Datasets:

dhmeltzer

/

goodreads_test

like 0

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries'. You can read the full review here: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.fr/2014... So you know how much I loved 'Anna and the French Kiss'? I have a terrible confession to make, I really didn't enjoy 'Lola and the Boy Next Door'. And I feel terrible because everyone was saying how if I loved the first one then the second one was just going to blow me away, and really how couldn't I love the second one given my feelings about the first? But whilst there were some awesome elements to Lola, she just didn't do it for me in the same way that Anna did. The problem for me was Lola herself. Whilst Anna was an engaging and fantastic narrator, Lola came across as incredibly immature and a little whiny. I loved the idea of Lola, she was feisty and didn't conform and had her own very unique sense of self and didn't let anybody crush that or take it away from her. All fantastic things that I really loved, but they just didn't come across as they should have done. It was all very dramatic and over the top, completely over blown until it stopped feeling like it could be real, it was almost a caricature of the ideas.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries'. You can read the full review here: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.fr/2014... I needed this book. In fact I probably needed this book a few months ago when I first moved to France, but hey, better late than never. This book just called out to me in so many ways, it made me laugh and cry and repeatedly put Anna in situations that I've been in and I felt for her so much. I moved to France at the end of October last year. I had mildly more control over it than Anna does in the book, but I spoke about the same amount of French as she does, and the entire thing terrified me. It is so reassuring when you're reading a book and you see situations and scenarios that are close to you, and you're able to read them and go 'hey, this is ok, I am not being ridiculous for feeling like this!' And when Anna spent her first few weeks hiding in the school and not exploring Paris, and eating bread and fruit because she was too afraid to try and order food in French, I wanted to hug her and tell her I know exactly how you feel and I promise you it gets better. This book basically felt like a mutual hug. I wanted to hug Anna, and it felt like in return the book was hugging me and telling me that it would all be ok and I would love this strange, crazy city and understand this language and that the experiences would be something I would look back on and cherish. So my review is pretty much guaranteed to be a love letter to this book that felt like a life raft at just the point that I needed it.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries'. You can read the full review here: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.fr/2014... Oh this series. It's one of those ones that if I think too hard about what I'm reading I have to stop, because there is so much wrong with this series, yet at the same time it is weirdly addictive... The series had a lot of potential, but it falls into the trap of so many cliches that really it never stood a chance. The girls are all one dimensional, the drama is all one dimensional, and don't even get me started on the love triangle. America comes across as the sort of girl who would fall apart if she didn't have one of these boys to fawn over, which is incredibly irritating. I want strong heroines. Now that doesn't mean that they don't have to want to have a partner, but at least give them something that makes them their own individual person, not have their desire for one of the inevitable two boys vying for their attention be the only feature about them.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries'. For the full review please visit the site: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.fr/2014... I have always been an avid fan of 'The Mortal Instruments' original trilogy, I loved them. I thought they were fresh and innovative and the characters were brilliant. Then it was announced there would be a second trilogy to follow on from the first and continue the story, and I got excited all over again about another chance to go back into this world I'd loved so much. But there was something about books four, five and now six that didn't quite recapture the magic I'd felt with the original three. So I was looking forward to 'City of Heavenly Fire' but it wasn't with the burning enthusiasm I had come to associate with Cassandra Clare, and for me personally the book really didn't live up to my previous hype and excitement. Don't get me wrong it's still a fantastic book with a compelling story and a host of complex and beautifully written characters, but there were a few things that just let the book down for me.

Huge thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. This review was written for 'The Review Diaries'. You can read the full review here: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.fr/2014... It is no secret that I adore Deanna Raybourn's books. They are well written, brilliantly researched and beautifully constructed, funny, smart, clever and entertaining and always, always have a fantastic heroine at their heart. What's not to like? I have to admit that 'A Spear of Summer Grass' was not quite as much my cup of tea as the Lady Julia mysteries, but with the release of her latest offering 'City of Jasmine' I am more on board with these latest 1920s standalones than ever. The brilliance of them is that each one is set to stand on its own two feet, and does so marvellously, but at the same time with each new release (just wait for Raybourn's next novel set for release in September this year 'Night of a Thousand Stars') they become more and more entwined. You see familiar characters, minor cameos and it gives these fresh novels a sense of wonderful familiarity.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ One of my favourite books from last year was 'This Dark Endeavour' the prequel of Victor Frankenstein's life, featuring a brooding young Victor and his twin Konrad, and an insatiable appetite to discover the darker elements of this world. It was brilliant, a fantastic mix of the real and the fantastical all packaged up with a ton of gothic horror that left me with goose bumps. And now we're treated to the sequel! And I was terrified that it wouldn't live up to the high standard set by the first book, but it really does. Oppel has taken all the brilliance of the first book and distilled it into an even more thrilling ride for the second instalment. His imagination continues to completely astound me, with some macabre and brilliant ideas all coalescing into a fantastical whole. The plot is absolutely phenomenal. I wasn't quite sure how he could surpass the genius of the first book, but he truly does. We get to see a darker, grittier and harder edge to the world that seemed so magical in the first book, everything seems a little more desperate and a little wilder and as a result even more unpredictable. Anything could happen, and does. There is perhaps not as much character development as I would have liked. Although we do get to see some fascinating moments. Henry really starts to come into his own in particular and I loved seeing him stand up and fight for himself like he didn't in the first book. We saw hints of it, but it was never fully realized. It was also good to see some of Elizabeth's darker side start to creep through, although I didn't feel as though it had been explored as much as it could have been. I really hope that there is a third book and that we get to see more of this darker side come through in Elizabeth. She's a character that fascinates me, and yet at the same time isn't entirely likeable. None of the characters are exactly likeable, they are all incredibly selfish, and yet they are utterly fascinating as we see them try to muddle their way through what in that time period would have been considered abominations of faith. Victor comes that little bit closer to the adult we know from 'Frankenstein' he's got a sharpness to him and a desperation that were not so evident in the first book - after all now he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. We see him desperately trying to find the secret to resurrection and creating life. I loved seeing Victor's development in this book, we saw some of his darker aspects really come out to play this time in a way that we didn't in the first book. We delved a little deeper into his psyche and see how the events shaped him, to the point that I really felt like that we were starting to see a little more of his humanity and vulnerability by the end of the book. Oppel has really set himself up as a fantastic gothic fantasy novelist. He's taken a concept and idea that people are familiar with and completely turned it onto its head. Victor as an adolescent is even more terrifying that Victor as an adult, there is a wildness to him that make this a thrilling ride right from the first page - definitely a book that I had to read with the light on! For fans of the first book, this will surpass everything you could have imagined or dreamed of, and for fans of dark and twisting tales, this series is definitely one to read.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries': http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ I have to be honest, when I finished 'Graceling' and realized that the next novel had absolutely nothing really to do with Po and Katsa, I didn't want to read it. I pouted, I whinged, and I stared mournfully at 'Graceling' and thought about how much I loved it. And then I stopped wallowing and started 'Fire'. And yes admittedly it did take me a couple of chapters to get over the fact that it was so different from 'Graceling' but then I stopped comparing and just got swept away by it. Cashore proved to be a master storyteller with 'Graceling' and has firmly cemented her status with (if possible) the even better 'Fire'. It's an utterly brilliant companion novel that takes a step away from the world and characters in 'Graceling' to give substance, texture and backstory to the events that have already unfolded, and those yet to come in 'Bitterblue'. It was an utterly beautiful novel, full of elegantly understated prose that was simplistic but completely spellbinding. And just as in her first book, Cashore creates an incredible blend of fantasy with compelling characters and myths and politics, intrigue and danger, and love. Fire was a fascinating her heroine, strong and independent, but at the same time a complete contrast to Katsa. She appears softer and more fragile at moments, but never loses her core strength. So determined to do what is right, to atone for her father's mistakes and failings she was a completely captivating heroine who pulled me right into her story. I felt as though I identified more with her than Katsa, with her inner strength as opposed to physical strength and burning determination and strength of will. Not to say that Katsa isn't those things as well, but Fire embodies that determination and fierceness with less of the accompanying anger that Katsa exudes, and there is a fragility to Fire that made her at times stronger and more vulnerable, that made me want to protect her in a way I hadn't felt for Katsa. As with 'Graceling' Cashore creates a host of supporting characters that create a fantastic cast for the book; Brigan completely melted me in a way that I hadn't really felt with Po. There was something more 'human' in these characters - ironic given Fire's monster heritage. It was such a delicious blend that meant that I was completely pulled in and swept away, something I've only experienced in high fantasy with Tamora Pierce and Maria V Snyder. I thought that how Cashore chose to handle Leck as the master villain was fantastic. We are introduced to him in 'Graceling' and we certainly start to see what terrible things he has done with his grace, but he never really developed fully into the monster that was hinted at. So to go back to his roots, to his very beginning and see more of his character, more of the events that shaped him as a person was fascinating. It made him that much more real for me, and the stakes that much higher. And despite already knowing what will happen that does not diminish the threat and fear that are tangible throughout his appearance in 'Fire'. Whilst I love the different elements of both books, there was something pitched absolutely perfectly that spoke to me more in this book than I'd experienced with the first book. The characters were brilliantly nuanced, showing both their strengths and fragility with their weaknesses. The intrigue of politics and war, the subtle shifts in power in the relationships and the development as each of them came into their own. It was a brilliant cast that worked perfectly to make this an emotionally engaging and satisfying read. Cashore's imagination is utterly incredible. The depth and breadth to this series so far is unbelievable. She has shot very quickly to one of my favourite authors, and this series to one of my all-time favourites. All that remains now is to see how 'Bitterblue' fares and whether the threads can all be pulled together to create one seamless whole. A beautiful companion novel that stands on its own as well, Cashore has firmly marked herself as one to watch with this beautiful and breath taking series.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ Dear God you guys, this may be one of the funniest books I have ever read. "... I prefer to think of it as 'intellectually challenging and chronically surreal. Like if Memento was a book. About dead dogs and vaginas and puppets made of squirrel corpses.' You can feel free to use that quote if you're reviewing this chapter, or if you're a student and your teacher asks you, 'What was the author trying to say here?' That was it. That's what I was trying to say. That and 'use condoms if you're going to have sex, for God's sake. There are a lot of Skanks out there.' That's not really covered in this book, but it's still good advice." That right there gives you a vague idea what you're letting yourself in for. Jenny Lawson aka The Bloggess is infamous in the blogosphere, and regularly has me in tears from laughing so hard on her blog. I think the story that converted me is the tale of Beyonce the giant metal chicken aka 'Knock Knock Motherfucker.' So when I she'd written a memoir (and hell, just look at that cover) I couldn't resist. There isn't exactly a plot, more just a complete immersion in Jenny's brain, which is an experience in itself. We find out about her childhood, and from there it's a free for all throughout some of the weirder experiences of her life. You couldn't make this stuff up. It's genius, some of it is thought provoking and she isn't afraid to grab hold of some harder topics and plunge right in. I was laughing at some points, and others I just wanted to cry and reach through the book and give her a hug. It's an incredibly surreal experience, and I did have to read the book in stages, partly to stretch the experience out longer and partly because sometimes I literally couldn't laugh anymore. This is a no filter system, no holds barred experience of seeing the world through the eyes of Jenny. Utterly fantastic, completely unbelievable and a brilliant book. Probably not for those who are easily offended as the language kicks off right from the beginning, but otherwise fantastic. And if you're after the sort of book to get you weird looks on the commute, I highly recommend the audiobook as well, read by Lawson herself. Seriously guys, pick this one up and prepare to have your mind boggled. Just don't try to eat or drink whilst you're reading...

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ After all the insane amounts of crazy that kicked up around authors and less than complementary reviews and BAD THINGS ALL ROUND, I very nearly didn't read this book. Behaviour like that just makes me want to blacklist and ignore the pretty cover and not bother with the book at all. But the pretty cover won out, as they are so often prone to do, and I put my preconceptions aside and gave The Selection a shot, and actually it was pretty good. It was a fun and quick read, very little in the way of depth and some rather major flaws rattling around too, but at the same time I really enjoyed it. I became completely engrossed in the story and found myself desperately racing through the pages to see what happens - only to be greeted by one of the most frustrating ends to a book I've come across in some time, but more on that later. Despite being set up as a dystopian post war story, the writing is never dark and focuses more on the girly pretty, cat fight and gorgeous dresses kind of side. Yes there's hardship and poverty, but it takes a step back and puts the reader on the other side of the fence, the one we rarely see in dystopians. I liked the characters, I did have some issues with development for Aspen and the love triangle in general, but I warmed to America quite quickly. She had a great clear voice that really drew me into the story and made me care what happened to her. She offered a slightly cynical and fresh view on the whole process, and I liked seeing how she worked and thought and dealt with things. The secondary characters were on the whole pretty good, although again they could have done with a little more development to make them stand out and really lift the book up, but it was great to see some of the personalities come through and the ways the girls interacted with each other and the constant one-up-manship of the competition. I did feel as though it had been set up that a lot more of the competition would have been televised, it felt like it should have been something akin to big brother with the cameras so that the viewers really saw what was happening. As it was it was a couple of interviews and that was it, so I didn't really feel that that aspect was thoroughly explored which was a bit disappointing, I think that could have been a lot of fun. My biggest problem was the world building, or rather the distinct lack of it. Aside from the knowledge that there was a war and there are castes, the reader is never shown anything about the repercussions, we never learn more about the history or the rebels or how any of this was set up and the world survived. In fact if it wasn't billed as a dystopian and you took out the brief reference to the war there would be absolutely no hint that it should be a dystopian novel. This isn't helped that due to the confined setting we see very little of the world outside the palace. I think that the hardships and struggles of some of the characters would have come across a little better if we'd had chance to see a bit more, and find out a little more about the world. My other issue was the love triangle. So many love triangles try and fail to bring tension and believability to help it along, but sadly this one really missed the mark for me. I never warmed to Aspen, there's a line between being proud and being a jerk, and I'm afraid that he fell into jerk territory for me. He is then absent for the majority of the book whilst America tries to get over him (and pretty much succeeds) and then he shows up being aggressive and territorial and jerky again, and he really just didn't appeal. I did however quite like Maxon, although it didn't feel like we got to see enough of his character and to truly realise his potential. However I much preferred the relationship that built up between him and America - it felt natural and unforced - and I'm really looking forward to seeing how that progresses in the next book. I like cliffhangers as much as the next person, they're great to really leave the reader desperate for the next book, but this one kind of felt like a movie where you get to a moment and then the screen goes black and 'to be continued' comes up, and there's no real reason for them to stop there other than they want you to come back and see what happens, and results in me getting overly frustrated with the whole thing. Sadly this was one of those endings. I didn't feel like there was enough conflict or drama or resolution to justify that ending where it happened, so it felt like a little bit of a cop out, which was a shame. However I do really want to find out what happens so I will be getting hold of the next book despite my grumps with this one. On the whole though I really enjoyed it. It wasn't anything overblown or extravagant, nothing life changing or particularly deep, but I still liked it, I still rooted for the characters and I still want to know what happens next.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ I had really high hopes for 'The Peculiars' - everything about it appealed to me, from the blurb and the cover to the reviews and snippets of conversation I kept hearing about it. And for the most part it lived up to my expectations, but there were a few things that fell short and knocked it down from five stars to four. The concept was fantastic and for the most part the execution was as well, what let it down was the inability to decide on one story line to take the characters through. It felt like there were two stories trying to be told. Ideally that would have been split into two books, the first involving Lena and her attempts to discover the secrets at Zephyr House, and the second the escape through Scree. But because both were crammed into one book neither were given the attention they deserved and as a result the book was an odd jumble of the two and never really took off. I loved the concept, the world building was really good and I could have quite happily read a book twice its length to explore even more of the world. It's was beautifully constructed but I was a little baffled as to why it was labelled as a steampunk book, as aside from a couple of wacky machines and a dirigible there is absolutely nothing that would tie it to steampunk, no development and construction that affects the whole world with these leaps forward in technology, so I kind of felt a little let down and mislead by that. However apart from that I thought the world building was great. The narrative was a little uneven, there were some flashbacks towards the start of the novel that suddenly disappear a few chapters in with little to no reasoning behind them. It felt a little jagged and I was left feeling like they had just been shoved in to provide some information for the reader that they otherwise wouldn't have had, there was no reason or development of these to make them a solid part of the narrative. I was also a little concerned by some of the ideals and beliefs that Lena holds to. It was a great coming of age story but I felt that some aspects were handled a little indelicately. For example Lena is terrified because she thinks that being a Peculiar means she'll have no soul, she'll be unable to help the terrible things she'll inevitably do, and Peculiar's are treated as second class citizens. They're rounded up and sent off to the mines, and they aren't allowed to own property are just a couple of examples of how this is portrayed. And most are desperate to remove the things that make them peculiar, to stop the abnormalities and fit in as 'normal' people. However at the end of the novel Lena comes to accept her peculiarities not because it makes her strong and equal, but because they make her special. She also signs over her property, her life and her way of earning a living to a man (who yes seems quite nice sure) because she is a woman, a peculiar and is therefore not human or worthy enough to take control of her life, even out in the wilds of Scree where no-one would really know and/or care, and in doing this she is praised by those around her. She becomes completely dependent on this man to look after her, provide for her and not kick her out into the wilds of Scree - this place that should be rights be hers. It just seemed a little too close to the line. Lena is forward thinking and strong for a lot of the novel and it really felt like this undermined her. It was also the way that women are portrayed as weaker and subservient to the male characters, and all of the male characters, including Jimson are arrogant, cocky and completely despicable at some points. It left me with a bit of a nasty taste in my mouth when I finished, which is a sham given how well everything started out. It took a very long time to really pick up speed and get going, which wouldn't have been too much of a problem if the two storylines weren't battling for supremacy in the second half of the book. All in all there were some great ideas and some lovely writing and concepts, but a lot of it ended up being obscured by some slightly twisted ideals and portrayals and a plot that was so tangled around itself that it never really took off.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries': http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ I am a massive fan of Julia Quinn's books, I have to retire to my fainting couch every spring when a new book is released, and then promptly don't come out until I've read it. I know some people whinge about predictable plots, but for me there is something comforting in knowing that the two people who fall in love will ultimately end up together - that true love really does conquer all. Julia Quinn's books are in fact, Chicken Soup for my Soul. And yet I was a little underwhelmed by this latest book. There were still the swoonworthy hero's, the feisty heroines, the drama and intrigue and fluff. The witty banter and fantastic secondary characters. In short, everything I love about the books was present, and yet there was something very much missing for me. It could just be that I was having an off day when I read this one because I have seen plenty of reviews from others saying that this is yet another fantastic example of Quinn's writing. And yet something just didn't quite hit home for me. If I had to pin point it I would probably say that the governess and Earl storyline slowed everything down a little bit. Instead of the drama and intrigue and waiting for each other to realize they've actually fallen in love, we had the love (or lust/like/staring dreamily into each other's eyes) right from the start, and what followed was a novel full of descriptions of why they liked each other, and Anne repeatedly pointing out that an Earl and a Governess is just not allowed. It meant that everything became very bogged down over this one point, and the plot never really got going. Yes ok there are some very high tension scenes as we race towards the end of the book, but they weren't quite enough to pull it up for me. It still has all the makings of a great JQ novel. There are some hysterically funny moments, beautiful touching moments and edge of your seat high tension. There are the falling in love moments, and the bits where it's all going wrong moments, and the fluff. But at the heart are the usual JQ hero and heroine who fall in love against the odds and would move heaven and earth to be with each other. Her books give me hope for true love, for romance, and that Mr Right is waiting out there somewhere. Not every book an author writes is going to hit the right notes for everyone, and sadly I think that 'A Night Like This' is that book for me and Quinn. However I still recommend it as a great read, but if you want a fantastic example of Quinn's writing I will always go with 'Romancing Mr Bridgerton' and 'It's In His Kiss' - earlier work but utterly brilliant examples of why Julia Quinn is one of the leading regency romance authors in my eyes, and why I will still go back to her books time and time again.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ The Steampunk Chronicles and I appear to have a bit of a love hate relationship. On the one hand there are some things that are truly appalling about the books, and yet there is something incredibly compelling about them as well, for no matter how peeved I may get with elements of it, and the number of times I chuck the book across the room, I have to finish it, I have to know what happens, and as a result I have to read the next book. I had a lot of issues with the first book in the series 'The Girl in the Steel Corset' and thankfully some of my grumps were address in this book - thank god Emily's hair is only referred to as 'ropey' once in this book, as opposed to the three times a page in the last book. The writing has, by and large, improved. Yes there were still awkward passages and some threads of the story that were incredibly weak (they did fit into the whole, but I was thoroughly underwhelmed by Tesla's thread of the story.) But for the most part this was a much stronger book than the first one. The biggest frustration for me was the characterization. There's a lot of telling instead of showing going on throughout the book, and the characters remain two dimensional for the most part, which is tragic because there are some truly stunning ideas and concepts that are attempted. I love the idea of the characters, but they never truly came alive for me. The secondary characters remained weak at best, and I never really felt like they became real, they were just a backdrop and provided plot devices. I'd love to see Sam developed, at the moment he is the weakest character for me, and I want to see more of the relationship between Sam and Emily. Finley and Griffin remain very stiff for me, there's no real spark between them, and very sudden and abrupt changes in mood and feeling towards each other. I want to love these characters, I want to root for them, I want to cry and laugh with them, and really feel what they're going through - there is something so completely captivating about the story, but it never really takes off in my eyes. I liked the change of setting and pace, this book was a lot faster in pace and really kept things ticking along at a great speed. I liked that there was less of a push to describe some of the steampunk aspects like the clothes, and leave that to the readers imagination, because that was one of my big problems with the first book. As far as I'm concerned, Steampunk books have to have a solid foundation in the reality of the era before branching out into the weird and wonderful stuff, and that includes clothes. There has to be some basis in reality, some real and believable shift that would cause changes in clothing, like goggles and weighted dresses and hair-muffs for dirigible travel (see Gail Carriger's 'The Parasol Protectorate series.') And Cross took a few too many leaps in the first book with women's clothing that were a bit beyond the stretch of imagination. To go from the Victorian era where even showing ankle was a shocking thing, to Finley effectively wearing a Victorian style of hot pants and a corset were really a bridge too far in my eyes... So it was really nice to have that side of things left to the reader's imagination. I loved a lot of the technology we saw, although again, I would have loved a little more of a scientific explanation about how these things were possible, but that's just something I personally love seeing. Whilst I loved the conflict, I really, really truly loathed Mei. And not just because of her name... In fact can we take a moment to look at that name. I wouldn't have spotted it ( or at least not for much longer) if Finley hadn't made a big deal about pointing it out. Why call a character such a ridiculous name and then make a big deal about pointing it out? Mei Xing. I'm sorry but from the point that her name was revealed I couldn't take her seriously, I wanted to scream every time her name was mentioned. Now maybe this is just me, maybe other readers will see that, have a chuckle and move on, but for me to name a character like that, deliberately, and with no real purpose behind it except that one moment of Finley noticing it and thinking it's ridiculous, is just asking for your character to not be taken seriously from that point on. Any further characterization was, for me, ruined because I just wanted to throw things at her every time she entered a room. However, despite my grumps, as I said there is something very compelling about this series. You want to read on and find out what happens. You want to see how they'll get out of this, and what sort of world building excitements are coming up. The premise is fantastic, the writing is much better than the first book, but there are still some weak moments. My only real problem now is the characterization, so I've got all my hopes pinned on this next book that maybe the third time really will be the charm for me, and the third book and I will finally hit it off. At that point it will all have been worth it.

