortures Jessamin at their first meeting, threatens and attacks her friends, and constantly manipulates everything. He's always one step ahead, brilliantly plotting war and destruction all for his own power.
As for the world, honestly, it reminded me of Victorian England with a sort of steampunk twist. The enemy on the continent was France, and while I'm not sure exactly which colony Jessamin would have come from, it's easy to imagine. Really, it's the magic that's the world building draw to this book. Plus, the fast pace keeps the plot from ever bogging down.
Basically, if you're looking for a wonderful stand-alone, historical fantasy type book, look no further. This is a fun, romantic, action packed adventure I would recommend to just about everyone. It's a strong 4 stars for me, and honestly, I'm hoping Kiersten White decides to write more in this world . . . maybe a spin-off story from Eleanor's POV? I'm keeping my finger's crossed.
Delancy Sullivan has always known there’s more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del’s job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.
Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del’s not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange is connecting them and it’s not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.But Del’s decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse. Quoted from Goodreads
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This book was so much fun. I love the whole idea: the different worlds, the variations on echoes, how much one choice can make a difference. I'll be honest, when I read the description it reminded me a little bit of this really cheesy TV show from the nineties called Sliders, but this is so much better. First, because she's not just exploring possible worlds, but she's fixing them. I also love the inclusion of music in the role the Walkers play.
As for Del, herself, she is a delightfully flawed character. She's impulsive, plucky, and disobedient, with little respect for rules and an extraordinary talent she loves: sort of the perfect protagonist mixture, if you ask me. She makes mistakes. Big ones. There are a few times she makes me cringe with her choices, but they're always consistent with her character and keep her human. It's these flaws and talents mixed together that helps move the story along and makes her relatable. I couldn't help but root for her throughout the story.
As for the world building, it's excellent. It's one of those tricky sci-fi situations, where you have to pay attention to the world building or it would be easy to get lost. She's crafted so much detail into this world and the science of Walking. As I mention before, everything relates to music, which I adore, but it's more that that. I loved the different worlds Del visited and the different versions of the same characters that we get to see over and over again. I'll admit, she could have taken that farther, but for a first book, I liked the different worlds she chose to visit. I loved the science of cleaving and tuning, inversions and Baroque events. It was cleaver in intriguing, and I really appreciated the time she spent crafting this world.
As for the rest of the characters, they were fully fleshed out, even some of the smaller ones. I especially adored her grandfather. He's quirky and supportive, full of secrets and insanity, which made for a delightful contrast against her overly annoying, straight-laced sister. Then, of course, there's Elliot, the boy that could morph into one corner of a love triangle but never quite makes it out of the friendzone, and Simon. If you're in the mood for a nice little dose of romance, Merry Christmas. This book has just the right amount, especially with the mystery surrounding him and all his echoes.
So should you read this book? Absolutely. It's fun, with an exciting concept, great world building, and delightful characters. I realize I'm just finished reading this, so am sort of suffering from a book hangover, but I'm going to give this book a solid 4.5 with the possibility of being upgraded to a 5 star review later. It was fun, intriguing, and different, with shadow societies, conspiracies, and much more to look forward to in the next two books.
In this adventure, Annabeth encounters more oddities in the subway than usual, including a two-headed monster and a younger blond girl who reminds her a little of herself. This is the story fans have asked for, in which Annabeth Chase teams up with Sadie Kane. The demigod daughter of Athena and the young magician from Brooklyn House take on a larger-than-life foe from the ancient world. Perhaps even more disturbing than the power-hungry god they encounter is the revelation that he is being controlled by someone—someone all too familiar to Sadie. Quoted from Goodreads
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I'm so thoroughly enjoying this crossover series. I mean, what isn't there to love. We get our favorite characters from two Rick Riordan series thrown together. We get the clash of mythology and magic, new threats, and another fun adventure.
Let's be honest, these novellas are for the fans. While they are a fun adventure in and of themselves, they're designed to be read by people who have read both the Percy Jackson books (at least the first series) and the Kane Chronicles. If you haven't, this is still a fun adventure, but you're missing about half of what makes it so great.
