Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID. 

I am coming.
Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance?  Quoted from Goodreads

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I'll be honest, I had some issues with the way The Clockwork Princess ended (mostly good, but a few things that really bugged me) so I was a little nervous going into this book to see if it was even worth reading books 4, 5, and 6 of the series when I enjoyed the way book 3 ended so much, and I did end up liking it.  I felt like this book sort of brought the series back up to where it was in the first three.  We get a lot more action and a lot less angst (of course there is some angst.  This is a Cassandra Clare book, after all).  

So what made this book stand out from all the others so far?  First: Jace and Clary's relationship.  Everything is just so much better here.  Yes, (and warning, there are some spoilers for the last book if you haven't read it, so be careful) they can't touch each other for a good portion of it, but their relationship is solid.  The indecision and doubt that we get in the five previous books is gone, so while they still have problems, they work together much better as a team.

Second: Action.  This book has an amazing prologue that completely sucks you into the story and never lets up.  We get deception, murders, war, kidnappings, and as evil a villain as you could desire, all of which leads up to a climactic ending.  I'll be honest, I was expecting more deaths (don't worry, we do get a few) and destruction, but I felt like it was still an satisfying conclusion, and enough bad things happened you never knew who exactly was safe.

Third, Cameos and the Clave. There are a lot of really fun cameos from the Infernal Devices (Tessa and Clary have a fun little conversation), so the books tie in well together. As for the Clave, I love that they're supposed to be good but  kind of evil at the same time.  It lets you totally see why Valentine was able to gather so many followers against them.  At one point, I was ready to overthrow them myself, which leads into my next point.

Warning. If you're thinking maybe I'll just finish up this book then take a little break from Cassandra Clare's novels for awhile, think again.  This book totally sets up her next series.  The prologue is all Emma Carstairs.  We periodically get chapters from her POV throughout the book, and there's even a pretty emotional cliffhanger ending for her part of the story.  Aaaaaaaaaaaah!  

As far as Clary, Jace, Simon, Sebastian, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, Jocelyn, Luke, Maia, etc. goes, this is a pretty good ending (I'm not saying they all live, I'm just trying to give you all the people who get a POV in the story).  Things aren't perfect, and I'm betting they'll make small appearances in in the next series, but it ends really well.

So are these last three books worth it?  I'd say yes.  It's another fun adventure full of the characters you know and love.  It also ties into the ginormous universe Clare seems to be building, and it's fun to get all these connections. I'm giving it a strong 4 stars, with potential to being bumped up half a star later depending on how I feel in six months.  And I will be reading Lady Midnight when it comes out next year.  With the introduction to fiery, little Emma and all her problems, it would be impossible not to.

Book Review: The Fiery Heart

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.  Quoted from Goodreads

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I don't even know where to begin.  I thoroughly enjoy this series---a lot more, even, than the original Vampire Academy. It's kind of amazing, really, because usually it's the other way around. Granted, if you've been paying attention at all, you knew exactly where this book was going and what would happen in the end.  Part of me even debated not reading it until the next one came out because the last one ended so well, but I couldn't resist.

Let's be honest, what everyone loves most is Sydney and Adrien's relationship, especially now that (caution: spoilers from the last book ahead) they're together as a couple and half the book is told from Adrien's POV.  While I found that this was important in this book, I'm guessing it will be more important in the next one.  I love the two of them together.  What makes these books stand out from so many others is how much the characters progress and change. The Sydney and Adrien now are very different people from the two we met in Bloodlines, and that's in not small part thanks to each other.

What really drives the book are the characters and relationships. I love the way they interact with each other and how much they've come to care about their little group.  Sure, Sydney's sister Zoe adds a problematic ingredient into the mix, but it keeps things interesting, upping the tension, especially for Sydney. Zoe also helps us see how far Sydney has really come since the series started.

What's interesting about these books, is while they're set in our world (mostly), the vampire/alchemist elements drive me crazy. They're perfect for conflict and tension, but never is this painted as a world I'd love to live in.  Again, it creates excellent conflict for the characters, but both societies are so stifling, full of injustice and twisted rules that I end up feeling bad for the characters, while at the same time, giving me an almost dystopia feel for the government/laws under which they live.