I really wasn't fussed on the third book in this series, which was a shame given how much I loved the first two books, so I went into this final instalment with a little trepidation. I shouldn't have worried though, it was completely fantastic and an utterly brilliant conclusion to the series. Unlike the third instalment this was completely satisfying, brilliantly written and I loved it. There were consequences for actions, and character arcs and development and so many twists and turns that I was thoroughly dizzy by the end - but I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was the ending the series deserved and I was so happy to be back amongst the characters I had come to know and love and to see them take on the evilness once and for all. I loved how Carrie handled the love triangle - so often they are handled badly and leave the reader feeling put out and frustrated with the conclusion, but I was completely satisfied with how everything played out. I think in part because she truly let actions have consequences and Zara didn't just roll over and pretend nothing had ever happened. It made the relationships and the characters even more realistic. I think that the mythology played a much better part in this book than it had previously. I was shocked and taken aback by it in the last book - it didn't feel like it truly belonged and I wasn't completely convinced by the placement of pixies and Norse mythology side by side, but what it lacked in the last book it completely made up for in this one. They gelled perfectly and complimented each other and I found myself not only believing the combination but really enjoying it as well. It was a fantastically satisfying conclusion, but it was in no means without fear and terror and completely and utter uncertainty of the outcome - and who would make it through. Once again Carrie showed her skill as a writer and I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through, desperate to find out whether good would triumph over evil, and whether the right people would end up together. I cannot wait to see where Carrie goes next - she has a fantastic gift for blending the real and fantastical and creating brilliantly believable and real characters the we feel for and root for, fight and cry for, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she turns her hand to next. Fans of the series will love this final instalment, and those of you who haven't yet discovered this series? I suggest you hop on the bandwagon and see what all the fuss is about.

** spoiler alert ** Be warned there are spoilers below, so I recommend reading the book first. This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ This book is without a doubt the best book in the Soul Screamers series. This has always been a series that I've loved reading, but has never been an 'I must get the latest book now' kind of one. Yeah, that just changed after reading this - the next book simply cannot come fast enough. The biggest thing that struck me was how much Kaylee had matured over the course of the last few books, and really hit home in this book. She started out as a typical teenager, and she has really grown and matured into such an incredibly strong character. I was amazed at how she handled the news of her impending demise, everyone else seemed convinced she should be freaking out, and I loved her monologues about yes it was terrifying and crap, and she really didn't want it to happen, but it was, so that was that. I wanted to stand up and applaud after each of these. Whilst every book leaves our intrepid band of supernatural teenagers in terrible danger, this one felt even more terrifying, because after all, how do you cheat death when there are no loopholes? It was really fascinating to see how each of the other characters dealt with the news of Kaylee's time limit, and it brought out the best in some, and the worst in others. Particularly in Nash and Tod. I love, as ever, Rachel's writing. Her books have always been a pleasure to read, excellently written, with relatable characters and humour by the bucket load. But this has to be one of her best works so far. She tackles subjects like teenage sex and hormonal outbursts with humour, and gravity and it's exceptionally handled. With some fabulously steamy scenes that had my pulse racing, without taking it too far. I adore this love triangle that kind of defies the idea of love triangles. Tod has always been at the back of the crowd for Kaylee, he's been there for her when she's needed him, he's stood up for her and protected her, and it has become more and more obvious over the last few books that he cares for her deeply, but he hasn't done anything about it. He hasn't told her, or put her under pressure, or made her choose, or been downright obnoxious and irritating as you so often can find with love triangles. He has simply been there for her, and I've loved that. I also loved the moments when Kaylee started to realise about his feelings. And I most definitely loved the payoff. If ever a boy was deserving of a happy ending - of getting the girl he loves, of getting his dying wish, it's Tod. I have loved him from the first book, so to see him take centre stage as the guy on the white charger there to protect Kaylee, after Nash's irritating whinging, was fantastic. I literally cannot wait for June and the next book to see how this plays out. So June cannot come fast enough and I cannot recommend this book enough. If you've enjoyed this series in the past, you will love this latest instalment, and if you haven't read any of the Soul Screamer's series, why on earth not - get to it, they're fab!

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ I'm going to straight out say that this wasn't my favourite book in the Soul Screamers series - it was still fantastic, a brilliant example of good writing, engaging characters and a plot that boggles the mind with its creative twists, but it just wasn't as good for me as some of the others. In fact I'm noticing that the odd numbered books in this series are my favourites, whilst the even numbers don't quite hit it for me. I think the biggest problem for me personally is that normally I sympathise/empathise/relate to/all of the above to at least one of the characters in a book - and I suppose I did with Tod, but he played such a minor role in comparison that I don't think that quite counts. I became so frustrated with Kaylee for her unbending attitude and ability to make a decision. I became frustrated with Nash on every level for everything. After the events of the last book it's going to take a huge amount of something to make me see him even close to the way I used to prior to his addiction. And then there's Sabine, who for the most part I loved, but some of the things she did just crossed the line beyond even remotely ok that I then became frustrated with her. Don't get me wrong, I still loved them, and did feel for them, laugh with them, etc. It was just that a lot of their interactions really frustrated me and I actually didn't have any side that I was on, I didn't want any of them to win! I think that in part that was because I could see all the sides to the story - and that is an incredible skill on Ms Vincent's part. I could see why everyone was frustrated and angry, but at the same time the way they each tried to deal with it rubbed me up completely the wrong way. A lot of that is explained when all the pieces of the puzzle click into place at the end, but I still struggled with some moments and decisions of the characters. Of all of them I think I liked Sabine the most, which is weird... But she really does take crossing the line to a whole new level. At the same time I was kind of on Kaylee's side, except that the prize they were fighting over was a boy that after the events of the last book I kind of felt that both of them deserved better. Which I suppose brings us round to my real dislike in the book, which was Nash. I adored him in books one and two, but book three completely turned me off him and he didn't manage to redeem himself at all in this book. I could understand where he was coming from with being alone and Kaylee not being there for him, but at the same time I was on her side as to why she hadn't been there for him. It felt to me that he had done nothing but look despondent and apologise to her. He hadn't tried to talk it out or start to build their relationship back up, he just backed off and had late night bedroom sessions with Sabine. It just didn't sit right with me. It didn't feel like he was fighting for his relationship actively, he was passive, and self-involved, and playing the victim. And that Kaylee could even want to take him back made my mind boggle. But as I said at the start, none of this affected my enjoyment of the book, I still really love this series and thought it was a great instalment, and I continue to love Ms Vincent's writing. I love that the characters to develop, that they grow and change and make bad decisions as well as good decisions. I loved the introduction of Sabine, who strangely, as I've said, I really kind of liked for all her terrible ways. And I'm glad that all the bad stuff that happened in the previous book wasn't just swept under the rug - it was messy and involving and completely teenage high school, and I loved seeing how they tried to deal with it all, to patch up and keep going. I love the mythology and that this series deals with supernatural creatures that are rarely given their own books - to have such a diverse and intriguing set of characters is one of my favourite aspects of this series. So in all, not my favourite in the series but still a fantastic book, and I'm so looking forward to seeing where this goes - and to seeing more of everyone's favourite Reaper, who remains to this day my favourite character in this series.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ I had heard amazing things about 'Wonder' before I started reading it, and they truly didn't exaggerate. I was very wary going into the book, after all, you never know with a subject that sometimes requires delicate handling whether the author will handle it or drop it on the floor... hard... Fortunately R J Palacio tackles it beautifully. The book offers several different viewpoints so that we get to see not only Auggie's view of himself and the world, but how other people view him to. It also offers us an insight so we see situations from various different angles so what from one person seemed a terribly mean thing to do, would suddenly be seen from a whole new angle. The different view varied from seeing how Auggie's sister copes with constantly being pushed to the side in favour of her brother, to how his new friends at school felt about him, to his sister's boyfriend. It was fascinating and offered a whole new perspective which kept the novel fresh throughout. Of course the largest sections were from Auggie's point of view and he was a fascinating narrator. He truly was extraordinary, with his view of the world, of himself, his strength, his kindness and his determination, particularly in the face of some truly horrible taunts, fights and unkindness from those around him. It was a thought provoking story handled very delicately and I found myself totally enthralled with Auggie's story. How it feels to be on the inside of a perfectly normal boy who just drew the short straw of the gene pool. He's not pampered or spoilt, nor is he frustrating, he is an incredibly fresh narrator and I loved sharing his story with him. It was heart breaking at points to see the cruelty of those around him - not just kids, but adults. There are a series of emails part way through the book that quite literally made my blood boil, and some of the awful things the kids said made me want to reach in and wrap Auggie up in a hug. My only complaints were that there wasn't a vast amount of difference between the voices. They all read very much the same, and if I hadn't been told at the start of each section who was speaking it wouldn't have been particularly obvious. It was also, I have to admit a decidedly cheesy ending, but actually, I like happy endings to it didn't really both me - I know that some people might find it a little too sweet after the trials of the book though. It does come across as one very decided, white middles class view point of the world, which may be frustrating to some, but because that is the only view point Auggie really has, I didn't find it too grating. This truly is a wonderful book - thought provoking, funny, incredibly hard to read at some points, and joyful at others. I would recommend reading it with a box of tissues though...

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/ So I read this book on a recommendation because of the romance at the novel's heart, and I did really enjoy it, but it elicited quite a mixed reaction from me whilst reading. Let me first say that I did really enjoy the book, it was a really good concept and a great plot with some swoon worthy moments, and some brilliant twists and turns, however whilst really enjoying it, on closer inspection there were quite a few things that also really irritated me. Let's start with Lila. She had the potential to be smart, funny and strong - she has this awesome power that gets the story of to a fantastic start, and then it kind of peters out. Literally the first half of the novel is Lila getting increasingly frustrated with her brother, swooning over her life long love Alex, and getting grumpy. That's it. There's no action, there is plot development but it's hidden underneath so many layers of Lila making eyes at Alex and doing pretty much anything to get his attention that it's virtually non-existent. Don't get me wrong, I like romance, I am fully on board with all swooning. But when I learn very little about a character other than she really, really, really really really likes this guy and it's tragic because he only ever sees her as his best friend's little sister, and she would literally consider twisting her ankle to get close to him, I do get a little irate. Yet I kept reading. It was still compelling, still intriguing (partly from wondering when Lila would get her damn act together) and I still wanted to find out what happened. As I said, half way through suddenly we get action, and it's this thrilling chase with betrayal and confessions and kisses and it's really good. I enjoyed finding out more about the psys, and to fill in some of the blanks and the backstory, but again, I kind of felt that some of the twists were a bit predictable. I wanted them to be jaw dropping, fantastic things, but they fell into the usual format. I've now discovered there is going to be a second book, and I'm more excited about that than this one. It felt like by the end of this book we finally got to see a bit of the actual Lila creeping in, and I want to get to know her, not the boy obsessed one. I really want to see where this develops and goes to, because it really is a fantastic premise and it has the potential to be an absolutely stunning series, I just wasn't too fussed on some of the choices made in this first book. So to sum up, I loved the premise of the book, and it was intriguing enough to keep me reading, but I really wasn't all that fussed on the elements of Lila that were emphasised or the complete lack of any action or plot development or any kind in the first half of the book. I do still recommend it, for anyone who likes young adult urban fantasy with the super psychic powers twist, and I'm really excited about the second book.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk This book is stunningly beautiful. I've spent a long time after finishing it thinking about what I wanted to say in my review. So much of it has already been said before in the numerous reviews out there that talk about how beautiful, how heartbreaking, how tragic this book is, and I feel like I'm just going to repeat all of that, but here goes. I loved this book. I loved Hazel. Her strength, her quiet determination to try to just keep going each day, her humour, her realistic outlook - it was pitched absolutely perfectly. She was such an incredible character and was the perfect narrator to take us through. At moments I was laughing out loud. "Congratulations! You're a woman! NOW DIE." And then I would be sobbing my heart out because it was so unfair and horrible and downright depressing, and yet Green manages to keep the story as a compelling a beautiful piece of artwork, instead of some morbid look at cancer children. I adored Augustus, he was such a fantastic character, and the two of them bounced off each other and created some beautifully funny, poignant and touching scenes. They made such a fantastic pair, the humour, the realistic outlook on life, the downright tragic moments. It was written so beautifully That's one of the things I love most about Green's books. His writing is so unbelievably beautiful. I can't even put into words how stunning it is. I first found it in 'Looking for Alaska' and I wondered if that was a one off, or whether this book would speak to me in the same way, and it really really does. It's so incredibly beautiful, and it was for his writing that I originally picked up this book. Not for the story - I'm more of a fantasy kind of girl - but his prose. Although once I started reading I couldn't help but fall in love with the story. At the same time Green has made it very accessible and relatable even to those who aren't cancer sufferers. I have chronic pain syndrome, something that makes me similarly have good and bad days, try out a plethora of new and exciting medications to ease the pain, and provokes a reaction in friends not unlike the reaction Hazel experiences. Whilst I am in no way comparing my own experiences to those of Hazels, I still found some of her thoughts and sentiments about those things to really strike home in a way that I truly wasn't expecting from this book. It suddenly made it feel more personal in a way that I wasn't prepared for. And I was impressed. When I went into the book I almost expected it to be some sort of cloying preaching book about cancer that I, as someone with no experience of it personally or in my family, wouldn't really connect with. Whereas in reality it was a touching book that brought so much to the table, and allowed me to identify with it in ways that I wouldn't have expected. And I cried. God how I cried. It was inevitable and yet utterly heart breaking, and despite the fact that it was a book, and despite the fact that I had only known these characters for a couple of hours, it touched me and provoked emotional responses in me that I didn't expect to have. I loved this book. I cannot recommend it enough. It is beautiful, and heart breaking, and took my breath away. And stayed with me long after I turned the last page

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk I was left feeling a bit mixed after reading this book - there were some really great aspects, and some really not so great ones kind of jumbled together. I'm going to start with what peeved me and end on the good notes of what I liked, because I did really like this book, it just had quite a few flaws that I found difficult to get round. I had several problems with the book that meant that I failed to truly engage with the story. Firstly, the world building. This has so much potential but so much is left unexplained, and instead of making it mysterious and edgy it just left me irritated. All we know is that people live to 200, everyone between the ages of 20 and 60 are dead and were wiped out in the spore wars, and old people are evil. That's it. There is no explanation, nothing, and I think I would have found the story a lot more convincing if there had actually been some concise explanations. I don't need everything spelled out, but a little bit would be good. There were just too many plot holes that weren't even tackled due to the lack of world explanations - for example why on earth are all old people made out to be evil with no backing or explanations? Why are children victimised and herded up? Why aren't young people allowed to get jobs? None of these things really made sense and I felt a bit cheated by that. Then we have the love triangle, which felt incredible forced and fake. It feels like it's obligatory these days for a book to have a love triangle in it. This one had one half that was barely a half and a boy that she had an instantaneous connection with. I wouldn't have been nearly so peeved if the two boys had served a function other than being a love interest, but that was it. However, by the end of the book it did suddenly all make sense and I stopped being so grumpy about the romance. I won't explain further than that because I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, but going into it, if you feel peeved by the love triangle, stick with it, there is a very good reason for it. And then we have our heroine Callie who just seemed to drift through the book. There was no sense of urgency to engage me, no desperation or anything. She just seems to float along without really truly connecting or acting until very late on in the novel. I think the reason I was so peeved with the above points is because this book had the potential to be an absolutely fantastic book. I mean look at that premise, the idea that you can have someone else rent your body is terrifying, and I don't think that was really examined properly in the book. Thinking about the idea was enough to give me chills, but they were absent throughout the book, because there wasn't that ick factor, the horror of it wasn't thoroughly explored, and only really touched on at the end. The writing was really good though, Price is definitely going to be an author to watch, I just wasn't as taken with this particular book as I thought Id be. However, despite the problems I did still really enjoy this book. As I said, it's a brilliant concept, and parts of it are executed brilliantly. I was really rooting for Callie by the end, and once the plot got going it really went for it. I am really looking forward to seeing what happens next, and whether we get any development on the issues I've shared above, so when the sequel 'Enders' comes out I will be desperate to see how it plays out. Don't let my problems put you off reading it though, as I've said before, these are just my personal peeves whilst reading, and I'm curious to see how other people react and what they make of the book - so let me know if you agree or disagree! This book is a good debut into the dystopian genre, and I found it to be a really interesting read. However there were a few issues that marred the experience for me, but ultimately I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the sequel 'Enders'.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk This book was such a gorgeously haunting story that it's stayed with me long after I finished reading it. The writing is haunting and vivid, and creates such an atmospheric piece, similar to the feeling I felt whilst reading 'The Scorpio Races' by Maggie Stiefvater. It takes its time, slowly drawing out the tales over the span of several generations, but focusing around the intentions of Misskaella. It was incredibly well done, because Lanagan takes her time to develop Misskaella into a sympathetic character that you cannot help but feel for, then branch out and show how others have treated her affects her attitude to those around her. It's a tragic tale of human nature and the ability each person has to hurt others - but in this case, the repercussions when the person on the receiving end has the last laugh. And just when you start to forget that she was once human and hurt and torn apart by others cruel words towards her, Lanagan twists it back and packs another gut wrenching punch that reminds you just how human and fragile she was at heart. It's a mixture of tales all rolled into one, all coming back to focus on the Seal Wives, the tragedy of Rollrock Island and Miskaella's handiwork at getting her own back. We see the story from several view points; different generations at different times as we are led down the path of destruction with the Rollrock men, the slow, creeping rot that sets into the island, and the exploration of the island as a world of its own, the isolation of the setting as they cut themselves off further from the world. We see boys grow up and turn into husbands and fall into the same patterns as those before them. We see women treated as objects of desire and ownership rather than people, and the slow rebuilding of a civilisation brought to the brink of destruction by those enchanted by the seal women. Despite being a quick reader this book took me quite a while to get into and finish - the writing was quite dense and weighty, and despite only being just over three hundred pages long felt like a novel twice the length. That isn't a criticism or point against it at all, it was just interesting to note how long I spent immersed in the world, and how much I enjoyed it. I will admit that towards the end I did just want to finish it, because it is such a haunting and melancholy story that I did feel quite morose after several days dipping into the world, and wanted to move onto something lighter. But as I said, it was such a beautiful book that it outweighed any of the negatives. It was an utterly heart breaking and moving piece of work that completely surprised me. It wasn't what I expected at all, and yet it turned into one of the best reads so far this year. Moving, atmospheric and poignant - a look at how the actions of one person can shape people's lives for generations.