I loved seeing Percy and Carter work together in The Son of Sobek, so I was thrilled when I saw we get our own Annabeth and Sadie adventure. The Staff of Serapis didn't disappoint. I enjoyed seeing the two mythologies combined and the way Annabeth and Sadie relate to each other. It highlights how different the two characters are and their magic/mythology systems.
The adventure is, as always, quirky and fun, hinting at one more crossover book, at least. This series also helps tie up one small loose end from the Kane Chronicles, so you can tell the author's been planning this for a while. All in all, I'm giving this book a strong 4 stars. It's fun, full of adventure, and an excellent chance to see some of your favorite characters in new and different situations. So, if you've read at least one of Rick Riordan's series, you really need to pick this up.
After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to find a life of freedom. But when they arrive at the Reboot Reservation, it isn't what they expected. Under the rule of a bloodthirsty leader, Micah, the Reboots are about to wage an all-out war on the humans. Although Wren's instincts are telling her to set off into the wilderness on their own and leave the battle far behind, Callum is unwilling to let his human family be murdered. When Micah commits the ultimate betrayal, the choice is made for them. But Micah has also made a fatal mistake . . . he's underestimated Wren and Callum. Quoted from Goodreads
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I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but the second one was even better! Plus, it's only a duology, which means the story is over for any of you who don't want to start an unfinished series.
Biggest change between books one and two, single to dual POV, and it was perfect. Reboot was told completely from Wren's POV, but in Rebel we get both her and Callum. I had mixed feelings about this. I didn't care for it at all in Allegiant because of what I felt it did for Four's character. That's not the case here. It actually made Callum a much stronger character in this case. We get to see him grow into a real leader and someone who can make tough decisions instead of just being the guy who reminded Wren of her humanity. It's also fun to see Wren from his POV because it shows how close they've grown and how well they know each other.
If you read the first book you know there's going to be action and romance, and Rebel continued that perfectly. The romance is sweet but it never overtakes the plot. It simply helps move things on a bit, not that the action really needs any help. It's tense right from the beginning, with multiple villains and shades of gray. If it isn't one problem, it's something else. I've said it before, but I love when no group is perfect. I won't give too much away, but I really like the way the different groups Wren and Callum are portrayed. A lot of them have great people, but there are always the corrupt or fanatical that keep our main characters on their toes and no place is safe.
What's best about Amy Tintera's series is (maybe) that there are only two books. Part of me really wanted more, and I'm excited to see what she does next, but there's a part of me that is relieved. A lot of dystopia books have sort of meh endings (I'm looking at you Mockingjay and Allegiant). This one goes out with a bang, and while I love how it ends, full of realistic hope and change, I'm sort of glad there was no bad middle book or frustrating ending to taint the series for me.
So should you read this series? Absolutely. It's a fun, unique dystopia/zombie (sort of) idea, where everything begins horribly but ends with a sort of hope, which is just the way I like my dystopias. I'm giving it a very strong 4 stars and would recommend it to anyone who wants an action-packed read with just the right amount of romance thrown in.
Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver.
Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux.
Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo.
Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.
But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names.
Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies. Quoted from Goodreads
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Sadly, both Gallagher Girls and Heist Society ended last year, and we have to wait until next year for Ally Carter's Embassy Road series to begin. In the meantime, my I suggest Robin Benway's Going Rogue, or really all of her Also Known As series. This book is is a fun, light, exciting adventure, with just the perfect dash of romance and and more spy work than its predecessor.
Where do I even start? Well, usually I start with the main character, but this time I'll have to start with Angelo. If Robin Benway wanted to write a series just about him, I would snatch it up in a second. He's that perfect mix of all knowing and mysterious that I just adore in side characters. I love his relationship with Maggie and the rest of her friends, how he takes time out of his busy spy life to play chess with Roux and buys locks for Maggie. He's just one of those delightful side characters that you can't help but love.
This book takes place about a year after Also Known As, and while that book didn't exactly need a sequel, I'm really glad the author gave us one. Here we get to see Maggie dealing with her decision to stay in one place after having moved around all her life. We also get a lot more spy work this time around, which equals more adventure, tense moments, and even an exotic location or two.