This book focused more about Sydney finding a way to break free from the Alchemists, while Adrian contributes more to finding an immunity against the Strogoi.  They both support and help each other, but I really enjoyed that each of them had their own problem to focus on.  It's one of the main things that made the alternating POV work.  

All in all, this is a fantastic addition to a wonderful series, and now I'm dying for the next book.  I'm going to give this book a high four stars for me. Now I'm stuck waiting for July 29th along with everyone else so I can find out what happens next to Sydney and Adrien.

Book Review: The Wicked Within

Her fate is not set in stone.

Having temporarily defeated Athena, Ari races to break the gorgon curse that has plagued the women in her family for centuries. Her one lead sends her on a quest for the Hands of Zeus, an ancient relic last seen in the charge of New 2’s ruling elite, the Novem. But if there is one thing that Athena desires as much as revenge, it’s the Hands of Zeus—and Athena always gets what she wants.
Before either can locate the Hands, the statue goes missing, and a trail of blood follows those who once protected the relic’s secrets. Ari knows that her city, her friends, Sebastian—her life—depend upon her finding the statue before Athena. And with rumors an ancient power is on the rise, that may not be her only concern . . . Quoted from Goodreads

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If you've already read the first two books in this series, this won't be a hard sell.  If you haven't, this might be one you need to pick up.  Individually, most of the elements of this story have been seen before.  Hodgepodge of mythological creatures? Check.  Tortured love interest whose inability to communicate causes angst? Check.  Tough as nails heroine, who also manages to be beautiful, while struggling with her own powers? Check.  New Orleans? Check. Evil villain? Check.  Mysterious side character who ends up being vital to the story? Check. Yep, all here---which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your mood.  Still, Kelly Keaton throws everything together to form a compelling story, one with its own twist and turns and background that makes this series one definitely worth checking out.

First, I love, love love the whole Medusa angle.  We get Athena as the villain (poor Hera finally gets a break), and a 2500-year-old curse about to descend on our MC, Ari.   That's what drew me to the story in the first place.  Medusa is always portrayed as the villain, and Athena gets to be the benevolent  enlightened Greek god.  This turns that all on its head, giving the mythology a twist, and this last book is no exception.  

All the characters that you've grown to love over the series are back, along with some new ones.  I've loved watching Ari figure out who she is and her place in New 2 (I love what the author has done in creating this city/world).  Sebastian is dealing with what happened to him at the end of the last book, adding even more issues to their relationship.  We do, however, get a few chapters from his POV, and I loved that.  I loved seeing why he did certain things, and other things, well, Ari wasn't there, so it's nice not to hear major plot points second hand.

The action in this book is even better than the preceding two.  Of course, it's the end, so you kind of expect that, but it's not always guaranteed.  I though the ending was done really well.  Tension continues to build, and Athena proves she really is the goddess of war, manipulating events in a way you can't help but admire (all the while despising because she is the bad guy here).  I love good villains, and she is brilliant.  

Basically, this is an exciting, paranormal adventure. It's a solid 4 stars and a satisfying conclusion to a fast-paced series.  I should probably warn readers about the language, if that's an issue. At this point, I'm kind of sad to see the series end, but I'll admit, I'm kind of hoping there's a spin-off.  Everything wrapped up nicely, but there are enough unfulfilled prophecies and new characters that I could easily see another story.  I'm kind of hoping it's from Violet's POV, but we'll see.

Book Review: Shadow Falls Series

 One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs . . . Quoted from Goodreads

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This is a hard series to review.  It started during the vampire craze, when every book had to have it's obligatory love triangle, and that shows.  It's not really anything new , but for what it is, it's a fun read.  I mean, I read all five books, which is saying something.

First for the things I liked.  I love Kylie's girl friends, as in friends who are girls.  Whether it's the best friend she left behind or the two new ones she found at camp, I loved their relationships. They were always there for her, while having enough of their own drama to keep everything interesting.  I mean, Della got her own novella (and maybe a spinoff series?).  Plus, they act like teenage girls.  They have silly moments, fight, and get jealous, but then are back to being friends again.

I liked Holley and Burnett. They're good leaders, have their own problems, yet have time for Kylie.  They don't sit back and expect her to defeat the evil whatever.  They also have their own cute relationship.