Reviewed for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/ I am a sucker when it comes to a good Robin Hood story, and when I saw Angie's reviewof 'Scarlet' I was absolutely desperate to read it. But then there's always a worry when it comes to reinterpretations of the Hood legend, that they've taken it too far in the wrong direction. Although after watching 'Robin Hood Men in Tights' I'm not so sure there is a wrong direction anymore... Anyway, I was a little bit wary going in, but I really shouldn't have worried, this was one of the best re-tellings I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. The plot combines enough of the original legend to make it feel authentic, with just enough new twists and turns for the tale to be truly original as well. And there are a host of familiar faces that make it into a true Robin Hood tale. I absolutely adore Scarlet. She's got such a distinctive voice, a no-nonsense attitude and complete undying devotion to Rob and the boys. She's tough and can take a punch as well as any man, but is softer and admits that just a touch from Robin can render her breathless and speechless. She was the perfect blend of soft and hard, a truly believable and fantastic heroine that I couldn't help but fall in love with and admire. You want her to win, to succeed, and root for her even when things seem completely hopeless. Her backstory was fantastic, and threw several shockers that had me gasping aloud throughout the book. She is a beautiful blend of characters from the original legends, but makes it entirely her own. And the other boys - oh Rob, you are just as dreamy as I always imagined. And John turned out to be quite the charmer as well. It was a smaller band than I imagined, but all the characters were brought to life so vividly that it really didn't matter. You get to know each of them, their backstories and their personalities in a way that secondary characters can often miss out on. The writing was gorgeous, Scar's voice was absolutely perfect, taking you through the tale along with her, and the research involved must have been enormous because it truly felt like I'd been picked up and dumped in the middle of the twelfth century in the middle of Sherwood Forest. It was real, hard, sometimes impossibly heart breaking, and utterly fabulous. I don't want to give any more away, because it's a truly fantastic read. After finishing I just wanted to go straight back into the world and read it all over again - which considering I was having the same feelings about the 1920s flappers book I read just before Scarlet, made for some pretty interesting dreams... This book completely swept me away. Definitely a must read for fans of Robin Hood, but anyone who loves a kick ass heroine and a brilliant plot would love this. One of my favourite books of the year so far.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com How have I not read this book before? Ok let me rephrase that - why on earth have I steered clear of these books?? I have a terrible habit of seeing a cover that I'm not fussed on, and hearing the title over and over because everyone's talking about it, and I can't seem to get away from it, so I decide to wait and pick them up at a later time. More fool me. Finally, about three years after most of the hype, I saw the trailer. Youtube it, it's absolutely awesome. And I suddenly realized I'd made a huge mistake and immediately went out and borrowed a copy off one of my friends. And then I didn't surface for four hours... I was hooked from the first page, I didn't put the book down once from start to finish, just sat and read it straight through. Katniss is such an incredibly real and likeable character. Tough because she has to be, but with a real and honest personality that I couldn't help but find engaging. We're thrown straight into the action, with a lot of backstory about Panem and the Districts, but none of it felt overloaded or too much - Collins sets it up in such a way that I was desperate to know more. I wanted everything and I wanted it now. The pacing is absolutely spot on. There's a crushing sense of inevitability that dogs the characters and I was equal parts desperate to find out what happens, and hoping to prolong it so I didn't have to say goodbye to anyone. But when the goodbye's came, oh my word they sure packed a punch. Tears. Lots of tears. I know that there's supposed to be a love triangle going on between Katniss, Peeta and Gale, but I honestly didn't feel it. This will be something I talk about more in my reviews of the final two books, because it's something that comes to the fore in those, but for me there was no contest - particularly in this book. I was for Peeta all the way. For once I was rooting for the good buy - the nice guy who would do anything to protect the girl he loves, even sacrifice himself. Too often I find myself rooting for the bad boy, you know the ones, they usually sport a fair amount of black and do their fair share of bad things as well as good things, but I was completely swept away by Peeta. Guys, I think I have a new fictional crush. I don't really want to talk about the plot, because it's one of those books that I'd hate to ruin for others, just know that it tears you apart and doesn't let you go and you are in for one hell of a ride once you pick this book up. I love how much time is taken up with the prep, and the secondary character's we're introduced to - Cinna for one was an absolute favourite, but they all stood out in some way or another. Every detail is beautifully crafted into the whole, and the world stood out for me as one of the best constructed I've read in a while - with such a level of history and backstory that unravels over the course of the three books. Even well after finishing reading it, this book has stayed with me. I keep thinking about it and slipping back inside it. Analysing different moments and remembering odd pieces of the games - I have a feeling it won't be long before I pick it up to read again. Others have said far more eloquently what I'm attempting to say - that this book is one of the best I have had the pleasure of reading in a while, and the standard of books out there at the moment is insanely high as it is. If you've already read it, you'll know what I'm talking about, and if you haven't? Don't make my mistake, go and pick it up now. Oh and get excited for the film, that trailer looks pretty epic...

This book is a brilliant example of what a difference a cover can make. The cover is usually the first thing I see, it's the point of contact where the book grabs me and says 'look at me! I'm awesome! You'll never regret getting me!' either that or 'steer clear, you're being judgemental'. I'm bad, very very bad, I do judge books by their covers. I try not to, but as I said, first point of contact! U.S. Cover So I first saw this book with the American cover, and I thought 'hmm, self this looks like a good book, but it is not nabbing my attention enough to get it now, I shall keep browsing.' Until the other day, the fabulous Harriett over at Random House Children's Books sent me a copy with the UK cover, and before I even realised it was the same book I was shrieking with joy and saying 'self, this cover! This book is going to be fabulous! Look at that tag line! Look at the gone with the wind southern belle aspect, and the pasty brooding guy! And the lamps! And, hey look! Are those zombies staggering around in the background?! Dear god this is fantastic!' And I promptly started reading it. Just like that, perception changed, the book became an immediate I must read this now. And it was such a good read! I love it when an author has a sense of humour, and is genuinely just having fun and this comes across throughout the book. There are moments of genius and moments of sheer ridiculous, and some sharp and witty banter that had me giggling aloud. The sense of fun and amusement on the part of the author comes across so strongly through reading it that it made it an even more enjoyable read for me. Just look at the series title - 'Gone with the Respiration' that alone was enough to make me laugh out lout and demand more. It had a similar feel to some of Gail Carriger's work, the same humour, the same elegant wit, and parasols, don't forget the parasols. But because it's set in the future there was a lot more room to manoeuvre and play with the language and setting. I was a bit hesitant to start with, but actually this worked out incredible well. Take the parasols that have a gas lamp on the top to indicate whether a woman can be dated, is married, or is more interested in other women - genius. I loved the characters. Nora was a breath of fresh air - she actually freaks when confronted with undead monsters. It takes her a long time to start to trust and be ok with the idea, and when she first emerges from behind her safely locked door, the first thing she demands is guns. I love her for this so much you wouldn't believe. But as well as being smart and sassy and a little bit pouty at times, she's incredibly loyal and fights for those she cares about which made her an all round fabulous heroine. And Bram, oh baby I do not normally like zombie's but you have to be the most gentlemanly and lovely of them all. And very little decomposing going on, which is always a bonus... I'll talk a bit more about the romance in a moment, but suffice to say he was intelligent, sharp, gentle and again, fiercely protective (without any stalker aspects, which is always a bonus.) The host of secondary characters were on the whole pretty awesome. A little more could have gone into making Bram's crew more distinguishable earlier on, I found myself a bit confused at points who was who, but that does sort itself out part way through. Even the characters who only got a bit of main time were really well written and believable, for the most part very funny, and a fantastic array of the different facets of society both alive and dead, in this whole new world. And Pam. Oh boy did she get awesome. I am so excited to see more of the Pam that emerges when everything falls apart. She was actually more interesting than Nora at points, just because of the strength and determination she showed when it came to protecting those she loved, and even those she barely knew that she wanted to help. Let's talk about romance - more specifically zombie romance. I'm not a fan. The idea of someone shambling along with bits decomposing and dropping off who would quite like to eat your braaaainssss, and a live human having a romance has filled me with a slightly shuddery feeling in the past, so I've steered well clear of zombie romances until last year. Then I read 'Warm Bodies' by Isaac Marrion, and my perception changed. All of a sudden it didn't have to be this slightly disturbing zombie half eating human weird romance. It could be based on more than making out (shock, horror) and be more about the connection between two individuals. This was also the case with Bram and Nora, and I liked the two of them together, how their relationship and friendship developed. And Ms Habel neatly sidesteps the ick factor by creating a zombie boy who isn't decomposing - not in the same way. All of a sudden we have a yummy boy (yes he's still yummy, despite the eyes) who just happens to be dead. He's still him, he still has a sense of humour and can fight and sing as good as the living boys - actually he seems to have a better moral code than most of the rest of the living boys. And at that stage, where he isn't decomposing and shambling around screaming brains, where he is still in tact, merely dead, we have the same scenario as most of the human girl with a dead vampire boy books out there - and no one seems to have a problem with the ick factor there. What I am trying to say (albeit not particularly eloquently) is that the romance, particularly the zombie un-dead element should not be something that makes you judge this book before even fully reading it. It wasn't all sunshine and roses though, I did have a couple of problems with the book which prevented me from giving it the full five star love. Firstly, the number of point of views. There were five. Now I would have been happy with just Bram and Nora, I think their story was fascinating enough just on its own, with the exterior elements being fed in through them. However then Pamela's story line got really epic and we wouldn't have seen that without her point of view, so I was ok with that one too. Wolfe's and Dr Dearly's were a bit much though. I didn't find them as compelling, and I just wanted to skip back to the action. I felt that the things that were revealed through those point of view's (actually I don't think anything much was revealed through Wolfe's) could have been fed into the story in other ways, cutting down the number of characters and points of view which made my head reel a little bit at times. The other thing was the sheer volume. Don't get me wrong, I love long books, there's a lot more scope in them and a lot more can be included, but in some cases in this book I felt like there was just a bit too much. I realise that there was a vast amount of information to be covered throughout the book - there was so much back story and information to get the reader up to speed with the world, but it felt like some of that could have been cut down or cut out. Some of the situations were given time to amble along which meant that the road to epic showdown was a long one, and meant that I put the book down a lot just to have a break even though I was enjoying it so much. So it was still brilliant, I still loved it, I will still look forward to the sequel with baited breath, but there were a few flaws that made it not quite so dazzlingly brilliant as it could have been. (Although if I did half stars this would be a 4.5 instead of a four.) However if you like Steampunk, humour and an incredibly brilliant plot then this is an absolute must read.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/ Oh my god you guys, I loved this book. I'd heard really good things about it, and then I read Angie's review (and regular readers know that it only takes Angie saying she loved a book and I've bought it off Amazon before I've finished the review) and I was sold. Set over twenty four hours, it's the perfect combination of humour, grief, joy, and squishy cute moments. I'm all about the squishy cute moments. I loved that this wasn't just a romance though. It looks equally at Hadley, her family and the break-up of her family unit leading up to this point - the night before her father's re-marriage. It was such an honest look at the breakdown of relationships, as well as the forming of them, that for once I didn't get grumpy over a portrayal of the breakdown. I actually empathised with every character, and found it fascinating as we were allowed deeper insights into Hadley's life both before and after. That said, I really loved the squishy moments... Oliver was such a genuinely nice, refreshingly human boy. There was no insta-love. There was attraction, sure, by the bucket load, but I didn't ever feel like this spark was being pushed or rushed or rammed repeatedly into a brick wall. The reader almost falls for Oliver along with Hadley, we laugh, we cry, we cheer, and are so swept up in this beautiful tale that's full of endings and beginnings and false starts. It was so realistic, so full of life without being cloying or false. I don't want to ruin it, although I could quite happily chatter on about it for ages. I just want to say how brilliantly written it was. How much of a breah of fresh air, and how carried away by their story. I loved Hadley, she's so likeable, so friendly despite the grumps attached to the circumstance. I loved the banter between her and Oliver, and the fact that he was so deliciously imperfect. Gotta hate those flawless boys. I loved the twists and the turns, and the fabulous happenstances that so often lead to brilliant things in life. But most of all I loved the interweaving of the family relationships and drama into this beautiful romance. Everything was pitched perfectly, and I fell in love with it. There was one glaring error which gave me a mild case of the grumps, which is that the American custom is for the bridesmaid's to precede the bride down the aisle, whereas the English custom is for them to follow the bride. So why, in an English wedding, where the bride is English, are American customs being employed? You can argue it any which way about the bride choosing to be different, but the fact remains that in an otherwise flawless book, I was suddenly (and frustratingly) jolted out of it with something as trivial as that. However, it was ultimately such a small thing that it hasn't affected my overall rating, because really you guys, this book? Awesomeness in a small and brilliantly written package. It's stayed with me long after reading - I keep going back and thinking about different moments, and re-reading passages. And yeah ok, we're only half way through the month, but I think I might have just read my book of the month... Any other book I read this month is going to have a lot to beat.

This book was reviewed for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com I absolutely loved Zoe Marriott's latest book 'Shadows on the Moon' so I was desperate to get my hands on everything else she's written to fill in the time between now and 'Frostfire' coming out later this year. However 'Daughter of the Flames' didn't quite hit the mark with me in the same way as Marriott's other two books. It was a fantastic premise, with a brilliant heroine at its heart, I just felt as though some parts were a little underdeveloped. I would have quite happily read twice its length just to see more of the development between Zira and Sorin. I loved their hesitancy and awkwardness and the fact that this relationship developed out of a need to save their people, not out of anything else, but we skipped over so much between them that I felt like I never fully bought their relationship. I wanted to see more of that development, because after a point what romance and tension there was between them fizzles out, and becomes almost unimportant to the story, yet it's still supposed to be a key element. Another aspect of the romance that I didn't buy was that once again we are given a paragraph in which the heroine suddenly realises she's in love with the hero, and I want, for once, to be able to see that relationship build instead of being told about it. As I said, Zira was a fantastic heroine, strong, independent, and driven by a need to protect her people. But again, we had the internal conflict of who was she really, and I wanted more of that, more development, more resolution. Sorin again, I felt was a little under developed, but what I saw I absolutely loved. He wasn't your stereotypical male hero, but I didn't feel like we really got to see that, or see his developing feelings for Zira. I loved the world building, Marriott really is a master of fantasy, and really creates a world you can practically smell and taste. I thought the religious elements were well developed and that overall the plot was exceptionally well done. I love villains who have something more about them - some backstory or twist that makes it all that much more exciting and intriguing, and we definitely had that here. In fact everything came together to make a really, really good book, as I said at the start it just felt like some aspects were rushed or under developed. I loved Marriott's other books 'The Swan Kingdom' and 'Shadows on the Moon', and I think that her writing has developed hugely in the time between 'Daughter of the Flames' and 'Shadows on the Moon' and I cannot wait to see how 'Frostfire' turns out. So all in all, a very good book, but not Marriott's strongest, but still a very good fantasy read.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/ Can we all just take a moment to celebrate Gratton's fabulous construction, otherwise known as Nick? A boy, yes I know, I'm so fickle over fictional boys, who is not conventionally yummy, yet still pulls it off, wears a trilby hat and a three piece suit and can actually dance. The party scene where all of these things come together actually had me swooning like a school girl. There are not enough fictional boys wearing trilby hats and suits and dancing. Any authors out there listening - please make some more. Will pay good money for them//pimp your book out to everyone. So let the pimping begin. I love books with magic in. The first books I ever took out of the school library at secondary school were Tamora Pierce's 'Song of the Lioness' Quartet, and ever since, a good book with lots of magic? You can't beat it. Tamora Pierce, Maria V Snyder, Ms Gratton, please join them in your rightful place on my shelf of magic books made of awesome. Seriously this book was fab. I loved the concept, I loved the characters, and I loved the writing. It didn't read like a first book - there was a confidence in the writing that spoke of many books already under the author's belt, and made the story really come alive. It took its time, really enjoying building up the characters so we cared about them, the relationships so they were believable, and the plot so it was complex and detailed and full of twists and turns. I could have done with some more explanation about the magic - who could do it etc. but I really liked the build up, the book, the explanations and the slow interweaving of the two different stories. And there were some sly twists slipped in there so that the outcome and solutions weren't obvious from the beginning - misdirection, I like your style Ms Gratton. I loved the time spent building the characters up, so I really liked all of them. They all felt real, although it probably says something about me that I was a little untrusting of some of the trustworthy characters - apparently I just don't trust anyone who is genuinely nice from the get go... I liked the split narrative with both sides being told - both Josephine's, but also seeing how Nick and Silla reacted to each other, how that developed and not just getting one side of it. And it was so refreshing to see the guy mooning over the girl more than the other way round. In fact Nick was just awesome. I think I've already covered it earlier, but I really loved him as a character. He was quirky, funny, a gentleman but a bit of an arse at the same time. He just felt so real, so human and so utterly fab - I was hooked on him from the start. I was slower to warm to Silla and Reese, it took a bit longer but they were still very well crafted. Silla's development and arc over the course of the book was something fabulous to watch, and I really can't wait to see what happens in book two, whether we get to see more of that developing. Another awesome thing was that this book really didn't shy away from the blood and guts and gore and general squeamish moments. I'm not normally squeamish, but this had even me shuddering at points. It was brilliantly pitched and worked so well, enough to make it gross and brilliantly believable and pricey for the magic, without being over the top and gratuitous. There were a couple of things that didn't quite gel for me - the first being Nick's overuse of the word 'babe'. A few times? Yeah sure, that makes sense, it probably would be part of his vocabulary, but he takes the use above and beyond with pretty much every sentence directed at Silla having the word babe in there somewhere. In fact after reading I put a ban on the word for my friends and family so I could have a break from it. The second thing wasn't anything to do with the writing itself, but is a note to the publishers instead. Please, I'm begging you, I know that when trying to represent diary or letter writing, using cursive pretty italic script helps show that, but if you use the insanely tight hard to read writing it really gives me a bad case of the grumps. Maybe I should be wearing my glasses more, but as far as I'm concerned, if I'm struggling to actually read the damn thing, it's a bad sign. And if those sections hadn't been so important to the story I would have skipped them entirely to save me the eye strain. The third was that Nick seemed to do a very abrupt 180 on his views of magic. Going from - evil, most evil thing in the world! To, hey, you know what, I kinda like this whole healing my scars in thirty seconds thing! Was a little disorientating. I could kind of see the logic with his determination to save and protect Silla, but at the same time, I could have done with a little more explanation and time taken over the change. On the whole though, I absolutely loved it. It was an incredibly strong debut by an author that I will have no hesitation reading again. A fantastic story and perfect for fans that like their magic with a side of gore...

I have been so excited about this book ever since I was lucky enough to chat with Ed at the Walker Books book bloggers event at the end of last year. Everything about it was fab - the concept, the cover, the blurb, and then it arrived it was so shiny I had to stroke it for a few minutes before I even started reading it. And it so didn't disappoint. One thing guaranteed to make me do a little happy dance is when we get strong male characters in fiction, and whilst Daniel isn't your stereotypical macho male lead, he is strong and brilliant and fabulous all in his own way - despite the nose picking... Daniel and his father arrive for a holiday at the Leisure World Holiday Complex to escape their world outside which is crumbling around them, and Daniel finds himself swept up in a strange and thrilling race with the girl that no one else seems to notice. I absolutely loved Lexi. She was smart, funny and strong in ways that you wouldn't normally expect from a 17 year old girl. And she's the perfect complement to Daniel, who just needs someone to actually stop, look at him, and care to bring him into all his fabulous glory. I loved that Ed had made Daniel how he had - a normal not perfectly chiselled teenager, who was a boy (but we can forgive him that) but despite certain moments of boyish weakness, is a morale, strong and incredibly courageous guy. I loved watching him grow and mature, and watching the relationship develop between him and Lexi. It was a true representation of friendship and admiration, rather than the 'insta-love' you find in so many young adult books these days. It was a thrilling book - I literally couldn't put it down once I'd started reading it. The tension runs high throughout and the plot was brilliantly well written and constructed. Not your average fare, with plenty of twists and intrigues along the way to keep your interest, and just enough supernatural to make me squee like a small child. It wasn't just the relationship with Lexi that I found fascinating, but the relationship with his father and the small chunks of his past that Daniel reveals along the way that show how events culminated into the week we see. A brilliantly bittersweet look at the butterfly effect of the tiniest of moments and how they shape us. A fantastic young adult debut from an incredibly talented writer, and one I cannot wait to see more of in the future.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/2... Whilst my initial reaction to 'City of Fallen Angels' was to love that we had another book in the series, the further I got from it the more I realized there were so many aspects that didn't work for me until I was left feeling a little less than enthusiastic about 'City of Lost Souls'. It wasn't that it wasn't a good book, it was still a great book, and Cassie Clare still remained one of my favourite authors after reading it - it just didn't pack quite the same punch I've come to expect from her otherwise brilliant writing. However I shouldn't have worried, where CoFA was a bit of a let down after the explosive first trilogy in the series, CoLS really worked to pull it back together again. It was tighter, the writing was better, the humour was back and there was infinitely more action that had me on the edge of my seat as I raced through the pages. Clare is one of those talented authors who consistently proves time and time again just how good she is at what she does. She has this ability to make me fall in love with her complex characters that have grown and evolved over the course of the books, her vast and detailed world building, and the complex history and myths that have been interwoven into the patchwork of Shadowhunter lore. An ability to create a connection between reader and book so that when I open up a new book it feels like I'm coming home. I can identify with the characters, the emotions and impact of some of the things they're going through. But most of all she creates this brilliant blend of fantasy and reality, so that it really feels as though this world could exist, that I could step through and find myself face to face with a demon, or a vampire, or a snarky Shadowhunter. I love that sense of freedom and escape that I've come to associate with her books, and whilst I didn't experience that level in the fifth book, the sixth has definitely brought it all back into play. I loved the ever widening circle of characters that the story shifts to centre on, it really gives more scope to the books, and gives the reader a chance to get to know the characters inside and out. I always love more Simon - for me he's always been one of the best characters in the entire series, the arc and growth and the rollercoaster of things he's had to adapt and deal with, he's fascinating and funny and yet despite being a vampire, so completely real and human. So I loved seeing him come into his own even more in this book. I also loved seeing some more of Alec and Magnus. They are a fascinating couple, the power plays and games, but also the complete love and devotion between them as well, so it was really interesting (and heart wrenching) to watch Clare play with this dynamic, to test the limits of the relationship and the individual strengths of Alec and Magnus. It was heart breaking but also so completely real - yes ok the issue coming between them is probably not one that every day couples will have to face, but that doesn't stop the relationship from being any less real and engrossing to watch play out. And despite the conclusion for them in this book, I have no doubt that it will continue to be one of the most fascinating relationships of the series as we watch them try to work it out. And yes, I loved watching the new dynamics between Jace and Clary as the stakes got even higher, and their twosome expanded to become a rather terrifying threesome. One of the skills I love best is how Cassie can blur the lines between right and wrong, and can turn even the most twistedly horrifying character into someone who might be redeemed at times. It's a skill that left me with more than a few soft moments for Sebastian - for all of his flaws - and I really hope that we get to see a few more facets of Sebastian in the final book. The book is darker, there are some more horrifying moments, some truly hard to read moments and some completely gut wrenching moments. I really hope this is an indication of where the final book is going, because this slightly darker turn definitely brought some fascinating elements out to play that I want to see more of. I'd also love to see more of this shift away from Clary and Jace, and more of the supporting characters coming into their own, and of course, some happy endings after all the blood and guts and gore would be lovely to... So I can safely say that I'm really looking forward to the conclusion of the series. City of Lost Souls has definitely upped the ante and the pace and I cannot wait to see where we go from here.