Don't worry though, Jesse and Roux are still a big part of this series and both help Maggie out despite her best efforts to keep them safe.
You know what else I love about this series? Maggie's parents are a real, active part of her life. Sure, Maggie's a spy, but her parents always try and protect her. Even when she's working with Angelo to clear her parent's name, they worry about her and try to keep her out of the line of fire. They also do some awesome things themselves, so it's not one of those books where you keep wondering why teens are having this adventure when there are more experienced adults that really should be solving the problem.
This book is an absolute delight and a must read for anyone who enjoys Ally Carter's series, light, fun, contemporary reads, or spy novels in general. It's a high 3.5 stars for me, and while the book doesn't need a sequel, I'm rather hoping that author decides to give us one.
Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.
The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.
But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them. Quoted from Goodreads
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I think I liked this book even more than Mind Games. It was everything you could hope for in a sequel and then some.
In the first book I was totally team Fia, probably because I absolutely love her unique super power. Fia's was the POV that I loved reading, while Annie was more filler/take a break from poor Fia's issues. I feel like in this book it's much more equal. Annie grew into a much more interesting character once she was out of the school and away from Fia. Plus, I loved her romance in this. It was cute, adorable, and different because of her ability.
The conflict in this book is even more action packed and stressful. It's so interesting when your opposition is staffed with mind readers and feelers (people who can sense your emotions), so you can't actually plan anything to take them down or they'll know and stop you. It sort of drove me crazy but at the same time made for a really compelling read because you didn't know exactly what would happen.
I actually enjoyed the writing this time a lot. Kiersten did a great job with Fia as she mentally spirals towards the end, and it contrasts nicely with Anne's POV. Both voices and characters are really distinct and I never questioned whose POV I was reading. The only thing that was a little confusing was the timeline, since Fia's chapters were several weeks/months later than Anne's. At the same time, it made for some interesting reveals once I learned to pay attention to the chapter headings.
Basically, if you're looking for an action packed, fast read, look no further. It's got everything from super powers, romance, action, importance of family, betrayal, covert missions, mind games (yes, I'm referencing the first title), and assassinations. It's a strong 4 stars for me. Part of me wishes that this was a trilogy, but at the same time I really liked the ending of this book. I guess I'll just have to wait for Kiersten's next book.
On Skin Island, even the laws of creation can be broken.
On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.
Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. With the help of Jim Julien, a young charter pilot, she arrives--and discovers a terrifying secret she never imagined: she has a Vitro twin, Lux, who is the culmination of Corpus's dangerous research.
Now Sophie is torn between reuniting with the mother who betrayed her and protecting the genetically enhanced twin she never knew existed. But untangling the twisted strands of these relationships will have to wait, for Sophie and Jim are about to find out what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach. Quoted from Goodreads
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Vitro was a really fun action/adventure, very similar to Origin, while having just about no overlap whatsoever. Technically it's a companion book, but none of the characters, locations, or experiments overlap, just the big, bad company. Still, if you liked Origin, I would absolutely pick up Vitro and vice versa.
This book really is one thing after another, never really giving you a moment to catch your breath. It's told in alternating POVs between Sophie and Jim, and while each POV furthers the story along, you can't help turning pages to get back to the other character, because almost every chapter ends in some type of peril or cliff-hanger.
I really enjoyed both Sophie and Jim. Much of their relationship is based on childhood memories, but you could see their connection and even loyalty to each other, despite the years they've been apart. Plus, with a few minor exceptions, they're both smart, capable characters thrust into a situation neither of them ever would have imagined, and I liked the way they handled the the circumstances of Skin Island. They aren't as developed as they could be, but it's pretty much par for the course for action/adventure books.
The writing is excellent, immersing you as a reader into the rich world of Skin Island, so you really get a feel of where everything is taking place. The setting and atmosphere are particularly well done, as are the twists. Sure, a few of them I saw coming, but there were a couple that really took me by surprise and kept me, as a reader, on my toes.