What I had a problem with?  Well, Lucas and Derek. Not that they both don't have their shining moments, but the drama dragged out way too long.  I mean, Kylie was still agonizing over them in the fifth book.  I was so tired of that particular drama by then, I sort of had to force myself to slog through the parts where she agonized over her torn feelings. 

Second, not enough action.  I get that these books all have some kind  of mystery.  Kylie is warned by a ghost or has to complete that ghost's unfinished business, all of which is connected to her, but the ghosts aren't all that helpful, thus the mystery.  Oh, and there's the mystery of Kylie's supernatural species.  All in all that is good, but it was almost all buildup with very little climax.  The action chapters at the end were too short.  While the mystery built up and there were plenty of mild cliffhangers along the way, the ending wasn't ever as grand or scary as I wanted it to be.

Still, it's a fun series. It's probably a solid 3 stars for me through all three books.  Maybe it just tried to be a little bit too much of everything.  I mean we have vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts, shape-shifters, fairies, and a super secret new paranormal species all rolled up into one. Still, it's a fun read, and the series is over, so you can enjoy all the books at once without having to deal with horrible cliff hangers that leave you begging for the next book.

Flashback Friday: The Clockwork Angel

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. Quoted from Goodreads

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Okay so this is going to be kind of hard for me to review without pulling a little bit of The Clockwork Prince in here too.  I'll try, but because it's been a year since I read this, I may blur the lines a little bit.  

First off, I should say I love this book.  I really liked Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments, but I love this series even more.  Maybe it's because I relate to Tessa more than Clary.  Maybe it's because there's no "incest" or the fact that I feel this love triangle is actually a triangle, not just two boys who hate each other in love with the same girl. Regardless, I love this book, and since the third book in the series comes out next month, I figure this would give you all time to read it if you haven't yet.

What I loved most about this book?  To begin with, Tessa.  I really like her voice.  She's thrust into a new situation and betrayed over and over again, but comes out on top.  It's not that she isn't hurt, but she doesn't turn whiney and play the victim like she could have. Plus she's a reader. I obviously read books.  I adore them, to be precise, so it's really easy to relate to her as a character. No, I cannot, unfortunately, turn myself into another person like she can, but she is easy to befriend and admire.

Then there's Will and Jem.  Like I said before, this is just about a perfect love triangle. Yes, I have my favorite, and I will admit I will be very put out if he doesn't end up getting with Tessa, but I love the way the whole love triangle was crafted.  First, neither of the two boys know the other is falling in love with Tessa.  Plus, they are best friends and would never want to hurt the other person, so it's one of the first books where I actually buy the love triangle label.  And it avoids horrible issues like the Author, Lancelot, Guinevere love triangle where she's married, so I really never felt any kind of sympathy for Lancelot and Guinevere's "epic love." It just comes across as extremely selfish and  stupid. 

Okay, sorry about that little side rant.

Finally, I enjoyed the semi-steam-punk, half Victorian world Clare created.  It was a great setting, with a really fun bad guy and mystery that they're all facing.   I also really like Tessa's personal quest to figure out what she is exactly and why the main villain wants her.

All in all, this is an amazing book.  If you loved the Mortal Instruments, this is a must read. If you didn't, or just sort of liked  it, I still say pick this one up. It avoids a lot of issues that bothered some people in the first series, and the new setting may just win you over.  All in all, this is a terrific 4 stars for me, and the Clockwork Prince earned 5 in my opinion.  Basically you have a month before The Clockwork Princess comes out, so check out this series. It's absolutely, amazingly worth it.

Book Review: The Indigo Spell

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood. Quoted from Goodreads

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Here's the short version: I loved it.  It has everything I love in a series: action, multiple conflicts, romance, mystery, character growth, humor, twists,  and a cliffhanger that doesn't kill you while still leaving you anxious for the next book.

If you're still not convinced, here's the longer version of why I adore this book.   Last Thursday when I talked about the Vampire Academy movie, I stated that I enjoyed that series, but I love this one.  Sydney's a big part of that. She starts out as such a limited character.  She grew a lot in the VA series, but those were baby steps to what she goes through in these books, and in the Indigo Spell she finally comes into her own.  We learn more about the shady dealings of the Alchemists,  there's a serial-killer witch on the loose, and of course there is Adrian.