SOME SPOILERS BELOW - TREAD CAREFULLY IF YOU HAVEN'T YET READ THE BOOK The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing... Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul. I really loved this novel - I was intrigued by the gothic New York combined with a take on Dorian Grey, and it more than lived up to my expectations. There were a few things I wasn't entirely sold on, but for the most part I really loved the book and was utterly entranced by Jonathon - and am hoping that there might be a sequel in the works. One of the reasons I picked up this book was due to Natalie - the idea of a heroine who couldn't speak was a pretty interesting concept, and I wanted to see how it played out. The book is told in the form of diary entries, from the point that Natalie is released back into her father's care, until the conclusion of the book. It's a concept that works really well, the diary entries colour everything with Natalie's perceptions, but she aims to be a very honest and detailed narrator which makes the whole tale infinitely more pleasurable to read. I liked that she was a strong character, despite her impediments, and worked hard to overcome them and do what she had to to help Jonathon. I did find some of the casting the devil out moments to be a little too close to The Crucible to be entirely comfortable, but for the most part that was really well judged as well. The plot was intricate enough to be engaging whilst not being overly complex - there was a distinct lack of twists and turns. I liked Jonathon for the most part. Of course, handsome doctor, what's not to like? But I would have liked a bit more development of his 'evil' side. He popped in from time to time and spoke quite randomly, and then ran off again. I would have liked more of him, more motives and explanations, because whilst for the most part everything is wrapped up neatly in the book, there were a few loose ends. Whether that is due to another book to continue on those unfinished threads will remain to be seen - I kind of hope so, because I really enjoyed the story and would like to see how Natalie and Jonathon cope beyond the painting. I have to admit I was never fully comfortable with Mrs Northe - I kept expecting her to suddenly turn out to be evil. This probably speaks more for me having read too many books with double crossing and twists, which this book was remarkably clear of, than to her character. A lot of the secondary characters felt a little flat, and I would have liked to have a little more development of them. Natalie's father for one, but particularly Maggie. Now again, this may be a development for another book, in which case that's great, but if it was a standalone novel then I felt a little underwhelmed by her. There was such a wealth of things that could have been done with her, and I wanted to see more. As it was she just kind of flitted around without any real true purpose. The only thing that I wasn't really sold on was the language at some points. It didn't quite ring true at some points although for the most part it was pretty good. The setting remained a little ambiguous - I know it was New York, but a good deal of the book is set in the painting, so I didn't really feel as though I got a true sense of the city, of the life out there that Natalie had lived long before Jonathon came into her life. All in all I really enjoyed this read - it was a quick romp with plenty of spine chilling moments, as well as some swoon worthy points. And with a fresh and imaginative plot to boot. I'm looking forward to see if this book will be broadened out into a series.

Simon Van Booy has a beautiful way with prose that left me in tears at some points when reading his two short story collections 'Love Begins in Winter' and 'The Secret Lives of People in Love'. So I was eagerly anticipating his first full novel 'Everything Beautiful Began After.' And it does contain a lot of the things that I loved in Booy's shorter prose. His trademark lyrical beauty and skill with words is present throughout, but unfortunately some of the skill that weaves his stories together isn't quite as tight when lengthened to encompass an entire novel. The story is divided into four 'books', each dealing with a new phase in the story. Book one covers half of the span of the novel and is exquisite. Told in third person the story details Rebecca, Henry and George in both the present and the events in their past that have shaped them into the people they've become. It twines their lives together beautifully and I loved reading this section. I was swept away in the descriptions, the scenes and the use of all the senses to create the world of Athens. It's melancholy, stunning, a little depressing but utterly gorgeous. However, books two and three really didn't do it for me. They're told in second person perspective although still from Henry's side. The lyrical beauty of the first book is turned here into an overly obsessive list of things that 'Henry' can see, feel and hear. It became overly depressive and as a result I just wanted it to be over. I don't mind depressive books - book one is depressing, but it couples that with beauty. This was just pressing and heavy and I wanted to finish it as quickly as I could. That's not to say it wasn't still good and well written - it just wasn't my cup of tea. Book four made me feel a little less like sitting in a corner and crying - it offers hope at the end of grief and darkness, and leaves the reader with a lot to think about long after the last page has been turned. Van Booy's first book is a gorgeously melancholy look at love, grief, death and the way that grief can distort our memories and thoughts, and take on a life of its own.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Um - wow. Just wow. I'm not really even sure if I can do this book justice in the review so let's start out by saying that I loved it. No, scrap that I adored it. Taylor's writing is divine - it's absolutely stunning prose that sweeps you up and brings you right into the heart of the story. She is as much a writer as an artist with this brilliant scope of imagination that enthrals throughout 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone'. Karou is so instantly likeable, with her blue hair and artists mind and eye, and down to earth attitude that incorporates more than one world. She still has boy troubles, she still worries that her butterflies are dead and she will never find that person to complete her - she also worries about how she's going to get some giant tusks on the Paris metro without anyone stopping her - you know, usual worries. I loved her. I loved her attitude and her strength, and her determination to not be left in the dark, to be strong and courageous, and fight for those she loves. And I love Akira. Their connection is something beautiful - and I'm not normally one for insta-love, but in fairness it's how it's written that sways me, and this was so convincingly incredible that I was swept up in the rightness of it all. The writing, as I've said, is absolutely breathtaking. I felt like I was there, living, breathing and experiencing it all. Everything from the rain and the cold, to the warm steam of Poison, to the mortification of her idiot ex posing in the class. And oh my, the dialogue. It was all really well done, but my personal favourites were any time that Zuzana and Karou got together and chatted. It was just so funny, and brilliant, and absolutely spot on. Quick light dialogue of people who banter off each other and have known each other long enough to anticipate the others move - it's very hard to get right, but fabulous to read when it's there. The scope of the novel was incredible. One moment in the winding labyrinths of Prague, the next in a war torn world where two mythical races are locked in eternal combat. But Taylor has the brilliant ability to show you the vast scope, and then take you right down into the tiny moments that make these people ones you care about. The only minor complaint I had was that once the truth starts spilling out and we start to find out all the backstory, it felt like an awful lot is dumped at once. I don't mean Madrigal's story as such, but the backstory of the whole world and the races. I just felt a bit overwhelmed and had to go back and re-read some parts to make sure I'd taken it all in. On a re-read there isn't really any other way that Taylor could give that information without it seeming a bit of a deluge. It has to come there, so it does. I just found it a bit overwhelming to suddenly after three quarters of a book suddenly be introduced properly to characters that had only previously been mentioned and be swept up in their story. I know it's all interlinked, but still, minor gripe. The beautiful thing is that it is all interlinking. It's a stunning work where you literally have no idea where it's going, but quite frankly you just don't care. It's that good, you're just along for the ride, wherever that might be. And having been through all those twists and turns it's definitely time for a re-read to help it all slot in in those earlier pages and watch the beauty of a well-crafted piece of art play out. Having finished, with that tantalising 'to be continued...' I now cannot wait to find out what happens next. Karou's story is so breathtaking in its abstract brilliance that I didn't want the book to end. I just wanted to keep reading.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I read and reviewed Zoe Marriott's debut novel 'The Swan Kingdom' a few days ago, and loved it. It had a few flaws, but as I said then, if that was her debut novel, as she progressed and wrote more novels her writing was going to be epic. And it so is. 'Shadows on the Moon' is Marriott's third novel and a retelling of the fairy tale 'Cinderella' - however it is such a break away from the original tale that it has become an entirely fresh, new and unique tale in its own right. Spreading over months with Suzume taking on many different personalities, it has an epic quality that I haven't really witnessed before in a fairy-tale retelling. The tale is set in feudal Japan, but with a masterful blend of history and fantasy woven together. I really enjoyed the whole fairy-tale-esque feel to it. It had the same qualities of all those fairy tales I loved as a child but with the added bonus that the main character had an edge and a passion that meant she wasn't about to lie down and wait for her prince to rescue her. In fact, she will actively push her prince away if it looks like he's going to get in the way of her main goal. The fairy tale setting gives the novel plenty of charm, with the writing style complimenting it with its beautiful lyricism and poetic moments. Marriott is a truly brilliant writer who is able to evoke so many feelings and images, and wrap them around you until you are completely immersed in Suzume's world. Despite the tragedies she is forced to endure, I found myself hating every moment I had to put the book down, wanting to stay in Suzume's world for as long as possible. Marriott also explores the idea of the unreliable narrator in Suzume. She's young, innocent and forced to grow up too quickly through the horrors she's witnessed and the lack of support or love from any family members. Suzume believes she has done terrible things - she's suffering from not only PTSD but survivor's guilt as well, and she acts impulsively to try and ease her pain. However we only ever have her word on events, so it's fascinating for events to twist and turn on their heads as she realizes her assumptions have not always been correct. Marriott also explores the idea of Suzume taking her internal pain and making it external, through inflicting pain on herself via cutting. It's never glorified, but it is heartbreakingly realistic, and Marriott does an incredible job of keeping Suzume on the fine line between strong and weak, hard and determined, yet soft and broken, and inflicting pain on herself versus killing herself. She says it herself, she never meant to do anything wrong, she was just trying to have some semblance of control on her life. It's a very delicate subject expertly handled. Shadows on the Moon is incredible for its handling of some of the ugliest human emotions in an incredibly beautiful way. I found the relationship between Suzume and her mother to be particularly fascinating as the mother's cruelty is revealed to the reader as it is to Suzume - the vindictive resentment and jealousy - and so the reader is effected with the same impact that Suzume herself is as she realizes the extent of her mother's betrayal. With all the self destruction in the novel, Marriott lures the reader into thinking that this is the only ending that Suzume is destined to have, but at the last moment gives her a final chance for salvation - after all, what fairy tale is complete without a happy ending? Marriott has outdone herself with this latest novel, a truly breath taking work of fiction that takes some of the harder realities of the human spectrum and tackles them with grace and finesse, making them beautiful in a whole new way. Definitely an author to watch out for. Her next book 'Frostfire' is due for release on 5th July 2012.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/ Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it. The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation. Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest. But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late. There have been a lot of retellings of well-known fairy tales over the last few years, but one of my childhood favourites has always been the twelve dancing princesses. I had a picture book as a child that showed the tale in such beautiful detail that it's one that has stayed with me throughout the years. However, 'Entwined' is certainly one of the best retellings of the tale that I've come across. Dixon takes the original fairy tales and puts an entirely fresh spin on it. Instead of the mother of the princesses being dead, we see her prior to her death and she is a constant presence throughout the book, both in the girls memories and thoughts but also in the very act of mourning and the magic of the castle. The Princesses are left with the King, a parent who at first doesn't seem to care about the girls now their mother has gone, and leaves them alone to go to war for the better part of the years mourning. The King was a brilliantly well played character. At first he comes across as your stereotypical non-caring parent who has been left with children he doesn't really want. However, Dixon takes that image and turns it on his head - he does care, he tries, he fails, he gets grumpy, and he tries again. He was one of my favourite characters because he started out not particularly nice, and grew and developed and came to appreciate all he still had, not all that he had lost. And the dancing, Dixon describes it beautifully, you can see the movements in your head. The dancing springs out of a need to keep grief at bay, to keep the memory of their mother close and to hold the girls together as a family unit. There is no curse already in place at the start of the book, the magic ballroom is a place discovered to help them try to recover some sense of normalcy in a world that has been very much turned upside down. Whilst the eldest Princess, Azalea is the main focus of the story, the rest of the sisters all get their own threads, personalities and traits. The hard part of this tale is usually trying to create a family of twelve princesses without leaving any as one dimensional flat cut outs. But Dixon manages to create a family unit that is so strong and so lifelike that that alone is a huge achievement - add to that the rest of the novel and this is the best fairy tale retellings I've read. The magic involved is both beautiful and thrilling and terrifyingly horrible. The novel had some of the most frightening moments I've read in a while, and yet it could also be amusing and gorgeous as well. The final battle was incredibly well done, and I couldn't have put the book down if I'd wanted to, it drew me in and gripped me entirely. The writing is exquisite - it sweeps you up and carries you along in this world of dances, grief and trying to keep a family unit together. Dixon has a beautiful writing style and knows when to keep the words sweet and delicate, when to turn terrifying, and when to insert her very brilliant humour into the mix. "Down with tyranny!' Bramble cried. 'Aristocracy! Autocracy! Monocracy! Other ocracy things! You are outnumbered, sir! Surrender!" I did have one tiny weeny grump. Why do characters insist on deciding they are in love. Sure ok after pages and pages of becoming friends and getting to know each other this is less frustrating because it is believable. However, when they haven't had many scenes together or much time to get to know each other, to suddenly have this funny feeling and go 'oh hey, I think I'm in love!' really frustrates me. For that matter why do they have to have that 'decision' at all? Why can't it just be left ambiguous and left to the reader to interpret? Take 'The Scorpio Races' - there is no wild declaration, no moment of hey I think I might love him. Just two people getting to know each other, who have an intense connection and take it further - there is no label. Anyway, this book just happened to do this and it peeved me, but this mini rant is aimed at a lot more books than just this one - it just happened to emerge here. Rant over. "He's around the twist,' said Azalea. 'Breaking all the windows? He's mad.' 'Ah, no,' said the King. 'It's only madness if you actually do it. If you want to break all the windows in the house and drown yourself in a bucket but don't actually do it, well, that's love." So if you like fairy tales, read this book. If you love dancing, read this book. If you love tales of princesses and dashing men and terrible magic, read this book. Hell, just read this book anyway, it's fabulous in all the right ways and I am so glad I picked it up. So please Heather Dixon, write some more, this book was awesome and I would quite happily buy anything and everything you ever write. But in the mean time, I recommend checking out Heather's blog, which had me crying with laughter at more than a few moments.

This review can be found in full at The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Whilst I adore any of Cassandra Clare's writing, there is something very special about the Infernal Devices series that is missing from her other books. I don't know if it's something about the period, where every look and touch means a hundred fold more than it would in our time, or whether the backdrop of Victorian London provides more of an atmosphere for the Shadowhunters to inhabit, but there was something very special about 'Clockwork Angel' and it's back, multiplied a hundred fold in 'Clockwork Prince'. We are back with the characters we grew to know and love in 'Angel' only this time we're treated to more, a deeper understanding behind the faces, and higher stakes for all concerned. We're once again on the hunt for the Magister - who truly becomes more terrifying by the book. Clare has created a masterful villain, one who despite his human origins holds more menace and horror than most supernatural terrors. But whilst the hunt provides a backdrop and a motive, the real heart of 'Clockwork Prince' lies in the character development, for all concerned but most notably for Tessa, Jem, and particularly Will.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com I was so excited about Cinder when I first saw it - cyborgs? Cinderella? Deadly plagues? It ticked all my boxes. Unfortunately it didn't quite manage to live up to my expectations, although it was still a really good book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Let's get what I wasn't fussed on out the way first so we can end on the things I did love. Firstly, by the time a book is in its finished form, I expect it to be completely proof read. I don't expect to find words missing or random words thrown into sentences that make the whole thing make no sense at all. It worries me when I see errors like that in a finished book, because that means that in all the passes of the book no one has picked it up. Either that or I have eyes like a hawk and someone should hire me to be a proof reader. Secondly, the big twist. I've already warned you and I'm going to again, do not keep reading if you haven't read the book - spoilers lie ahead! I worked out the twist a couple of chapters in, it really didn't take long. And I spent the rest of the book torn between being incredibly bored that I'd already worked it out, and desperately hoping that I was wrong, and that the author was going to pull something spectacular out of the bag at the last moment. Unfortunately it turned out I was right, and because it was literally revealed in the last couple of pages it made me think that it was supposed to be this big shocking thing. And it really, really wasn't. I am however looking forward to seeing how Cinder develops now she has this knowledge, so I'm incredibly excited for the second book, despite the slightly let down-ish ending of the first. Thirdly, the romance. There wasn't enough time and development between Kai and Cinder for me to find this believable. If it had been that he was using her to try and get one up on the Queen like Cinder initially thought then I would have found it more believable, but as it was I really wasn't convinced. Maybe in the next book there will be enough interaction between them that I'll start to feel it, but as it was, not so much. And finally, I was kind of disappointed that more wasn't given to the setting. It's set in 'New Beijing' and everyone has Chinese names, but nothing about it really suggests any connection to the cities roots, where it's come from and how it's developed. I would have found that fascinating to see more of that - we did see a little bit creep through in some of the ceremonies, and random pieces of description, but I would have liked more it. Ok so those were the things that brought the book down for me, let's talk about the awesome. The plot. I absolutely loved it. It was a fantastic new spin on the traditional fairy tale, and that's what made me pick up the book in the first place. The idea that Cinder was a cyborg was genius, it take the idea of her being a servant and physically belonging to her step mother to a whole new level which I found fascinating. I loved Cinder herself. A smart, clever and well developed character that I couldn't help but love and root for. I laughed at her humour, I wanted to cry at the injustices of her step mother, and be there to deliver a royal smackdown on the Queen. She really was fabulous, and it was so good to see this character who we've been shown in most depictions as this slightly weak princess to be, to be such a tough and independent young woman. She came across a lot older than she was as a result, and I want to see a bit more of her vulnerability, but I'm really looking forward to seeing her development in the next books. I did like Kai, and I found some of the pieces from his point of view where we got to see the politics and outside the Commonwealth which we would have missed if we had been with Cinder the whole time, really interesting. It gave an idea of the stakes and the world outside of Cinder's perceptions. Did anyone else have a brief moment of 'oh, did she really go there?' With 'Queen Camilla' of England?... I did however find some of the stuff with Kai and Torin a little bit weird towards the end. I don't know if it was just because it was seen from Cinder's perspective, but it suddenly seemed a bit out of character. I did love Kai's reaction to Cinder though when he found out what she was. Still wanting to protect her but at the same time unable to hide his disgust. I like it when characters are shown with their flaws, and to be unable (at least at first) to get over their prejudices. The plot did take a little while to get going and to draw me in (about 80 pages or so) but after the ending I am fully anticipating a fabulous dive straight into the second book. The writing was really good (other than the errors I've already mentioned) and set the scene and developed the characters beautifully. The pacing really picked up, and I found myself dragged into the story fully after that initial slow build up, and I couldn't wait to carry on reading and find out what was going to happen. It's the sort of story that takes a little while, but then lodges itself firmly inside you, making you desperate to get back to it, and constantly thinking about the characters and what's going to happen next. The build up and set up were really good, I loved the elements of the original fairy tale woven in without dominating the story, and I cannot wait for the second book to see where Cinder is going to go now and what she'll do next.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Jackson Meyer is hiding a secret. He can time-travel. But he doesn't know how he does it, how to control it or what it means. When Jackson, and his girlfriend Holly, find themselves in fatal danger, Jackson panics and catapults himself two years into his past, further than he's ever managed before, and this time he can't find a way back to the future. All the rules of time-travel he's experienced so far have been broken and Jackson has no choice but to pretend to be his younger self whilst he figures out a solution. Jackson is tearing himself apart with guilt and frustration, wondering if Holly survived. He's also become the target of an unknown enemy force and it seems even his dad is lying to him. Jackson is racing against time to save the girl he loves, but to do that he must first discover the truth about his family and himself. I wasn't entirely certain what to expect with 'Tempest' - I went into it with no preconceptions or knowledge of the basic plot. And I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. First off, it's narrated by a boy. There are far too few young adult books narrated by convincing boys at the moment, so it was a refreshing change to see something from a male perspective. And second it was a really exciting, unique and fresh plot. And that in itself is impressive. It doesn't follow the stereotype that you might expect from a book about time travel. Similar to 'The Time Traveller's Wife' in some respects, it really took the time to develop Jackson as a person, giving him clear and well defined motives for everything he does. He's a very believable, likeable character who really evolves over the course of the book as he's subjected to more and more awful things as he's trying to protect the people he loves. The relationships were beautifully explored. Jackson and Holly, in all her different time lines was gorgeous. Whilst he was learning about the 2007 version of Holly (her younger version) and she was falling in love with him, we're treated to not only him wooing her in that time frame, but how it happened in his own time frame in 2009. The flashbacks and moments between the two of them were beautiful and made for a really special and believable romance. Jackson and Courtney, his twin sister, was another really well constructed relationship. We learn about her through Jackson's memories but then we get to see him interact with her in some of his travels into the past. It's a beautiful thread of the story that really pulled at me, and made me cry at several points. And Ms Cross gets major points for the relationships, not just the two that I've mentioned but the others as well, because to create such a plethora of different types of relationships with the characters and to make all of them believable and realistic whilst making interesting storytelling is an impressive feat on its own. However, this didn't quite make the top rating because of a few problems. When Jackson starts to really develop his abilities, they all start manifesting very quickly with little to no explanation until later. All of a sudden he knows new languages, has a photographic memory and can use self defence and shoot weapons. It all just felt a little bit too convenient that it all came to him as he needed it. Whilst the first half of the book develops quite slowly, the second half really goes to town. Now in a way this is good because the tension keeps getting notched up and the stakes are high. However, everything starts being splurged out and all of a sudden you have new rules, and you don't know who to trust and who not to, and then look, more confusing back story! And then there's some fight scenes and some more explanations and confusion and then hey, look, he's a member of the CIA. It all just seemed too rushed, everything got tossed into the pot at once, and as a result I was left staring at the page going 'what the hell just happened?'... I wanted all of it to happen (although maybe some of it could be explained better because it does get awfully confusing in there) I just wanted it to unfold over a longer period of time. That way my brain doesn't implode from an information overload. So in all in all this is one of the ones to watch for the start of 2012. It's got romance, beautiful relationships of the romantic, familial and friend kind. It's got time travel, the CIA, and a mind boggling array of back story, plot and incredible story telling. I'd go pre-order it now, because Julie Cross is going to be one to watch.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book had so much potential, but it ends up not quite reaching it. And for me most of that was due to one character - Troy, who I really disliked throughout the novel, to the point that I almost put it down. Congratulations to Ms Miranda for creating a character who elicited such a strong reaction from me, but unfortunately it did result in me not caring over much for the book by the end. Delaney was a really interesting character who's put in this impossible situation. It's not clear whether her inability to communicate is as a result of the accident or whether she was like that before - but some of this communication does come across as cold and harsh towards those who are trying to show her affection. It also has the unfortunate side effect of making her seem very self absorbed, and I did wonder whether had she been a little less so whether a lot of the conflict could have been avoided. She does have a few moments where her actions seem very random - and some changes of heart that seemed a little out of place, but for the most part she comes across as a strong character who is just trying to get back to normal when faced with some really difficult situations. I really felt for her in some of the interactions with her parents, and I think that relationship could have had even more time devoted to it, as I found it to be one of the most interesting relationships of the book - seeing how her mother particularly handled her accident. The secondary characters were a little flat and underdeveloped, with a lot of events and reactions seeming to be completely random due to lack of character development. I found the scene in the church to be particularly out of the blue and was shocked at the turn of events. The rest of the secondary characters felt a little stereotypical and I would have liked to see a little more development of them. The only character I had a genuine connection with was Decker - who had a horrible time of it with Delaney, despite the fact that he'd saved her. I would have liked to have seen more of his and Delaney's story development, instead of it being put on the back burner against Troy and Delaney's story. I really dislike this thing that quite a few young adult books have going at the moment, where the heroine feels that it's ok for one of the male characters (usually a love interest) to treat her abysmally. It's ok for him to frighten, intimidate and even hurt her, for a number of reasons usually along the lines of 'he doesn't know any better 'he's been starved of love' or, my favourite 'he doesn't really mean it'. It's such an awful thing to be saying 'hey girls, this is ok.' When it really, really isn't, and this book unfortunately falls into that trap to a certain degree with Troy. Yes he gets his comeuppance, but for me personally, it was too little too late compared to how he treated Delaney and reacted to her in the rest of the novel. I don't know if you've guessed yet that I really disliked Troy. He was twisted and messed up, and abusive towards Delaney, yet she justifies it, and keeps on going back to him. This was one of the reasons that 'Fracture' didn't grab me once he was introduced. Troy didn't sell himself to me in any way shape or form, I felt like putting the book down every time Delaney went back to him and justified it all away. I think that part of my disappointment lay in the fact that the book tried to take the plot in too many different directions. Too many characters suffering from guilt and rebuilding relationships - that would be enough to keep this book on a really strong level. But then we have the idea of sensing people dying, which is never truly developed or explored, and from there we get into the cycle of life and death and huge god complexes on Troy's part. There's just so much crammed into a 272 page book that nothing really gets truly worked on, it's all rushed, when there are so many good points that could have been explored. If it had either been a longer book and taken time over all the different directions, or cut out a couple of the tangents then the book would have been absolutely brilliant. However, I realize I am incredibly biased - mostly because of Troy. That single character was enough to make me want to stop reading, and truly put me off the book. However I really enjoyed the rest of it. On the positive side, the ideas were all there, just not explored fully, it's a very interesting concept and I would have liked to have seen more. Ms Miranda's writing is really strong, and I'd like to see what else she creates, because whilst this book didn't do it for me, I'd love to read more of her work. All in all this was a book that could have been so good, and just ended up falling short. The writing was really good and I would recommend if the blurb interests you to give it a go.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... "It's the first day of November and so, today, someone will die." How is that for an opening sentence - it gives you chills doesn't it. And that feeling, of something magical unfurling in your hands, that grows the further into the book you get. This has tied with 'The Night Circus' as the best book I've read this year. This review has taken me far too long to write, but it was simply that after finishing I wasn't sure I could find the words to describe how beautifully brilliant this book was, and how much I had fallen in love with it in such a short space of time. The book is beautiful, haunting and creeps over you with such elegant prose that it left me breathless. It has a timeless quality that is accentuated by Stiefvater's vagueness on anything that would anchor it, and it is partly that that lends the book its otherworldly atmosphere. The romance is beautifully played out - something born slowly and out of familiarity, out of friendship and a shared interest, and it's so beautifully realistic that my heart ached for them to be together. Sean reaches out between us and takes my wrist. He presses his thumb on my pulse. My heartbeat trips and surges against his skin. I'm pinned by his touch, a sort of fearful magic. We stand and stand, and I wait for my pulse against his finger to slow, but it doesn't. Stiefvater has taken an old legend of the water horses and put an entirely fresh spin on it, the water horses are at once both utterly terrifying and incredibly beautiful, and the island of Thisby is an incredible compliment to the legend. Stiefvater plays on all the senses, drawing them into the book until you can feel the wind and the salt spray, taste the November cakes, and smell the sea and sweat and blood of the races. Everything is heightened. Everything is beautifully expressed, even if those involved cannot speak the words, and the island life creeps inside you until you wish you could stay there forever. The Scorpio drums pound a ragged heartbeat as I wind my way through the crowds that fill the streets of Skarmouth. The cold air smarts as I breathe is in; the wind carries all sorts of foreign scents. Food that's only made during the race season. Perfume only women from the mainland wear. How pitch, burning rubbish, beer spilled on the stones. This Skarmouth is raw and hungry, striving and unknowable. Everything the races make me feel on the inside is bleeding up through the seams in the street tonight. I think that's a mercy of this island, actually, that it won't give us our terrible memories for long, but let us keep the good ones for as long as we want them. The reason I picked this book up in the first place was due entirely to Angie's review - if I haven't convinced you how beautiful this book is, go over and read her review. She'll have you going on Amazon by the end... http://angieville.blogspot.com/2011/1...