Basically this is everything you could want in an action/adventure book. Exotic location? Check. Plenty of plot twists? Check. Potential for widespread catastrophe? Check. Cutting edge/pseudo science? Check. Love interest? Check. Character growth? Check. Abundant explosions and gunfights? Check. Mistaken identity? Check. Truly evil antagonist you can really hate? Check. Secondary antagonist who's morally ambiguous and you can't quite hate though part of you thinks you should? Check.
If you're looking for a fun, action packed, stand alone (or very loose companion if you want to get technical) look no further. I'm giving this book a high 3.5, and I'm hoping Jessica Khoury writes more adventures in this world. There are a few people left I'd really like to see get their comeuppance.
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.
In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can. Quoted from Goodreads
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Love, love, love! This was one of my most anticipated books for this year, and it absolutely did not disappoint. Right up front, 5 stars! Yes, that is how much I love this series. I'm not saying it's everyone's cup of tea, but for me it's just about perfect.
I'm a bit in awe of Marissa Meyer's ability to add new main characters and elements of an new fairy tale and not leave the characters from her earlier books behind. With Scarlet I thought I'd loose Cinder, and then with Cress, I was afraid Scarlet's story would fade into the background. Sure, no one gets quite as much page time as Cinder did in the first book, but I felt she did an excellent job on juggling all her plot points, keeping each character essential to the story, and furthering the small story arcs as well as the big ones.
She's also amazing an incorporating so many elements of the fairy tale she's focusing on while keeping her setting and plot so completely different. I'm pretty sure she might just be a genius.
As for Cress, I absolutely adore her. The characterization of this series is so completely realized. Every character, big or small, is perfectly put together, thought out, and fully realized. Here we really get to meet Cress. She's so different from Cinder and Scarlet, with her own voice and mannerisms. She's sweeter than they are, a bit more naive, but wither hew own, distinctive skill set and voice. Then there's the lovely Captain Thorne, who we got to know in the last book, and he just keeps getting better and better. Plus, each goes through some pretty horrible challenges that changes them, causes them to grow, and I love how their relationship builds.
As for everything else, this book is packed. We get kidnappings (lots of these, folks), survival stories (man vs. nature), betrayal, chase scenes, fights, deceptions, reunions, broken hearts, new loves, secret tunnels, hacking, torture, gambling, shooting, and magic (of the lunar variety)!
Have I sold you yet? Really, you need to read this series. 5 stars, remember! Check it out. Read the first two if you haven't started yet, and then pick this up. It's absolutely worth it.
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.
Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it. Quoted from Goodreads
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This book is the scifi version of Titanic meets Hatchet.
Seriously. The first fifth is completely Titanic, including the ridiculously rich girl trapped in her life who meets the poor boy who is dragged to parties with the rich because he's a war hero, but they know he doesn't fit in. She even has red hair. And the ship is called the Icarus! I love, love, love that the author decided to name her doomed ship this. It says so much about Lilac's father, his hubris, and the aurthors' love of foreshadowing.
Once they get down on the planet, the story changes and really comes into its own. It's creepy, mysterious, and gruesomely tragic. It's not that the first part isn't good, because it is. It's just a twist on something everyone's already seen, but I really liked how the author developed and established the world before the crash. After, it's half survival story, one third mystery and a spattering of romance, which rounds everything out nicely. We get wild animals, a strange planet, and Lilac's questionable sanity.
The book is told from duel POVs, and I'll be honest, I found Lilac rather annoying at first, especially contrasted with Tarver. She's so spoiled and rather cruel. It's not that the author doesn't give her justification for her actions, but I didn't enjoy her POV at first as much as Tarver's. Still, she's probably the one who develops most as the book progresses, and I ended up really enjoying her character and the person she becomes.
Each chapter begins with an interview/debriefing about what happened on the planet, which I have mixed feelings about. Half of me liked it because it adds another layer of tension. You see what Tarver lies about and how what happened down there is part of a bigger picture. There are also some rather ominous questions that foreshadow larger events in the story. On the other hand, I'm not sure how well I liked knowing Tarver would get off the planet. Of course I hoped he would. Knowing how the death of a certain character in another YA series affected my affection for it, I'd be really angry if he didn't, but it did remove all doubt, so when bad things happened to him, you knew it would all work out in the end.