All the walls Sydney has been struggling against finally get knocked down in this book.  Yes, she still has qualms about different things (magic, vampires, wearing bright colors . . .), but she is finally able to embrace what she believes for herself instead of what she's been taught all her life.  Plus she gets to shine in a fight.  She actually throws some good punches, and then there's her own magic showdown . . .  She's no Rose, but she's not supposed to be, and I admired her strength in dealing with all the crap thrown at her.

I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the two completely separate conflicts in this book. She's constantly flipping back and forth between the two, and you know it's only going to get worse before it gets better. There's Marcus and his quest against the Alchemists  and while he wasn't at all what I was expecting (and thank goodness there is no love triangle forming), he's still a fun, interesting character.  I especially like the insights he gave Sydney into her tattoo.  In contrast, we have Ms. Terwilliger's mysterious witch, who is hunting down young witches to steal their youth and power.  The idea's not new, but I still found it tense, with good twists and a sort of "dun dun dun" (cue music) cliffhanger of its own.

Adrian.  Everyone loves Adrien, but I especially liked him in this book.  He could have been all sighs and puppy-dog eyes after the Golden Lily's ending, but he's not.  He loves Sydney, but he's not all mopey about her rejection at the end of the second book. He's simply there for her whenever she needs him. Plus, he's starting to live up to his potential.

You can tell The Indigo Spell is something of a turning point in the series.  While there has always been outside conflict in each of the books, half the battle was Sydney vs. herself and her upbringing.  The next three books will be different.  Not only is she facing all sorts of problems (including that lovely cliffhanger twist at the end), but they are building, and you know there's some bad stuff coming.

I adored this book.  It's a strong 4.5 stars for me.  I'll be honest, part of me is afraid for the next one because I hear it has a horrible cliffhanger. A small part of me wants to wait until the next three are out, then I could read them all together.   It will never happen, of course, but I'm kind of really enjoying the mostly happy feeling at the end of this book.

Book Review: Black City

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths. Quoted from Goodreads

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I sort of conflicted about this book.  It had a lot of really excellent ideas, but some of them fell a little short in execution, at least for me.

Let's start with the good.  First the world.  Yes, it was oppressive and horrible, with very little hope, but the author let you feel that.  You sort of suffocated along with the characters in this dismal world they were forced to live in, but at the end the author leaves you with hope.  Yes it is a trilogy, so there is the nasty cliff hanger, sort of, but there is also a sense of hope that everything that is horrible and wrong with this society can eventually be fixed or at least set on a better path.

Second, the characters. First, I enjoyed seeing the story from both Ash and Natalie's POV. I'll admit, in the beginning, I didn't exactly love either of them, but they grew on me. Both of them were flawed (which, trust me, is a very good thing), but they change and progress with the book. They come from very different backgrounds (privileged vs. persecuted), so you get a richer vision of the world.

Third, the pacing. I really liked the way this book was set up.  There was always something happening: love, then mystery, and finally government conspiracy, all while you get to learn more about the society.  Fourth, the secondary characters.  They were interesting, and avoided falling into stereotypes. 

The biggest problem I had with this book was the romance.  It starts out as insta-love, which is never a good thing in my book. Then we get an explanation, which seems to fix all that.  There is a reason for their connection, and you thing everything's going to be okay.  And then there's a problem.  I'm trying not to give too many things away, but if you don't want any spoilers, you may want to skip the next paragraph.  

Okay so here's the deal.  There is a reason given for Ash and Natalie falling in love so quickly, and it works in the story.  Then there is an equally compelling, if not better, reason given for him to be in love with a different girl.  This is where I don't know why he chose Natalie.  They didn't know each other enough for me to believe he would throw this other option away for her. I needed them to have developed more of a relationship outside their mystical connection, needed them to have more things in common or make each other laugh, something, to justify why he chose Natalie as his one, true soul mate.  

So much of this book hinges on the romance.  It isn't the only thing. There are plenty of other problems and mysteries to keep the reader intrigued, but the romance is one of the key factors, and it just wasn't quite there for me.  It all happened too fast, and in the end, I didn't really know why they fought so hard to stay together beyond the mystical.

This book is a nice 3 stars for me.  I enjoyed it.  It was a fun twist on Darklings (vampires) and an interesting, albeit bleak world. I just wanted it to be a little more than it was.  It's good, I just wanted it to be better.