This Review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... "It is a universal truth that nothing spoils a post lunch game of croquet like suspecting the other players of murder." I read and reviewed Shannon Hale's 'Austenland' in August and I loved it - it was funny, smart and such a brilliantly fresh twist on Austen. The first book focused on the idea, on the romance of the situation and the concept of living in Jane Austen's world for two weeks. It was really good, but there wasn't a vast amount of action, so some bits dragged a little bit. However, 'Midnight in Austenland' gave Hale another chance to take all the good bits and make them even better. Instead of 'Pride and Prejudice' we plunge with Charlotte into a story closer to 'Northanger Abbey' - as a result there's a lot more action, things happening and bumps in the night enough to scare me silly. It's a lot tighter and a lot funnier (which is impressive considering I was laughing out loud most of the way through 'Austenland'.) It feels like having explored the ideas in the first book, Hale has just snuggled right back into the world and thoroughly enjoyed herself. There is so much more detail, because instead of introducing all these fresh concepts, it's something that we already know and love. There was less of a focus on the love aspect - although it was still there. It was more about Charlotte; her re-building her self-esteem and self-worth, and the mysteries surrounding Pembroke Park. I warmed to Charlotte straight away, she was strong and feisty and unbelievably funny. ""Oh, I meant 'drawers' as in the things you open, not like underwear, because clean and tidy underwear is a passion of mine!" Really, Charlotte? She thought. Is it really? Is that a statement you want defining you?" Charlotte has an almost constant conversation with her Inner Thoughts - to the point that they practically took on a life of their own, and I really loved seeing these conversations. It gave a greater insight into her character, and provided a vast array of humour. Her inner thoughts shut up after that, probably too distracted by Mr Mallery's manliness to taunt her anymore. Pipe down brain, Charlotte commanded. I blame mystery novels for your bad manners. She was just so instantly likeable, nice Charlotte, who you just wanted to hug for making it through all the bad things and coming out as feisty, strong Charlotte. At the start of each chapter we got insights into events that had shaped her into the person she was - right back to childhood and then closer with the divorce from her husband. It was so empowering to watch her reclaim her life and her spirit, and I wanted to cheer her though. And the host of secondary characters were a lot stronger this time. It was really good to see some people we already know from the first book, and also to have some acknowledgement of the events in the first book and their consequences. It was great to see Miss Charming back again, and for some reason I preferred her this time, I really wasn't fussed on her in 'Austenland' but she came alive this time and I felt a lot more compassion towards her as we found out more of her backstory. And the boys... I adore Eddie, he was absolutely brilliant and a fabulous side kick in all of Charlotte's sleuthing. "Disapproving? Of my sister? Impossible. If that were true, I should give him a most stern and scolding sort of look that would cause quakings and shakings of fear." Eddie previewed his stern and scolding look, and she nodded emphatically to show she was impressed. He was absolutely fabulous, and I wanted more of him. It was also nice to see a new dark and forbidding man in the shape of Mr Mallery, who has got glares and brooding scowls down pat. He was an intriguing man, with a lot more depth than I would have expected. Actually that's true of all the characters, we got a lot more of them instead of one or two sides that were showcased in 'Austenland' - the whole thing was just so much better. And that's impressed, because you can see from my thoughts of 'Austenland' that I was blown away by how brilliant I thought it was. Mr Mallery at the reins of a light, two-wheeled open contraption that Ms. Austen might have called a "phaeton", but which Charlotte was tempted to call a "chariot" because it reminded her of the chariot races in the movie Ben Hur. Except there was a seat. And not lethal blades swirling in the wheel hubs. At least, not noticeably. So yes, if you like Austen, buy this book. If you like Shannon Hale, buy this book. If you liked 'Austenland' buy this book. And if you are a fan of feisty, intelligent and very funny heroines, buy this book. It will be released in 2012, and is one of my highest recommended books for the coming year. "That is wonderful." He leaned his head back to look at the sky. "Allow me to absorb the wonderfulness of that for a moment. Yes, that will do."

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Maria V. Snyder is one of my all time favourite fantasy authors. She's got a similar style to Tamora Pierce, but instead of teenagers, her heroines are closer to twenty, so deal with slightly different issues. She has the perfect formula for a fantasy novel down; feisty heroine? Of course. Gorgeous yet aloof and always slightly morally ambiguous bad boy love interest? Fabulous fantasy country with detailed monarchy, political structures, cultures and landscape as well as a ton of history? And a nail bitingly unpredictable and well written story? It's all there. I first fell in love with Snyder's writing in her 'Study' series - particularly the first book 'Poison Study'. In fact to this day, the relationship that springs up in Poison is one of my all time favourites. It's slow, subtle, takes its time, and evolves into a beautiful equal thing, where the man would literally do anything to save his love. I'm a sucker for romance. Snyder continued her winning streak with the 'Glass' series, taking on a minor character from the 'Study' series and giving her a story of her own, in the same universe. And now we have an entirely new fantasy land to become acquainted with in the 'Power' series, and I for one am incredibly excited to see more. The level of detail, the plague, the wars, the cultures. It's all there, it's all incredibly slotted together, and I feel like the first book has only just scratched the surface. I am so excited to see more of this! Snyder has an incredible ability to create these landscapes and cultures and make them real, and it adds an extra level to her books that help lift them into the truly extraordinary. I adore her heroines - they are strong and feisty and refuse to sit back and let life happen to them (or men order them around for that matter.) Even if it's futile, even if they're scared, they fight - for what they believe in, for those they love, and it is so refreshing to see that. They are such good role models, and I immediately fall in love with them and root for them all the way through. And Snyder knows how to make a cast of characters that works. She has a way of making the hero not immediately seem like a hero - he has to work for it, for love, for the woman of his dreams. But it's always worth it. He's not your average 'hey you're lovely so I'm going to swoon now!' it's subtle, the romance builds out of friendship, proximity and experience, and always feels believable. Three cheers for believable romance! And the secondary characters. They get no less attention for all their secondary status - Snyder creates a brilliant framework and dynamic that makes the 'gang' come together and work brilliantly. Everyone is flawed, everyone is real and human, and it's fascinating watching them work together. And even the bad guys are faceted - no one is perfect, everyone is flawed, and everyone has a good and bad side to show. I don't want to ruin the plot, suffice to say that it is up to Snyder's usual incredibly high standard - not predictable and just a joy to sit back and enjoy being swept away into a new fantasy world. She's created a brilliant setting for intrigue and struggles for power, and added in magic! Which makes me happy, but not just any sort of magic, no the type that has consequences, which makes me even happier So instead of Avry wandering around healing people left right and centre, she heals them and assumes their injuries. It makes the whole process a lot more personal, and adds a whole new level of jeopardy. The ARC that I read had a few grammatical and spelling errors which I am sure will be picked up before the final proof, but otherwise the structure and quality of writing is at her usual high standard. It's another brilliant novel by Snyder, and the start of another fabulous series, and will make a brilliant close to his incredible book blogging year as it's released on 20th December 2011, both in the UK and the US.

Reviewed for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/ So I love anthologies but I hate short stories (most of the time.) The anthology aspect is what made me want this book - the idea of a collection of some of my favourite authors and some new ones all in one place makes me hyperventilate with excitement. It's like an all you can eat buffet where you can have a little bit of what you know and love, and then be daring and try something completely new that you've always looked at and never picked up before. However, short stories and I really do not get along. There is a very fine line with them, where they either are brilliantly constructed, or they end up not working. So many short stories just leave me feeling dissatisfied because there are too many questions unanswered, too many possibilities and things left unsaid. It aggravates me and makes me want to go and find out what happened next and that's where it stops being a short story and turns into a novel. This is why this particular anthology was a little bit hit and miss with me. The finding new authors that I want to read more of part worked perfectly, I now have a long list of new books I want to get. However, so many of these stories were short stories hidden in amongst novels already written and out there - great if you already know the rest of the story, but irritating if you don't. As a result I was left feeling a bit put out and lost, because I didn't know what the hell was going on. The other side were the stories that were amazing, fresh new characters and concepts, but so much more story to tell than would fit in the pages offered here. So I was left feeling quite bummed after reading, despite the brilliant stories I'd read. Don't get me wrong the writing is brilliant, and I am so glad I got this book just so I could read more of some of my favourite authors, but I don't think it quite did what I wanted it to. The notable exception was Sarah Rees Brennan's short story 'Let's Get This Undead Show On The Road' which was perfection. New characters and a new setting to her novels, this was a completely fresh story, which meant that I didn't feel left behind on back story. The story was brilliantly dark and funny and had a beginning, middle and an end - I know this seems obvious, but whilst I would have quite happily read more about the band, I wasn't left with the feeling that I'd been cheated and where the hell was the rest of it. It was brilliant. I love Christian, the morale vampire who could really do with some very serious hugging. Josh who could also do with some serious hugging for being so adorably nerdy, (no one does adorable nerd like SRB) Bradley, who is just made of glittery awesome and knock knock jokes, and Pez, who should perhaps stay away from any household cleaning products in future... Other fabulous tales included Melissa Marr's 'Merely Mortal' which offered another glimpse into the setting and characters of 'Wicked Lovely' and Carrie Ryan's 'Scenic Route' which whilst the setting was from her trilogy of novels, the characters and plot were entirely new. For making me weep, 'Bridge' by Jeri Smith-Ready should get a mention, and I am so getting her novels to find out more about the characters. It was compelling, exceptionally well written, and deeply moving. The story that perhaps irritated me the most - and see that as a compliment - was 'The Third Kind' by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Oh good lord was it awesome, but where the hell was the rest of it??? Seriously, I want a novel out of that story, because there was so much more I wanted to know! The characters were brilliant and funny and real, and the scenario was just so intriguing. I was just incredibly peeved that there wasn't more! All in all this was a brilliant collection of stories that gave me the opportunity to window shop some more young adult authors that I haven't had the chance to read yet. Yes there were irritations and upsets, but they were mostly out of wanting more of them, which I suppose is a round-about compliment really... Anyway, I highly recommend it, either as a window shopping tool, or to just get more of your favourite authors, and prepare to be swept away on some fairly epic journeys.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/ Bound by blood, condemned by fate As a bloodtracker, Liv is extremely powerful. And in a world where power is a commodity that can get you killed, Liv's learnt to survive by her own rules. Rule number one? Trust no one. But when a friend's daughter goes missing, Liv is bound by a potent magical oath. She can't rest until the child is safe. And that means trusting her dangerous ex, Cam. A sinister prophecy tells that she and Cam will be the death of each other, yet Liv's tired of being a slave to destiny. She's ready to play the forces controlling her world at their own game. No matter what the cost. I really enjoyed Rachel Vincent's young adult series about Banshees, so I was curious to see what happened when the stakes were upped and we went on to adult. And oh my word, it was epic. I mean, the young adult series is brilliant, but now it kind of feels like there was something missing, and that missing component was in 'Blood Bound'. The setting was brilliant - a dark gritty place that felt like it was never fully light in my imagination. It was brilliant, a city split into three with two major powers fighting for allegiances over a dwindling number of people that are free. The entire concept appealed to me on every level. Liv was a hard fighting girl with a softer side, but one who wasn't afraid to do nasty things to people who hurt those she loved. She comes across really well, pitched absolutely brilliantly so she doesn't come across as an unfeeling bitch, but is hard enough that the respect she's garnered is completely believable. I liked the changing perspectives between Liv and Cam - I did find Cam's voice a little bit too feminine to start with, but it settles down further into the novel and completely swept me away. The host of secondary characters are really well constructed and provide a wealth of backstory that really drives the plot forward. And the plot, oh wow. It's just bursting with awesomeness. The whole premise of Skilled people and the different types of skills. I loved Liv being able to track people by their blood, but I'm afraid the Traveller's really took it for me - walking through one shadow and coming out in another shadow anywhere you want? Oh I want a Skill please... I loved that you literally couldn't trust anyone. Seriously, the twists and turns and punches to the gut had me reeling all the way through. Just when you think you've got a handle on how things may go, Vincent completely whips the rug out from under you. The only thing I found a little bit frustrating was the pacing. There's all this fabulous build up, and then I realized that there were only 40 or so pages left of the book, and it just didn't seem like enough time to come to a satisfactory conclusion. Vincent does actually pull it off, and exceptionally well, and maybe that brief amount of time makes everything that much quicker and gut wrenching, but I did feel like I wanted a little more of it. With the promise of a second book 'Shadow Bound' I am completely on board with this series - it's everything I love in an urban fantasy book, and I can't wait to see where Vincent takes this next.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... A word of advice, don't read this book at night, when you're all alone... Because a) you won't be able to stop reading until you've finished the book and b) you won't sleep until it's light. Because it's terrifying. Actually it's equal parts genius humour, high terror and paranormal fantasy, and it's fabulous. This has been one of those books that has been on my to read list ever since Maureen Johnson announced it. I didn't even need anything else to recommend it to me. Of course then I read the blurb and saw that gorgeous cover and I was desperate to get my mitts on it. The main character, Rory is brilliant. She's funny, smart, and actually useful! I dislike heroines that can't find their way out of a paper bag, but Rory has courage by the bucket-load, and scathing comments for any situation! I have to admit I found the explanations of the English School system a little out of place, but that was just me personally because I'm English and know the system through and through. For people who aren't familiar with the system, it immediately offers an in to the situation - I just wish there was something similar for Brits reading books set in American schools. I did love Rory's views and insights into the stereotypical British boarding school - complete with hockey no matter the weather. It made me laugh out loud over some of the commentary. I felt like some of the characters were a little bit glossed over - Rory, Boo and Jazza are brilliantly realistic, but I wasn't convinced by some of the boys. I just wanted a bit more to make them seem real for me - but hopefully we might get some more of that in the next book. I loved all the different elements of the book, starting off as American girl coming over to English boarding school in London, moving into the terrifying Ripper phase, and then coming round into the supernatural element. Each part complemented the next perfectly, and everything fits together seamlessly. I also loved spotting little bits - like Cousin Diane who has statues of angels in her backyard, which spring directly from Johnson and following her on Twitter. It's little bits like that that you read and go 'yeah I know a little bit about that' and it gives you an extra chuckle - like the Maureen in Cassie Clare's book 'City of Fallen Angels' and Jace appearing in Holly Black's 'Red Glove'. For me that just makes it even more awesome - it's a little cupcake for twitter followers and general obsessors... Johnson's writing is brilliant, she draws you into the narrative and wraps you up completely in her tale. Whilst most of the book is from Rory's point of view, there are a few parts where you get extra moments around the murders by the Ripper, that just add a little more insight into what's happening outside around Rory. The whole thing is absolutely terrifyingly once the murders really get going and the ripper mania takes hold completely, juxtaposed against the complete normalcy of the boarding school life. And it's brilliant. All told this was a really good book - I haven't been completely sold on some of Maureen Johnson's books in the past, but this is pitch perfect and exactly what I wanted. Just the right amount of English boarding school, paranormal terror and so much potential for expansion in the following books. I just need to make sure not to read the next one at night...