The book isn't particularly fast paced, though it has it's mad-dash moments. It's a long survival journey though a mysterious planet full of whispers, ghosts, and visions, along with the more mundane problems like wild animals, harsh weather, crashed pieces of the Icarus, and the planet's lack of inhabitants.
As far as plot goes, it's kind of crazy, full of twists and turns. Just remember this is a scifi story. It's easy to forget for a while after the crash when Tarver and Lilac are trying to survive, roughing it in the wild, but the mystery is grounded in science fiction in a rather mind-boggling sort of way. I won't say anything more because I don't want to give it away, but I did enjoy it. I'm actually quite curious where the second book is going to go because this could end right here and be a perfectly excellent stand-alone novel.
All in all, I'm going to award this book a high 4 stars. It's fun, inventive, and different from a lot of YA out there. Plus, it's got a little something for everyone. Action? Check. Romance? Check. Interesting characters? Check. Mystery? Check. Survival? Check. Opulence? Check. Horror? Check. Man vs. Nature? Check. The list just keeps going.
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.
When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.
Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.
Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose? Quoted from Goodreads
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I'll be honest I was a little bit scared to read this book. I really, really liked the Anglefall, but while it had great reviews, I also went into it with a little trepidation. Needless to say, I was blown away, but, again, I had pretty low expectations. With this second book, however, my expectations were really high, and second books have a pretty sketchy track record. Some are amazing, but a lot end up being the low point in their respective series. No worries here, though. This book was exactly what I wanted from start to finish.
First: Penryn. She is one of my favorite characters. Seriously. She's a kick-butt heroine as always, but she gets even more awesome in this second installment. I especially love her relationship with Pookie Bear (you'll have to read this book to get that one). Her reaction/relationship to her sister is also believable, heartbreaking, and wonderful all at the same time.
Okay, let's be honest, the characters are probably the best/most crazy part of this series, that has a ton of crazy action/horror/tough situations. I mean, there's what happened to Penryn's sister, Paige, and how amazing she is for handling what she went through. Then there's Penryn's mother, who is crazy but brilliant, and you never know exactly what's going to come next or how much is the crazy talking and how much is her utter and complete brilliance. Of course there's the twins, who crack me up and always happen to be in just the right (or wrong) place at the right time, and Clara, who's strong and broken and unwilling to give up hope despite everything she's been though.
Oh, and then there's Raffe. I know everyone whose read the first book has been waiting for him to show up in this review. I loved him. We don't see him quite as much as we did in the first one, but Susan Ea finds some fun work-arounds to keep him a main character despite Penryn's soul POV and separation from him. We get a lot of his history and why he is who he is here. I particularly loved when we get the first time he meets Penryn through his POV. Plus, I love, love, love his and Penryn's relationship. They're the perfect . . . I don't know . . . star-crossed lovers that so many books try to duplicate and simply can't. Their relationship is sweet, full of trust and joking and safety in a book that is never safe.
The worldbuilding here is excellent. We solve some mysteries and open up new ones. Ideas and creatures/situations we only glimpsed in the first book are more fleshed out. We get more background on Raffe and Urial's master plan. The world is still dark and horrible, but there's also hope and good moments. Maybe not enough to balance out the bad, but it keeps it from being too dark or hopeless. And then there were a few points where I was laughing out loud, which seems almost inappropriate with how many gruesome, horrible things happen to the people in this book, but Susan Ea included some parts that cracked me up.
And Action. So much, never stop, in your face, someone might die, what new trial/horror is this action that keeps you obsessively reading until the book's finished and you finally, sort of, get a moment to breath.
All in all, this is an excellent series. I was sort of shocked when I found out there were 5 total (I was expecting 3) but oddly enough I'm excited about this. Sure, it means torturous waits and nasty cliffhangers, but the story is big enough, I'm glad it will have enough space to really develop it's potential. Plus, I'd rather find out now than at the end of the third book. All in all, it's an amazing 4.5 star, nail-biting, stay-up-all-night, page-turning read you should really check out, though maybe not if you're super scared of the dark, because this book does have a lot of dark images and realities.