Reviewed for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com "The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not." "Opens at Nightfall; Closes at Dawn." The Le Cirque des Reves is a circus unlike any other, just as this magical debut novel is equally unique. At the centre of The Night Circus spectacle are two specially gifted young magicians, Celia and Marco, pitted against each other in professional competition, drawn towards one another in love. Erin Morgenstern's literary fantasy has already drawn raves for its captivating evocativeness: "A world of almost unbearable beauty.... A love story on a grand scale: it creates, it destroys, it ultimately transcends." "A novel so magical that there is no escaping its spell... If you choose to read just one novel this year, this is it." This book was absolutely incredible. In fact, unless something insane happens in the next few months, this book will end up being my book of the year. Just look at the other books I've read and see what it's beaten out to get to that spot... That'll give you an idea of just how awesome this book is. First of all lets talk about the presentation, because that was a really pleasant surprise when I opened the package. First you've got this fabulous hardback book with that gorgeous dust jacket on. But not only that the hardback underneath is a beautiful red with embellishment, the pages are black edged, and it even has a little red ribbon to mark your page in the book. Before I even started reading it, I was utterly smitten with it. I stroked it, I petted it, I introduced it to my family and friends, and then I started to read. The prose is incredible. It's this beautifully epic book that sprawls across time, place and characters and builds into this crescendo of imagination and magic. And Morgenstern's imagination? The things in this book, the tents upon tents in the circus filled with incredible ideas and concepts is mind blowing. I didn't ever want this book to end, I just wanted to keep reading, to keep finding more and learning more and never emerge from this world again. It's like the idea of the circus, of the effect it has on people, and this book creates the same effect. The stories are brilliantly intertwined, with a running narrative of your own trip to the circus, Bailey's past and the stories of Marco, Celia and the circus and everyone involved, all heading towards a breath taking culmination. And they are such elegant threads. You're not really sure where they're going or how they relate, and there are time jumps that sometimes throw you a bit when you're particularly immersed, but actually it's a simply stunning construction. Morgenstern knows precisely how to play her audience, and this book shows that. It's immense and quiet, and epic all at the same time, and it made me want to cry some parts were just so unbelievable. I don't really want to talk about the events in the book, because part of what I loved was not knowing what on earth was going to happen, and just relishing the journey and finding out page by page. So instead I just want to say how beautiful it was. The prose was exquisite, the characters incredible, and the imagination behind the construction and detail was absolutely stunning. I never wanted it to end, and having finished I just want to go back and re-read it. You know when it feels like something you've read has become part of you, so attached that it feels impossible to imagine yourself without it - when the story has touched you in ways that you haven't felt from a book in a while? This is how I feel about this book. I want to buy a kindle copy so I can have it with me wherever I go, and then my hardback copy to appreciate the sheer beauty in its construction.Because honestly, whoever designed the cover/entire spectacle of the book had read the book itself and understood the incredible things contained within the pages. The black fading into grey, the contrast between the black and the white - and the shock of red to mark your place in the circus when you leave it for a while. Read this book. It's stunning, incredibly constructed, and a brilliant story that will draw you in. I couldn't actually find anything I didn't like or would have liked to see more of - it was perfection as far as I'm concerned, and has shot straight up to become one of my top books of all time. Let me leave you with two of many of my favourite moments in the book. First an act from the circus: The woman wears a dress something akin to a bridal gown constructed for a ballerina, white and frothy and laced with black ribbons that flutter in the night air. Her legs are encased in striped stockings, her feet in tall black button-up boots. Her dark hair is piled in waves upon her head, adorned with sprays of white feathers. Her companion is a handsome man, somewhat taller than she, in an impeccably tailored black pinstriped suit. His shirt is a crisp white, his tie black and pristinely knotted. A black bowler hat sits upon his head. They stand entwined but not touching, their heads tilted toward each other. Lips frozen in the moment before (or after) the kiss. Though you watch them for some time they do not move. No stirring of fingertips or eyelashes. No indication that they are even breathing. "They cannot be real," someone nearby remarks. Many patrons only glance at them before moving on, but the longer you watch, the more you can detect the subtlest of motions. The change in the curve of a hand as it hovers near an arm. The shifting angle of a perfectly balanced leg. Each of them always gravitating toward the other. Yet still they do not touch. And secondly a description of the clock that hangs at the gates of the circus: But that is before it is wound. Before it begins to tick, the pendulum swinging steadily and evenly. Then, then it becomes something else. The changes are slow. First, the color changes in the face, shifts from white to grey, and then there are clouds that float across it, disappearing when they reach the opposite side. Meanwhile, bits of the body of the clock expand and contract, like pieces of a puzzle. As though the clock is falling apart, slowly and gracefully. All of this takes hours. The face of the clock becomes a darker grey, and then black, with twinkling stars where the numbers had been previously. The body of the clock, which has been methodically turning itself inside out and expanding, is now entirely subtle shades of white and grey. And it is not just pieces, it is figures and objects, perfectly carved flowers and planets and tiny books with actual paper pages that turn. There is a silver dragon that curls around part of the now visible clockwork, a tiny princess in a carved tower who paces in distress, awaiting an absent prince. Teapots that pour into teacups and minuscule curls of steam that rise from them as the seconds tick. Wrapped presents open. Small cats chase small dogs. An entire game of chess is played. At the center, where a cuckoo bird would live in a more traditional timepiece, is the juggler. Dressed in harlequin style with a grey mask, he juggles shiny silver balls that correspond to each hour. As the clock chimes, another ball joins the rest until at midnight he juggles twelve balls in a complex pattern. After midnight the clock begins once more to fold in upon itself. The face lightens and the clouds return. The number of juggled balls decreases until the juggler himself vanishes. By noon it is a clock again, and no longer a dream.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This may be the single most terrifying book I have ever read. Not because it's particularly scary or gruesome, but because Magary has captured the essence of how the world could turn out when faced with a cure for ageing perfectly. John Farrell is your perfectly average guy - a lawyer, reasonably attractive, the sort of guy who probably wastes half his life surfing youtube in his spare time for something to do. He gets the cure, on a whim mostly. He hates the idea of death, of growing old, and so he takes the plunge, and spends several thousand dollars being injected with the cure. His cure age - 29. A chain of events has been set in motion, where the cure for ageing has been discovered, where it's illegal but a series of protests and bombings eventually force the presidents hand to make the cure legal. John documents the entire thing, not because he's particularly well connected or influential, but mostly out of a lack of anything else to do. The book is a series of entries by John himself, interviews and articles of the day, and daily round ups of news. We follow John over the course of the sixty years the cure is in existence and legal, as he charters the highs and lows, the terrifying moments where the world loses all of its sanity, and through the moments where the world seems so empty and meaningless. Magary has a truly brilliant imagination - terrifying but brilliant - and it truly felt real watching the self-destruction of the world. Every little detail - right down to which countries would react how, and who would nuke who first. My only frustration was that sometimes it skipped about a little bit and I wanted more. For example, the book is divided into several sections chartering the rise and fall of the cure in all its stages, and twenty odd years could pass at a time, and I felt like I missed things. The important things would be reference to, but it didn't feel like enough sometimes. Some of the editing is a little rough, there are passages that are missing words so they don't quite work, but for the most part the writing is seamless. It's an engaging narrative that is brutal in its attack on the concept, and I was almost surprised when I looked outside my window and saw a world not ravaged by humanity. It was like watching our current trajectory but in fast forward with a lot of really terrifying moments and people thrown into the mix. Magary examines everything from world powers, religions, terrorist groups who are both pro-death and pro-cure. He takes the world we know and just takes it further - and it's fantastic. One of the things I really loved was that John doesn't stop to explain anything. Sometimes things become clear, sometimes they don't - but I didn't want them explained because it would have polluted the narrative into something that didn't seem organic and as though John was just jotting it down in his spare time. It's a truly incredible book. It looks at this new fad we have for immortality, and breaks it down to its bare bones - the hard realities and truths of what we would do with immortality if it was offered to us - cycle marriages, drinking, gambling, sex... An endless round of the life of the twenty and thirty somethings. But with old souls. It's a brilliant examination of life and what we do with it.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Anyone who is a fan of Tamora Pierce will adore this debut novel by the exceptionally talented Rae Carson. As a child I couldn't get enough of Tamora Pierce, and I've spent my life looking for other authors who can do to me what she does - Maria V Snyder comes exceptionally close, but Rae Carson has just run way into the lead. We've got an incredible fantasy world that is close enough to our own that it doesn't require too much explanation, a strong and incredibly loveable female lead, yummy men galore, and a quest that would be enough to make the strongest man faint, but merely makes Elisa roll up her sleeves and get on with it. Carson doesn't spoon feed, she gives you enough information to set you up, and then a gentle shove into the plot with instructions to get going, and it works beautifully. Not once did I feel bogged down in exposition, the plot swept me up, kept me interested, and provided information where I needed. Every character is flawed - some fatally so - but it feels like such an honest portrayal of the human spectrum, that the characters felt more real than they often can in fantasy. At moments it is achingly beautiful - full of raw human emotion, stripped back and desperate. Elisa is so full of love, and so blinded by her own insecurities and demons that she cannot see her own self-worth - but she's filled with such loyalty and compassion that I couldn't take my eyes off her. Elisa is, as I've said, a fascinating character. She isn't so much spoiled at the start of the novel, as unaware of much outside her own sphere of pre-conceptions and self-pity. However, she grows up fast following her marriage and her humility solidifies her as a strong female character. She may not realize it for a while, but as her perception changes, she matures. She's so capable, so strong, so determined that the world must be set to rights. And so sure of the way forward - even if she isn't always sure of herself. She was incredible to watch as her transformation took place - from self centred princess, who was convinced everyone thought her a disappointment, to strong, capable and independent woman who will do anything to protect her country and her people, even if inside she is crippled with fear. The plot is incredibly intricate - faith guides everyone, it sets in motion this phenomenal chain of events. The religion is absolutely vital to the story - it is what guides it and binds this mix of characters together. Everyone has some basis of religion that defines them and their actions, and the novel wouldn't succeed without it. The idea of God is never questioned; what is examined is the idea of faith and belief, what they do to people and how people respond to them. If you loved Tamora Pierce's books you won't have a problem with the religion in this book - that's been one thing people have commented on in other reviews I've seen. The religious aspects are not forced on you as a reader or rammed down your throat, they're merely accepted as a part of life - similarly to Alanna and her conversations with the Gods. It's an integral part of the story and as such doesn't single the book out as being particularly religious. And one of the things that really scored points for Carson in my book, is the way she is totally not afraid to go there - no matter where there is. Ripping your heart out? Got it. Horrifically real ideas of war, wounds, and infection? We've got plenty. The little moments where things just don't go right and you want to hug Elisa for still trying? Got those too. It dares to go that step further than Tamora Pierce's books, and takes you from safe fantasy to harder more adult moments. The only thing I wasn't entirely sold on was the idea of body image that runs throughout. Elisa is described as fat - she comfort eats whenever she is upset or depressed - and she feels no burning desire to do anything about her image, she just remains incredibly upset by it. So when her image does begin to change through circumstance, she's thrilled. I wasn't convinced it was an entirely healthy idea of body image to promote. I could understand completely her sentiment and feelings, but I remained slightly wary of the idea throughout. I'll be curious to hear what other people made of it. I'm not going to lie, if I had seen this cover on Amazon or a book store, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. (The other covers for this book, totally different story, I love them!) Which is why I am so glad that this was sent to me. This world, the characters, the plot, they pulled me in within the first few pages. I could not stop reading. And by the time I'd finished I just felt so incredibly lucky that I'd read this book - that I'd had the chance to step inside Elisa's world and live her story with her for a while. The ending leaves room for a sequel (oh please god let there be a sequel!) and I really hope that Carson continues to tell Elisa's tale. I adored this book, and I'm impatiently getting through the other books I need to read so that I can go back and re-read it, and absorb it again. A breath taking debut with one of the strongest heroines I've seen in fantasy in a very long time.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... When I first caught sight of this book, I nearly passed it over, after all from the first sentence it looked just like another fifty first dates type of thing. But then I got to the bit about seeing the future, and I got curious. And boy am I glad I did. This book was brilliant. I raced through it in a matter of hours, because it was a really engaging story with a brilliant idea and extremely well-constructed characters. The writing is really simple, almost conservative with word use, but it's incredibly effective. London is a brilliantly created character, with a clear cut voice and was instantly likeable. She never whinges about her situation, although at several points she'd have plenty of cause to. She's a down to earth sensible heroine, who doesn't have self-esteem issues, nor is she particularly vain. She's just normal, and takes her problem in her stride, dealing with it in a really constructive fashion. I was particularly impressed how she handled the knowledge about events that would happen to those around her - she tried to change the bad where she could, but didn't go off the deep end, just kept a clear head knowing that at some point everything would be ok. I loved those little titbits though, the pieces of information she gives about each person she meets - why she knows them, and what will happen to them, it was fascinating. Patrick treads a very fine line between teenage angst and teenage normalcy, and she comes out pitch perfect. The characters are so believable, without falling into stereotypes, and they're all flawed and human as well as having really brilliant facets. They're brilliantly constructed. And swoonworthy - don't forget swoonworthy. And yes I'm looking at you Luke. He's a really good construct, because he's dreamy, but he's a bit weird, he's kind, caring and compassionate, but he can also be a bit of a jerk too. He felt real. I wasn't so convinced by the adults portrayed, and it would have been good to see more development of them, but otherwise the characterization was near flawless. The plot was brilliantly paced, intricate, and fresh - this isn't your average young adult fare. It did become a little bit rushed towards the end, and so I would have liked to have a bit more time spent drawing that out, but it works well as it is. The book works really well as a standalone, but if there's a sequel I would pick it up without any hesitation. This was a gem of a find from trawling through random Amazon suggestions, and I'm so glad I gave it a second look - it's beautiful, compelling, and stays with you after you've turned the last page.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I had certain expectations of this book after reading the blurb on the book (different to the blurb I've included) - it looked like it would be good, but more of a summer read rather than anything my jaw dropped over. I was so completely wrong, the blurb really doesn't do the book justice. I liked De La Cruz's young adult series 'Blue Bloods' although it's been a while and a few new books since I last read some of it, and as a first adult offering I thought the book was a brilliant cross over. It tackled older characters, a lot more sex, and some intriguing themes that I wasn't expecting, and the whole thing was just so much more than I'd been anticipated. It was like thick bread and soup rather than a salad. The prologue offers an intriguing start, slow and quiet, but intriguing nonetheless and serves as a brilliant hook. Once we're into the main body of the novel it does take its sweet time - but I like it when an author does that. I want to get to know the characters, I want to care about them so that when everything kicks off later on, I worry and shriek over them. And the characters are really well constructed - everyone slots in, everyone has a place - and I loved that small town element of the book. I really cared about each of the three girls, no favourites here - although I will admit to being swayed over Freya getting to spend more time with Killian... What can I say, it's the leather jackets! And oh good lord the sheer amount of mythology and historical interweaving. I love the Salem ties, and the Norse mythology was brilliantly interwoven. My only complaint was that a lot of the Norse stuff came in very late in the story. That did up the ante and really race the book along to its conclusion, but it tended to be a little overwhelming too, so I had to re-read a few passages to make sure I was fully up to speed. However, that was only a minor gripe. It reminded me a lot of 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller - the closed off feeling of the town, the slow build and suffocation of it all. But I also liked the differences - the well wishes and love sent by the townsfolk. It really felt a little bit like a modern day crucible. So yes, all in all I loved it. I would have liked a little more of a lead up to the mythology that came crashing in at the end, but it's all set up brilliantly for a sequel which I am eagerly anticipating. I highly recommend it, and was pleasantly surprised by the layers and depth I found reading it. Definitely a series to watch out for.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The first two thirds were stunning - the language was deceptively simple but really beautifully constructed, the tension was high, and everything about it was just brilliant. However, after this point something lost me. I'm not sure if I was tired, or whether the style shifted - but around the point where YET ANOTHER BAD THING HAPPENED, and continued to happen (there was a string of really bad things happening to the boys for a while) the book lost me. It just reached a point where it seemed too insane to even contemplate, not that I stopped caring about the awful things happening to the two boys. It was still interesting, and it wasn't to the point that I gave up and put the book down for the night, but my attention definitely wavered, and I regarded the more bad things as a bit ludicrous, rather than upping the ante on the stress factor. It was like watching the film 'Serendipity' - where you just want to scream at how close it all comes to being all right so many times, and they just miss each other! Then the book picks up a bit, and it swept me up into the action again - although I wasn't quite as taken as the first part of the book, it was still great to get lost in the story again. But then the end did something horrible. And I'm not talking about the end of the book what happens, I mean the style in which it's covered. It was like one of those movie montages where you freeze frame on each character and get a summary of what happens to them. It just felt so disjointed, and after such a beautiful start to the book it made me want to cry that it didn't get the ending I felt it deserved. Which made me start thinking, why was I left so dissatisfied? Except obviously for the ending, which I've already explained. And I started to realize that it was partly the characters. In the first part of the book I was so swept up in how gorgeous and brilliant it all was that I didn't really think about it, but my mind started to wander later on, and it felt like some of the characters weren't given enough depth to make me really care. They were just there as tools, not as people. For example Bobby Ellis starts out not all that bad - little bit creepy I grant you, but essentially an alright kind of guy. Then he turns into the comedic caricature where really ridiculously bad things happen to him because he's such a bad person. Only it just seemed out of place and ridiculous because there was no build-up of bad person, it just suddenly happened. Which made me look at the rest of the characters, and with the exception of Sam, Riddle and to some extent Emily, they all seemed to be there as flat plot devices - they had no depth to make me care about them. They had backstory and other little bits, but it didn't seem to be enough. They were more cut out silhouettes with a specific purpose than people that I cared about. However the writing was for the most part simplicity at its best - an array of perfect pieces of prose that made you really feel for the two brothers in their unfair world. I loved the connections, the points of meeting for a multitude of characters, although at times it felt like there wasn't enough time to get to know each of them properly - and this was where they turned into cut outs. There to further the story and serve a purpose rather than being there in their own right. So as I said, I'm torn. I wanted to love this book. In fact I started out loving this book, but somewhere along the way it lost me. And that's just me and my personal preferences, but I'm really disappointed that we broke up part way through. However, the first half was completely spot on, and I'm going to remember that when I look back on this.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book was a bit of a step away from the first in the series 'The Rest Falls Away'. I loved the first book because it was a combination of two of my favourite things - vampires with some regency romance thrown in. It was brilliantly written and very engaging with enough danger to make it really exciting. I was expecting more of the same from 'Rises the Night' but it was a lot darker and scarier than the first. It was a very sad note on to end the first book, so I wasn't expecting high romance, balls and fabulous gowns. Ok I tell a lie, I was expecting a bit of that, but I didn't really get it. I loved the entrance to high london society we had in book one, so in a way it was good to have a change of pace and setting, but I did find myself missing the relative safety of the ton. Victoria fairly quickly finds herself in Italy, where EVERYONE seems to be up to no good. I kept trusting new characters and then wishing that I hadn't. I mean seriously, was Italy just filled with people wanting to be vampires? Actually that wouldn't surprise me... So yeah, lots of bad people, even worse situations, and a few people I used to trust turned traitor. I had kittens over a lot of what happened, and seemed to spend most of it in a state of high tension convinced no one was ever going to get out alive. I was wrong - mostly - but it did leave me wanting a break before I launched into the third book. I love Victoria, and this continuation of her character growth, particularly her through her grief was brilliantly handled. She irritated me, but it didn't make me dislike her, it was more a 'silly girl what did you do that for? Here have a blanket and some tea' irritation. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how the events of the second book affect her through the third book, and how she handles the new problems she'll face. Ah Sebastian, I could spend hours shaking you just to see if you retaliate/get some sense knocked into your head. I go from page to page genuinely unsure about his actions and motives. I just don't trust him, even when he seems to be trying to help Victoria, it's just all one twisted game. That does frustrate me, as whilst I like the uncertainty with him to a point, there does come a moment where it just feels like I won't trust anything he does ever, because you can guarantee he won't actually be being helpful in the way he's meant to be. I'd like to see more character development with him, and a bit more consistency, otherwise no matter how yummy and seductive he is, I will just lose interest in him. Overall I loved the book, it was darker, it was scarier, and there is never a moment where you feel that the outcome will be predictable. There are so many twists it's untrue, and it's all one big rollercoaster of a ride. I miss London, and hope the books will take us back there soon, but in the meantime I love the development and set up and am looking forward to seeing what Victoria does next.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book was kind of split for me. Ultimately I loved it, but it was a bit of a bumpy road along the way. The first hundred pages or so was a complete turn off for me - the dialogue was awkward at best, and I found Kate pretty much unlikeable. I understood that she was grieving, but as a reader I should still be able to sympathise and find a way to like her, and to start with I really found it hard. Combine that with the dialogue, which just felt stilted and weird and completely unnatural, I very nearly put the book down. However, something magical happens after those first hundred pages. Our heroine finds out our hero's secret, and everything magically becomes really really good... The premise is genius I love it, it was a brilliant new take on the supernatural, and I am all for the new takes, because I love my supernatural but reading the same stories churned out in different forms gets boring after a while. There were definite comparisons to Twilight - the immortal boy, the fabulous house, never been in love before, family of strangers that have grown to be family etc. etc. I know it's probably harsh to compare it to Twilight, because I'm sure that concept has been used long before Twilight existed, but it still felt a little cliched, which was frustrating because otherwise it was such a fresh idea. That said, I love the family - it was a great touch, a solid basis of characters to bring Kate to meet, and they provide a great family backdrop. And once Kate is brought into this world, everything (including the dialogue) get a hell of a lot better. There are still the odd stumbling points where I winced at how forced it sounded, but overall it was so much better. I like how strong Kate is, I like that she refuses to just fall for Vincent, and she wants a normal life. (Three cheers for strong independent women in fiction with supernatural boyfriends!) I love that she even walks away from him because she doesn't want to get hurt (and she sticks with it for a while!) All this made me forgive her for the first hundred pages, because suddenly I did like her, I could identify with her, and I actually cared. Vincent was yummy, although I think she should have given the other boys a chance too... But then I think I may just have a soft spot for Jules. I wasn't convinced by the family dynamic between Kate and Georgia. At times it felt cliched, at others perfectly natural, and at others completely what just happened? I didn't really connect with Georgia at all which meant I found it hard to care about her at the end, or want to forgive her for her mood swings. In all honesty it felt like I read two different books. A really pants beginning to one that I gave up on after a hundred pages, and a really awesome second one that had me hooked. So, the awesomeness of the rest of the novel has tipped this book firmly back into the love pile, and I'm looking forward to seeing if there's a sequel or anything, because whilst it was nice neat bow at the end, there were will plenty of loose ends that I would love to explore. I would definitely recommend this book - whilst the first section was not my cup of tea, I realize other people may love it. And if it's not your cup of tea either , I highly recommend pushing through to get to the awesome stuff on the other side. Because whilst 'Die For Me' didn't thrill me to start, it was totally worth it by the end.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I was looking for a new chick lit to read - I happened to be stuck in the fantasy section at the time - when this cover caught my eye. The blurb looked good and the first page engaged me and gave me a chuckle. All in all a promising trip to the bookshop. However, the book ended up not being as good as I'd anticipated. However, despite some gripes, it did redeem itself, but I'm going to plough through the negative to get to the good stuff. I probably would have enjoyed this book more if one of the 'big reveals' wasn't revealed in the blurb. It meant that I spent the first half of the book getting incredibly bored with Jane as she continued to miss the obvious clues pointing out the nature of her soon to be in-laws. As it was the first half wasn't so much a supernatural thrill ride, it was more of a moan fest with a bit of sex thrown in. I'm quite happy with sex in books, but I have to admit to being a little thrown at the random (mildly explicit) sex scenes thrown in. For chick lit, there was no romance. It was pure animal attraction, which just made the whole 'we're so desperately in love' thing that Jane and Malcolm were supposed to be feel rather fake. In fact I really disliked Malcolm, right from the start where we're supposed to like him. This isn't a particularly great start if the hero seems like a bit of a plonker (and quickly seems to establish himself as one once they're in New York.) as I felt I should be swooning over him at least a little? I also struggled with how Jane got her powers. Normal girl, suddenly poof she sees some things and she knows she's a witch. It just felt sudden and even though I was expecting it, a bit random and thrown in there. I just would have liked to have a bit more of a transition, a bit more explanation as to how Jane suddenly knows. On a personal note whilst I love knowing about the clothes characters are wearing, every now and again it felt a little bit like I was choking on all the details. Some things just felt a bit unnecessary. Ok onto the good stuff. After the big reveal everything started to pick up. Malcolm ran off, which I was immensely happy about. Jane started to explore her powers - she got friends, she sort of re-discovered her back bone. Excellent. The twists got twistier, everything got darker and a lot scarier, and characters that had seemed flat started to get more interesting. I like Harris, I would like more of him please - thanks. I also like that Jane stopped moping and found herself some friends, and got pro-active and learned how to use her powers, and by the end, actually got a little bit kick ass. I also liked the final few OMG moments that came hurtling out in the last few pages. All in all, I started liking the book. I got to the point that I had expected to be all the way through, where I was sniggering and gasping and really involved with the story. It's just a shame that it took so long to reach that point. The end wasn't at all what I'd expected - I'd expected more of a happy ending, and particularly as I'd started enjoying the book so late, I really wanted more. So after a bit of searching, I've found that the sequel and Jane's journey continues in "The Dark Glamour" out on August 30th 2011. And hopefully, the next one will continue on the high that "666 park Avenue" finished on, because Pierce's writing is very good once she got going, and I'm looking forward to seeing where she goes next.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book was one of the most tense and stressful ones I've read. Seriously, I didn't realize until I'd finished and relaxed just how stressful it was to read - but it was so worth it, because this book is absolutely brilliant. I love Carrie Ryan's books, she's an incredible writer, her prose is beautiful - haunting and morbidly terrifying all at the same time. But her true talent lies in her ability to make me feel for the characters, and the situations she puts them in to. See above and the levels of stress... The first book in the series 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' introduced us to a world that was sunk into despair and destruction. The undead roamed the world beyond the fences, and it seemed as though the village we were introduced to was the only piece of civilisation left. It was a brilliant book, the high terror of the undead making it a thrilling ride, and the clear cut way that Ryan set out that no-one was safe. No matter the love story or romance, people could die no matter what. Then the second book 'The Dead Tossed Waves' gave us a fresh narrator and more threats. This time it wasn't just the un dead that washed up on the beach and pressed against the fences, now it was the authorities that were chasing them, and it became horribly clear that actually when the world ends, self preservation comes above everything else. And then here we are with the third book, and it's not just a few undead pressing at fences and moaning. No this time it's a horde. The entirety of New York city awash with undead until people are forced to travel over the rooftops or underground. And even then it's no safe. The sheer scale of destruction and force that Ryan describes is real and electrifying, and absolutely horrific. She's not afraid to shy away and make everything fluffy and ok and have a happy ending. There is always a terror that there is no hope - which is fairly easy to slip into when not even a third of the way through the book the main characters are trapped in the last out post of civilization with the entire city overrun with dead. I mean how do you get out of that situation? I genuinely thought that was it. That everything would be futile and they'd be battling against the inevitable, but Ryan is able to pull even the tiniest slivers of hope out of terrible situations. Again the threat from the authorities is back, but it's even worse than last time - the sports, the attitude, the horrors that Annah faces are so horrible I can't even really describe it. Everything is bleak, and I admired her strength that she kept fighting even through all of this. And what for? For love, for a chance at happiness, for life. It's just so heart breaking and achingly beautiful all at the same time. I loved the flip side of getting to know the other half of the twin set. Gabry's point of view guided us through the second book, and now we got to see her twin Annah's side to life. In the second book I didn't like the sound of this other twin, the selfish one that left Gabry alone in the forest. So it was strange to suddenly find myself caring about her and seeing Gabry as the nasty one, because she had had an easier time of it and she had already found love. Annah was tortured, and was the hardest and most brittle narrator we've had, but she's also seen more, in some ways survived more, and it was fascinating to grow form that tiny perspective of the village in book 1 to come to this massive city and watching it destruct. Annah suffered from so many normal problems of teenage girls - feeling ugly, un-beautiful, broken and hard and impossible to love, and terrified to care about others in case they let her down. I cried for her, and was so amazed at her tenacity to keep going, and I think of all the narrators, she ultimately has become my favourite. And I loved the ending. Through all of the horrors of the book (and let me tell you, it does not let up until the last page or so.) it was nice just to take a breath and go you know, it might maybe just about be ok. Ryan isn't afraid to waft the possibility of a happy ending at you, and then go, no, not yet - let's put some more high terror in there before any of that mush happens. So after all that, it was amazing to finally come to the conclusion (as far as I'm aware) of the series. I think of all the books this was my favourite, but it only became that because of the build-up we've had over the previous two books. Without those behind it I don't think the impact would have been the same. So if you're looking for a new dystopian series, get going with the first book 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' and if you're already immersed in the series, go and get hold of 'The Dark and Hollow Places' it's an incredible finale to a truly great series.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book has been on my 'to read' list for far longer than it should have been, and I finally picked it up last week to give it the airing it deserves. Unfortunately my feelings about it were not quite as ecstatic as I initially thought they would be. I read the sequel 'The Privilege of the Sword' years ago and loved it (I've never been particularly good at reading books in the correct order.)and I thought the same would be true of Ellen Kushner's first novel. Whilst I loved bits of it, I found the high excitement and intrigue to be interspersed with long periods where very little happens, and the prose is like wading through syrup. Long flowing descriptions that don't further the plot and make me inadvertently skip passages because I'm so bored. Which really irritated me, because like I said, mixed in with this is a brilliantly written story. I love the city, the characters, the general ethos of the place. It's like a more exciting version of Georgian England, with swordsman to settle disputes, parties, political intrigue, and where sexuality doesn't mean a thing. That's one of the things I found most interesting about this book was that the characters take male and female lovers left right and centre, and no one bats an eye - it was a really refreshing change - particularly in a book written in 1987 - to see sexuality not even really touched upon as an issue. It was just there, deal with it. The only thing that I was sad about, was that no relationship was even remotely happy. I suppose you could argue that Richard and Alec was partially happy, but it was also so abusive. And I like to have a bit of romance in my books. It was just hard to see why Richard actually liked Alec, other than the fact that he was dangerous. It also set up a lot of the plots, which are some of the most brilliantly convoluted I've seen. The plots are brilliantly entwined, swapping from one person to the next with a speed that is sometimes dizzying. I love how many different players are involved, it helps to keep everything fluid because you're seeing a constantly shifting shape of events as people take different courses, and the plotting becomes even more ridiculous. However, there are some pieces that are kept from the reader until the final showdown, which offers a last flurry of shocks and surprises in the final act. The characters were really well drawn and defined, and for the most part completely engaging. I would have liked to have seen more of the Duchess and Lady Halliday, because we have a wonderful set up within the first few chapters that involves a bit more of the Hill than is then used in the rest of the book, and I thought it was shame that this set up wasn't utilised fully. Richard comes across as a little flat sometimes, but for the most part I found him engaging enough to want to keep reading. My favourite (other than the Duchess) was always going to be Alec - I have a thing for bad boys. And his weirdly fluctuating temper puts him firmly into the bad boy category. He'll fly from loving and touching to trying to hurt in a heart beat, and you never quite know what he might do or where he's going next. The secrets of his past were fairly obvious, which was a shame as I would have liked a bit more mystery, particularly given how long it took to reveal what we'd already worked out. My biggest complaint is the prose, which at times is staggeringly beautiful - the final passage of the book is a perfect example of this - but can then flip and become incredibly over wordy and boring. I ended up skimming whole passages because they weren't imparting anything new, and they were slowing the plot down and making me just want to put the book down and give up - which was a huge shame because once you get through them, the book is brilliant. The first half is pure genius, and then I'm not sure what happened, but the action tapered off and it become a slower read with more random passages. The action picks up again a bit later, but around two thirds through the book is where I became unstuck and just wasn't as interested in the story. It will probably be a while before I come back to 'Swordspoint' but I've already got the sequels lined up to read, because for all my complaints, it is a brilliant book, and engaging world, and I really want to immerse myself further in it and find out more.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I've been reading a lot of dystopian young adult fiction recently, so despite my huge excitement when receiving this book, I did have a brief sinking moment of 'another one? Really?' But then I started reading, and I couldn't put it down. Wither is completely unlike all the other dystopian society's I've read recently. For starters, they're living in a life of luxury. Yes it's a gilded cage, but there are so many books where they're either living in refugee poverty, or carefully doled out government approved portions, that it was a refreshing change to see these girls pampered and treated, and yet still captive and miserable. I love the cover, it put me in mind of Miss Havisham, which immediately appealed. There has been a sudden flurry of really exciting and imaginative covers sweeping through book stores, and I'll put my hands up and admit that the first thing that drew me to this was the cover. Actually, no, I tell a lie, the first thing was the sheer amount of excitement this book was generating on sites like Twitter. There were so many reviews and excited posts from people who had got hold of advanced copies. So I googled the book, saw the cover, and immediately started demanding that the states send me a copy - because the UK were being lame and not releasing Wither for another few months. So yes, excitement, cover, blurb! Who is not attracted by that blurb?! It's awesome! And as I said, I'm starting to feel a little like I O.D on dystopian fiction, but I started reading and I couldn't stop. The writing is excellent, the voice completely compelling, and I found myself being drawn into the world. It's not that far from our own, enough changes that it feels futuristic, but it also satisfies the little girl in me that demands palaces and pretty ball gowns. There are plenty of them as well. The prose is clean, beautifully constructed with moments of sheer brilliance. Rhine is incredibly likeable, and very relatable, and you truly feel for her and the awful situation she's been placed in. I did kind of feel like she should just ask for her brother to brought to live there as well and a lot of the problems would be solved, but as I got further into the story and I became more and more terrified of Vaughn, I was all for her running away. Aside from Vaughn, all of the characters have enough facets to keep you busy. They aren't just background characters, they leap off the page, and no one is all bad. They're well rounded, fully formed people, and I ended up feeling sorry for people that I hated at the start. I also loved how the relationships developed, not just between Rhine and Gabriel and Linden, but also between the three sister wives. It was such a twisted situation to be put into, and it was fascinating to see what grew from the shared experiences prior to the marriages - one that DeStefano handles impeccably. Whilst the end was a little predictable, there were plenty of twists along the way to keep the story fresh and new. And there were uncertainties right up until the end; ever since reading 'Delirium' by Lauren Oliver, I don't trust even remotely happy endings to happen when I expect them to. I cannot wait for the sequel, I loved this book and I'm eagerly anticipating the next instalment. I highly recommend Lauren DeStefano's debut novel - we are so lucky at the moment with a flurry of new authors gracing us with their talent, and once again, I'm just so happy that she's shared her story with us, and I can't wait to see how it continues.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... There was a lot of hype for this book before it even came out. I remember reading a few reviews of ARC's back in October and getting quite excited about the whole thing. But I remained cautious - after all, a book getting quite this amount of love? Surely there must be a flaw somewhere, or it wouldn't be quite as good as I'd imagined? After all people weren't just reviewing this, Carla from 'The Crooked Shelf' even wrote a love letter to Lauren Oliver after reading this. But I was an idiot for doubting, and they were all right. This book is incredible. In fact, it's so good that I'm kind of speechless. It was love at its best and worst, it was every kiss and fight and look - and it broke my heart completely. Because it was everything that love should be, everything that it is, and the fear over whether love is destroying you or remaking you. And ultimately, every doubt over whether love can ever possibly be enough. Oliver's prose is quite simply breath taking, It's lyrically beautifully in a way I've only ever come across once before in a short story by Simon Van Booy - but a whole book with this achingly poignant style was incredible. She captures perfectly the aching pain and exquisite pleasure of love. The sparks of desire and photograph moments of clarity that comes with first love. I want to read the book over and over, so that her words would imprint on my very soul. I know this sounds incredibly cheesy, but I'm not even joking. I want everything in the world to be as beautiful as Lauren Oliver's prose makes it. Lena is so real, so perfectly written - the confusion and angst that come with love, with the betrayals and confines she used to find comforting suddenly tightening around her. Alex is incredible. He has shot straight in to my top ten list of fictional boys that I officially want to marry/steal/make real, because dating fictional boys never ends well. I never knew how it would end. It can be boring when you can work out what will happen in a book, but this kept me guessing right up until the final two pages. You never know quite what will happen, how it will work out, what Lena will ultimately choose to do. I can't really explain coherently my love for this book. It was incredible. It was poetic. It was heart achingly beautiful. And I want to read it again and again and again. If you haven't read it, go out and get a copy immediately, because you won't truly understand why so many people are waxing lyrical about it until you experience it first-hand. If you have read it, you know exactly what I'm talking about when I say, wow. That was intense, incredible, and utterly perfect.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Ooo I liked this book for so many reasons. 1. It was a male first person point of view, I like this, I don't know if it's just that I zero in on the books with girls as the epicentre, but this made a really refreshing change. In fact when the view point changes briefly to Lena towards the end I got really grumpy with Ethan for slacking in his storytelling duties. 2. History! Mythology! Wrapped up in a town! It was almost like reading the first series of The Vampire Diaries TV series - it was essentially a love story but it was wrapped up in all these events and history about the town and the other people. This could have been used more, but it was a really good draw for me. 3. THEY TAKE THEIR TIME TO HAVE FEELINGS! You have no idea how grumpy I get where in a page the hero and heroine fall in love. Jeez guys, that is not real life. You fall in Like, you fall in Lust, but never in Love in a page. 4. Ridley. Words cannot describe the epicness. I love her. I want to be her. Kinky outfits, boots and lollipops galore. I hope she's in the next book. I don't care that she's evil, she makes my life. 5. As much as I love Vampires and Werewolves (vast amounts/words cannot describe) it was a refreshing change to have something a little different. Caster's, who are epic in their awesome powers, and a little creepy all at once, but definitely get the award for most screwy family of the year so far. 6. It took its time. This book was set over five months. Now I know some books pretend they're spread over a year, but often they become so rushed that it's hard to remember that. Chapters were headed with a date, which gave you an exact pin point of how much time had passed, and it took its time. There were slower patches, but it helped with the overall build of the book. I like downtime, it gives me chance to breathe for a minute before the next oh my god my life is going to end moment. 7. The town. Descriptions were something this book knew how to do - the town, the accents - again nothing was rushed and it was laid out so you felt as if you were there, living it out, hearing the voices. That's one thing I struggle with in books, the accent is almost always English in my head, but with the writing style you couldn't help but get an awesome southern drawl, and I loved it. I think that's it for my love list for now, but with the sequel there is a potential it may continue to grow... Overall I really enjoyed the book. Some reviews have complained about the pacing, that they got lost when it stopped being about feelings and became more about magic. I don't know if it's just that I've read so many fantasy books that I pick up the rules of a new world a lot quicker, but I found the added elements of danger heightened the relationship and took it to new levels where it might else have become stagnant and boring. I read to escape and to find somewhere knew and exciting, I don't want to be bogged down in reality, I've got enough of that thanks. The relationships were realistic and well constructed, and they didn't feel rushed or forced - they were two teenagers falling in love at a relatively normal pace for those with hormones on red alert most of the time. It was a little slow to get in to, but once I was a couple of chapters in I was completely hooked, and I am so glad that for once I though ahead and bought the second book "Beautiful Darkness" at the same time...

Reviewed on 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/ According to the writer of the best-selling crime novel ever to have been published in the city of Ankh-Morpork, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse. And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder. He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, and occasionally snookered and out of his mind, but never out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase and there must be a punishment. They say that in the end all sins are forgiven. But not quite all... "Where there's policeman there's crime, sergeant, remember that." "Yes I do sir, although I think it sounds better with a little re-ordering of the words..." So Sir Terry Pratchett's latest Discworld novel hits bookstores today, and I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of it to review. Where shall I start? It is classic Pratchett, with all of the fabulous wry humour and characters we know and love. In this particular instance Sam Vimes is back to the foreground and chaffing against the bonds of 'relaxation' and 'holiday' and you just know that where Vimes goes, trouble will invariably be there to welcome him with a banner and parade. And in usual Vimsey style is not going to go down the route of time off without a fight. "Commander Vimes's badge Sir, as delivered to me by Captain Carrot." "Sealed?" "Yes, sir." "Then it doesn't have Vimes's badge in it." "No sir, a careful examination of the envelope suggests it contains an empty tin of double thunder snuff..." In this case the holiday involves finally going to the countryside to see Lady Sybil's family estate, which involves plenty of opportunities for Vimes to be thoroughly grumpy about country ways, the lack of streets for a copper to walk, and to also drag it (kicking and screaming) to keep up with Ankh-Morpork. "It's customary to give Mr Coffin a penny. In the old days my father kept a little charcoal brazier in the coach, you know, in theory to keep warm but mostly to heat up pennies before picking them up in some tongs and tossing them out for the gatekeeper to catch. Apparently everyone enjoyed it, or so my grandfather said, but we don't do that anymore." Vimes has gotten older, has has Young Sam since we last saw him in 'Thud' with 'Where's my Cow?' every evening like clockwork. He's now progressed to reading to Vimes, and books invariably filled with poo and other bodily functions. It was great to see him grow up, see how Vimes is coping with juggling work and family, and to see what sort of person this baby is turning into. The Vimes's would not be complete without Sybil, who I personally hero worship. She's strong and feisty and absolutely fabulous. Who else would keep Vimes in line and eating salad? Salad?... "You would have found that she has at her command a considerable amount of weaponry and, knowing the temper of the Ramkins, she would have quite probably done things to you that would make Wilikins say 'Whoa that's going a bit too far.'" And let's not forget Wilikins, who I hadn't really gotten a feel for in previous books (bearing in mind that I only became acquainted with Sam Vimes in 'Nightwatch' and I know I have some history to catch up on at the earliest possible moment. So Wilikins, didn't know much about him, but he seemed quite cool, and handy in a tight spot. He completely owned it in this book, I love him. Can I be team Wilikins and Sybil? Because between them I think they could take over the world. "She says it makes me look dashing," said Vimes morosely. "Do you think it makes me look dashing? Am I a dashing sort of person, would you say?" "I'd put you down as more the sprinting sort, sir," said Wilikins. So yes, we have old characters, we have new characters, all explored and introduced with the brilliant skill we've come to expect from Pratchett. And we have plot which you know is going to be awesome - how could it not be? And innuendos and pithy lines galore. "Well dear, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a man with a lot of wood must be in want of a wife who can handle a great big - " Lady Sybil interrupted sharply: "Sam Vimes, I believe that you intend to make an indelicate remark?" "I think you got there before me," said Vimes, grinning. "You generally do dear, admit it." My only complaint is that the first third to half of any Pratchett book I read is good, funny, very well written, but it doesn't grab me. I don't have that urgent need to pick up the book and keep reading. As a result it can sometimes take me a while to get going, whereas normally I'd be done with a book in a matter of days. However, there is always a point where things really kick off, and I get this rush of adrenaline and a feeling of 'yes, this is it, here we go!' and from that point I can't stop, it's fabulous, and it's got me, and by hell I want more. I want to finish this one and go away and read all the other Discworld books now, at once, altogether please.So whilst there is nothing wrong with anything in the first half, it did take me a while to really feel invested in the story. We also have Pratchetts fabulous satire of the world part 39. I'm really pleased to see that the themes explored in this book were a lot darker. They've been getting darker as the series has progressed, and it's really exciting to see where he takes the character's. After all with this many books in the series, it seems hard to keep the momentum going, but this book is just as strong as some of his earlier ones. He blends humour and day to day activity, with high terror, thrills and excitement, as well as a healthy dose of philosophy, "Do not seek perfection. None exists. All we can do is strive." exquisite writing Vimes also indulged in a rare cigar because, well, what good is a snooker room without smoke twisting among the lights and turning the air a desolate blue, the colour of dead hopes and lost chances? and a long hard look at the world around us. "Of course we went on trying, because that's the military way!" "You mean, pile dreadful failure on top of failure?" said Vimes. It's magical and fun and an absolute must for all Pratchett fans. Sam Vimes is a personal favourite of mine, and I love any chance to go and see what he's getting up to next - I just hope we get to find out what happens after. "How went your holidays, apart from lawless actions, ad hoc activities, fights, chases on both land and sea and indeed freshwater, unauthorized expenditure, and, of course, farting in the halls of the mighty?" Vimes's gaze was steady and just above the Patrician's eye line. "Point of detail my lord: didn't fart, may have picked nose inadvertently."

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I really loved this book - the prose was unbelievably exquisite at points, the plot was inspired, and the characters brilliantly constructed. It takes the idea of Romeo and Juliet and added a fresh twist that works brilliantly with the original, and fleshed out characters that we already know - but giving them a new edge. Romeo evil? Juliet kick ass?? I mean come on - how can you not love this?! It's a brilliant re-envisioning of the original, fleshing out the characters without forgetting the violence and heart breaking inevitability. The relationship that developed between Ben and Juliet was just so beautiful to watch - it made me feel like this is what true perfect love it, and it made me melt every time they spent time together. The tender romance was offset with the depressing violence and anger that filtered through the rest of the novel. It took you from the dizzying heights of true love, to the horrific moments with what Romeo has become. It covered everything, and it did it brilliantly. I love how strong Juliet became throughout, and how she learnt from her past mistakes, worked through her issues and problems and came out the other side a stronger person, who wasn't going to make the same mistakes again. I loved this fresh look at Romeo - who was one of the best characters in the novel. He got the full arc, the evil bad boy, the redemption, but also the most truthful character throughout. It examined the idea of true love - particularly first true love, how it affects people and how it can go wrong, and the idea that dying for love is romantic - in fact Juliet captures it best in this moment:- "That horrible play. That contemptible, lying play he helped Shakespeare pen all those hundreds of years ago when he first twisted our story to fit his agenda. It worked far too well. Shakespeare's enduring tragedy did its part to further the goals of the Mercenaries - glamorizing death, making dying for love seem the most noble act of all, though nothing could be further from the truth. Taking an innocent life - in a misguided attempt to prove love or for any other reason - is a useless waste." There were a couple of points that I wasn't completely sold on. Gemma for example, wasn't so much schizophrenic as completely nonsensical - I know she was meant to be a mess, but her character was so all over the place that I didn't care about her and never really understood what the hell she was on. She had potential, but she never really grasped it. The other thing that I felt was a little underdeveloped were the massive bombs being dropped on Juliet towards the end of the book about the Mercenaries and Ambassadors and the worlds physics. Whilst Juliet was only just finding out so it kind of made sense to only find out then and that briefly, it still felt like it was underdeveloped and I wanted to know more about it. All in all this was a brilliant concept very well executed. There were a few hiccups with some parts, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book overall. The only thing I would say is whilst it was beautiful, heart breaking, and poignant, it also left me feeling slightly depressed at the end. I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fresh plot with a beautiful love story at its heart.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Um, how has no one pointed me in the direction of Jennifer Lynn Barnes before? This woman is GENIUS. Yes, she deserves the capitals. This book completely blindsided me - I stumbled across it completely randomly and was hooked from the first page. The writing is excellent, the humour fantastic and I frequently embarrassed myself in public by laughing out loud at the sheer brilliance of some of the one liners. The plot is a fantastic spin on Jekyll and Hyde, and was so fresh and original that I was practically jumping for joy throughout. However, about three quarters of the way through there's a twist that suddenly brought it back into the realms of usual young adult plots, and I was a little bit disappointed. However, that slight set back didn't ruin the overall enjoyment of the book, and I think it was more the shock of suddenly plunging back into something I thought this book avoided than it being bad exactly. I want to go back and have a re-read because I think being prepared for it will make it less of a jolt. If that made any sense... Kali is a fabulous heroine, strong, independent, and with a brilliant sense of humour, and the cast of characters that accompany her are equally well constructed. It's rare to find a book where every female character is so awesome. I would quite happily read the Skylar story, or the Bethany story, as much as I enjoyed reading the Kali story. In fact my only real complaint would be that I wanted more. Whilst I can do a lot of jumping up and down and squeeing and waving this book at you and demanding that this has to be your final read of the year, I can't really say more without spoiling it. And there's so much I want to talk about regarding it that I'm going to do a full review once the book has been released on the 27th December 2011. If you like Cassandra Clare, Holly Black or Sarah Rees Brennan, this is a must have read. Brilliant plot, fantastic world building and snarky strong females galore, this is going to be one of my reads of the year.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I am going to give you all a nice big warning now, that this review may contain copious amounts of CAPITALS which I may use to express my LOVE for this book. It also may be a tiny bit spoilery although I've tried to keep it as light as possible. I have taken way too long to read this book. I am ashamed of myself. When it first came out I saw the blurb and the title and the agent, and I said to myself 'that looks hysterical, I must henceforth to the book store and purchase a copy!' But alas! I got swept up in silly things like university, and I didn't do it. And then my Mum rang me up and said, I have just seen this totally awesome book, and she described this book, and I went, ah yes, I have been meaning to buy it. And then I was actually in the bookstore and this book fell off the shelf at me. And you know what? This book is GENIUS. No really - screw Hogwarts, I want to be a Gallagher Girl. Cos they are way cooler. And the classes! Oh man, I so want to go! So basically, this book is brilliant. I was laughing out loud pretty much every page. And when there was a sad bit and I didn't laugh for a few pages, Ally made up for it by putting such funny bits in that I actually snorted. I think this may be the first book this year to claim to do that to me. Cammie is amazing. She is this brilliantly witty and intelligent fifteen year old, who can pretty much do ANYTHING in the spying world, but when it comes to analysing the words a boy has said to her she is CLUELESS. And I loved this because I felt her pain. Every girl has been there. The oh my god what does this mean - how do I interpret this? WHAT DOES HE MEAN WHEN HE SAYS MAYBE SEE YOU AROUND? Most frustrating thing in the world for a boy to say. Seriously, best female character ever. Ok well maybe not ever, I like my strong females, but she certainly ranks really, really high. And her friends. I want friends like this. I mean I like my friends loads and all, but they can't do half the things that Liz does with a computer! And Bex would totally be an awesome side kick for anything. I can imagine ANYTHING would be fun if you were doing it with Duchess and Bookworm... And Josh... Oh good lord is he swoony and dream worthy, and he totally turned me into a fifteen year old girl again and made my insides go all mushy. I love it. It just works. The premise is genius, the characters are brilliant. It's funny and poignant, and totally makes you feel like a dorky teenager again - only less brilliant than any of the characters. Although I wish I was that intelligent. I love the entire set up, the school, the little quirks, code red, the ridiculous things that you see the teacher's doing. Every little ridiculous moment where Cammie does an aside and you just go OH MY GOD THAT WAS GENIUS. And it so totally takes me back to school, because I went to an all-girls school, but it was not nearly as cool as this, and the uniform was terrible. But it really captures the whole idea that boys are a completely alien species, and no one ever taught you how to talk to them... Or swoon worthy teachers either... I've never read any of Ally Carter's work before, and I am kicking myself for not reading her books sooner. But on the other hand, I totally needed a cheering up, and that book did it for me. To the point that I am heading out of the house, with the shops only just opening in the morning, to go out and buy the rest of the books. And probably not sleep until I've read them too. So next on my list is the second book in the series, "Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy." Followed by "Don't judge a Girl by her Cover." And I have obviously picked the right moment to obsess, because the fourth book is out in a few days on May 5th "Only The Good Spy Young." I cannot recommend this book enough. I loved it, a quick brilliantly witty read, that I'm going to thrust at my Mum and go 'OMG you were totally right, now read it and see how awesome it is!' That's right, I'm totally going to get my Mum to read a book about an all-girls spy school...

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Oh my gosh this book was amazing. I love Melissa Marr's 'Wicked Lovely' series, and it was based on that alone that this book was on my wishlist - but after finishing it at some ungodly hour this morning I am oh so glad it was. The novel walks a brilliantly fine edge between small town American life and horror movie, and strikes just the right balance. There is an underlying tension throughout, and a few nerve wracking moments where I jumped at any noise whilst I was reading, but it's offset by this cosy small town life where nothing bad could ever happen. It's equal parts disturbing and comforting. And the further into the story you get the more the unnerving the contract gets. Never able to leave? You have to apply for permission to have a baby? These things seemed even more weird than the dead rising thing... And I loved how the dead were dealt with. This isn't your average 'hey there are zombies!' book. It takes the idea of the dead coming back and develops a whole new myth and set of rules for them, and this is where some of Marr's genius shines through. As with the 'Wicked Lovely' series, the world and rule building is her strongest point, and I love watching to see how she tackles something new with this book. And back to the small town life - I love things like this where small towns have founding families and the same roles are passed down generation to generation. I don't know why I love it, but I do, so it was great to see that used to very great effect here. The first half of the novel took its time to set up and get going but it in no way dragged - it was nice to take the time to set the scene and get to know the characters before everyone was plunged into the meat of the story. And once it got going - oh good lord it was fabulous. I loved everything about the 'land of the dead' and I wanted more of it. It was fascinating to see how Marr had imagined it, the different characters, the rivalries and bids for power and one up man ship between Charles and Alicia. As I said though, I wanted more! One of my favourite scenes had to be when Alicia and Byron first meet each other - fab! The novel utilises lots of different narrators to take the story on further, which was a neat way to introduce us to more of the townsfolk and get to know some of them a little bit, and also kept the story moving at a good pace. It kept the tension high when one character is off doing something exciting and we skipped off to find out what someone else was doing, but because I was intrigued by every plot line and every character I didn't find that annoying, which was a bonus because sometimes skipping off in the middle of big things can be a sure fire way to get me irritated with a book. I also loved how Marr used a character who was dead by the start of the first chapter to propel the story along. Maylene may not have physically been there for most of the book, but she was a vital part through memories, diaries, letters and simply her absence. I love it when an author uses a character who isn't present just as effectively as a character who is - and Maylene is definitely one of my favourites. She was just such a perfect grandmotherly type, and such a good contrast against the other characters. Actually all the characters were brilliantly written and used, and I loved noting the differences between Marr's young adult work and this her first adult novel. And in an age where every book seems to be part of a series it was nice to have a standalone book. If there ever is a sequel I'd love to read it, but the way everything finishes left me satisfied - enough questions left unanswered that I didn't feel it had all been solved too neatly, but enough tied that I wasn't frustrated. So all in all I loved it. It was great writing, a fabulous plot and really well drawn characters. And enough action and sparkling wit to keep it light and moving along briskly. 'Graveminder' quickly established itself as a favourite before I was even half way through, and I can guarantee that this is a book I will come back to time and time again. If you're looking for something a bit different and haven't got time to deal with a whole big saga of story, 'Graveminder' is a brilliant read with a mix of everything to keep you interested.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Oh my god you guys, this book was so worth the wait. I mean, just. Wow. Now let me clarify this wow, because there are several different types of wow for me. This was the wow I love this story because it's fantasy and it's epic and it's about love but so much more than just love between two people. I said this in my last review of the fourth book in the series 'Radiant Shadows' - this series is like a game of chess, watching as all the pieces are slotted into place for the grand showdown at the end. And it's mesmerizing to watch/read. For some reason the summer court peeve me. I still love them, so it's not a big peeve, I think it's simply that Keenan and I have never quite seen eye to eye. He's a bit too duplicitous for my liking, and I'm not fussed on guys like that. However he really sorts himself out this book, but I'll come to that later. Anyway, because of him I've never been as taken with the Summer Court as I have with the Dark Court. So Books two and four were always my favourites because of how much they focus on the Darker aspects. Actually scrap that, two 'Ink Exchange' is just freaking amazing. Fact. I'm rambling. Sorry. It's just I really love these books and I tend to gush when I love things. So whilst I wasn't so fussed on going back to the Summer Court, I'm glad the narrative did, because it was the final hurrah where all the threads were tied up. It's impressive on Marr's part that she keeps so many courts/people/threads together and coherent. There is a lot going on in this book. I did miss Ani and Dev. I grew attached to them from the last book, and they were the only people missing - everyone came out to play in this instalment. All the tangled love lives and triangles were finally resolved, and the big battle that's been building since the first book finally happened. And it was awesome. I hate when battles are built up into this thing of epic proportions and then they happen and it's just like a balloon deflating *cough* Breaking Dawn *cough*. So things kicked off, and things got bloody, and you know what, I had goosebumps. Everyone came together and were fighting for their lives and their loves, and it was just epic. And everyone finally sorts themselves out! Although a few things, for example what Keenan does to be with Donia, I did wonder why he didn't do them sooner, but I guess everyone was growing up to get to this point, so whilst I wonder, it also makes complete sense. But I was so excited that he finally got to be happy. I mean I'm not fussed on him, but I love Donia. She's so cool, and she's been through so much and is so strong. Actually that's another point I love - Marr creates strong female characters. They are not weak or rely on their men to do the dirty work - they get stuck in, they get their hands dirty, and quite often, they do a better job than the guys might have done. But they are still likeable and human, and I think in that lies their greatness. My final gushing point is the endings. Now I'm a sucker for happy endings, I love them. But I also love sad endings and people dying, because if you go attack a bunch of people, the laws of logic say you won't all be in tact at the end. But, AND PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN'T YET READ THE BOOK, the bad things happen and it's all heart in mouth high terror stuff, yet everyone gets their happy endings and all the right people end up with the right people, and it's all good. It's summed up pretty brilliantly towards the end of the book Far Dorcha: "The winter court could be his if Donia died. It was a natural order. The child of winter would take his mother's court. He would grieve, grow bitter, and eventually his mourning would warp into something malicious. Which would be tedious." It just makes you think that maybe all this has happened, or something like it, before. And the cycle keeps repeating, and with all this fresh blood, all these new regents, they had a chance to change it, and to make things right. All in all, it was the perfect ending to the series. And I'm sad it's over, but I couldn't have wished for a better finale.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I love this book. If this book were a boy, I would be writing our names together in little hearts. It was like chicken soup for my mind. It was the most comforting and good book I've read in a while. It wasn't laugh out loud all the way through funny, it wasn't exquisite prose that made me cry - it was just pitch perfect, someone took what I wanted to read most straight out of my head and turned it into a book JUST FOR ME. And, you know, everyone else who's read it. First off, when I opened the parcel it came in, the cover is pearlescent - pearlescent guys! I am such a cover whore, I am totally happy to admit this. I don't let the cover rule my choices; but it is an added bonus if the cover makes me want to sit and stroke it for a while. Also, the blurb. Go back and re-read that baby. Witches! Handsome Professors! Dark things! And, once you get reading, very handsome yummy boy! This has everything I want in a book - it's urban fantasy, with enough fantasy to give me an escape. It's got sexy boys and a sassy heroine, and time travel! Yeah that's right TIME TRAVEL. I didn't mean to read all night, I truly didn't, but I read the first few pages, and Tamsin is just such a likeable, clear cut character and voice that I didn't want to stop. She's completely relatable, has a great sense of humour, and has that family that's so extraordinary compared to her that she just wants to escape. Unlucky for her, I really wanted to get to know the rest of her family. It reminded me of Holly Black's Curse Worker's Series, with the whole big family almost mob style way of thinking (although less scary) the only difference was that we got to see a lot more of the powers in 'Once A Witch' which I love. I think I'm addicted to seeing all the different things people can do in magic books - I get way too excited and just want to keep meeting more members of the family. It's a fast paced plot that really draws you in, and the stakes and tension remain high throughout. You get a sense of 'something's not right' fairly quickly after the initial set up, and it just keeps building and building until the stakes are so high I wasn't sure how anybody was going to get out of this alive - it just all seemed so impossible. I cannot wait for the next book "Always a Witch" which will be released in August 2011 (no exact date announced yet.) The cliff hanger was just enough so that you felt there had been a good resolution for this book, with enough built up to get the next book off to an awesome start - the stakes are high, and I have a feeling they're just going to keep raising. In the meantime, 'Once A Witch' is going next to Saundra Mitchells 'The Vespertine' on my bedside table, for frequent re-reads and hugs when no one is watching.

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/2... Ah me, if someone were to ask me what my favourite steampunk series in the world is, I would have to answer 'The Parasol Protectorate' Series by Gail Carriger. This series is by far one of the most imaginative, wittiest and fantastically written that I have ever had the pleasure to read, so it was with equal parts excitement and sadness that I approached this, the final book in the series. And it was fantastic. Completely and utterly fabulous. It had all of the elements that I have come to love in Carriger's series, and more besides. Her writing remains fantastic, equal parts witty splendour and elegant prose. The characters we have come to know and love were all back in abundance, and I particularly liked getting to know Biffy better. He has been one of the most intriguing characters from the start, and I have loved watching his arc, so to see him come all the way round to this was fantastic. I was sad not to see more of Lord Akeldama, but la, we cannot have everything, and what parts he was in he was his usual fabulous self. It was a novel of tying up all the loose ends, of bringing all the intrigue and mystery to a head and finding out just what her terrible Italian father had been up to. The novel skips on a few years from the birth of the Infant Inconvenience, and we get to see Prudence as a toddler, just learning the word 'No' and how Lord Akeldama is taking to fatherhood. With aplomb, it has to be said. It was fantastic after the last two books build up to finally see Prudence in action, and it was fabulous to get some answers to some very intriguing questions after all this time. This is most definitely a series that I will go back to and read again to make all the little pieces slot into place - and then again just for the fun of it. All in all this was a brilliant finale to an utterly fabulous series. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of ruining it for those of you who haven't yet read it. But I assure you, this is a truly fantastic series and this book is the perfect end to it. We get answers and questions, character development and dirigible rides. Supernatural creatures, beautiful romance, and above all Ivy Tunstall and her husband's new play, which was truly epic... But the most fantastic of all? We get to see Alexia and her ever doting husband as they grow together, fight together, and have a fantastic final escapade together. Carriger's writing is fantastic, her imagination even more so, and this series will be going into the immortal 'all time favourites' shelf in my room.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I think this book has proven once and for all that when I'm desperate to get my hands on something enough, I'm not above bribery, as one poor bookshop attendant can testify to. The point is that 'Blameless' left us in such a tantalizing place that I simply couldn't wait to get back into Alexia's world and see what on earth she was going to get up to next. And 'Heartless' doesn't disappoint. It dives straight in to Alexia at eight months pregnant and highly inflated as a result. This doesn't stop the formidable Lady Maccon though, it merely slows her pace to a waddle, and demands assistance to stand up. Oh and plenty of falling on her bustle. I am amazed the poor child didn't miscarry after the amount of falling about she did. Alexia at full strength is amusing. Alexia at full pregnancy is downright hilarious. She doesn't seem to show any fear or worry for the 'infant inconvenience' - her husband does most of that for her. But then I would have been alarmed had she started showing particular emotions. Alexia is after all lacking in the soul department. Alexia is fab, but Ms Carriger also excels at secondary characters, and it was so good to get more of an insight into some faces we already know. Maccon stopped being an overbearing alpha and turned into a man, and I have to admit to breaking down a little when he broke down in the darkness by Alexia. And Lyall - it's always the quiet ones. It was good to see some extra layers to the quiet and unobtrusive beta. But sometimes it's also the loud and annoying ones - read here Felicity, who I wanted to smack soundly with a parasol. I knew she was irritating, but this takes the biscuit. Biffy - oh my poor sweet darling, he is one of the most fascinating characters to watch as he battles his past, his present and his future as they all threaten to overwhelm him. But perhaps the two awards for secondary characters who I want to keep with me for always go to: Ivy Tunstall. I very nearly died from over laughing at the Ivy being inducted into the Parasol Protectorate. And thank goodness Alexia finally is realizing that Ivy isn't all silly hats! And of course, Lord Akeldama. Having more of him around instead of just the odd moment when Alexia pops round for tea made for some interesting character insights. And I think that was the biggest thing for me, the different facets each character revealed this time, which made me view all of them in a slightly different light than I had at the end of 'Blameless'. I won't go into too much detail here as I don't want to ruin it for those of you who haven't read this instalment yet, but I may come back and do a discussion post at a later less spoilery date, because I really found the character development to be the most exciting thing, and it left me quiet eager to find out where they all go from here. Everything about this book is sheer sparkling brilliance. The writing is witty, providing some very necessary light relief at a time when we could all do with a giggle. The characters are thoroughly layered and deeply satisfying to follow, and Ms Carriger's imagination knows no bounds. Zombie Porcupines?... As pets?... No one else could manage to pull off such a stunning feat of elegant manners, witticisms, ridiculous hats and tea.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... The other day I finished 'The Vespertine' by Saundra Mitchell. I put the book down. I stroked the cover. I sighed, and thought about the beautiful prose. And then I picked it up and started it all over again. After two reading's I still don't really want to stop reading it, but I feel slightly more capable of making coherent sentences over it instead of just 'flehnin, beautiful, love, book!' It's been a quiet few days. As I explained on twitter 33 pages into my first reading, I was irrevocably in love, and completely ruined for all others - THAT'S HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK. Ahem. So the most important thing here, is that you should go and read this book now. No seriously, I'll even lend you my car to drive to the book store RIGHT NOW. But some of you less persuadable people probably need a little more convincing... Six reasons why you should go and read 'The Vespertine' 1) The cover. Not just one, but two! The pretty picture on the front and the old style hardback underneath. I swooned a little when I peeked under the jacket. 2) If you liked Libba Bray's 'A Great & Terrible Beauty' you will love this. That's how I came to realize that I would need this book in my life pronto, because I adored Bray's writing and wanted to find something similar. 3) The Writing. I could go on and on over how exquisitely beautiful the writing is and it still wouldn't convey just how amazing it is. I love funny writing, I love solid and well structured writing, but most of all I love poignantly beautiful and evocative writing. This falls firmly into the latter. Carrie Ryan describes the writing as 'truer than truth - you feel them (the descriptions) rather than know them.' You feel every word, every moment, every breath. It's as though Mitchell has taken all of the moments you've watched and felt and put them into words you never even realized could express how you felt until you read them. 4) The Characters. I adore Amelia, and it's one of the most important things in the world to have a loveable heroine. I also love the relationship between her and Zora, which is summed up so perfectly in the opening chapters : "In that moment, I suppose we could have decided to be rivals. Instead, Zora took my hand and said, 'We're too grand to stay indoors today, I believe.'" Their friendship is so natural, so teasing and wonderful to read. It's completely believable - as are the relationships that develop between the other girls in the circle and the delectable boys they come into contact with. And oh the boys... No triangles, no mess, just lust and sparks and gorgeousness, and the right people falling in love with the other right people. And Nathaniel. Oh baby. I loved him from the start, but there is one scene in particular that made me swoon. And be absolutely terrified for a moment, but mostly swoon. For those who have read the book - boys who ask you to jump, definite yes. 5) The Premise. I love fantasy, but I love subtle fantasy, and this falls firmly into that category. It's such an exquisite idea, seeing visions in the sunset. An extraordinary gift that just adds that extra spark of magic to an already brilliant novel. Seriously this novel was amazing already, but this adds that extra dimension that makes into a wow novel. 6) The Setting. I am a sucker for period settings in books (note to self to provide picture of the ridiculous numbers of regency books on my shelves.) and I am even more of a sucker when it's all about the first season of the characters. There is something magical about a debutante's season, and Mitchell conveys this perfectly. The cycle of visits, teas, picnics, dress fittings and most importantly balls - I love it. I want it. I want to climb inside this book and live it. So if I haven't made it clear already, I loved this book. In fact it may well be my favourite book of the whole year, and we're only in March. I will come back to this book again and again - it's one of those ones that as soon as I've finished I just want to plunge straight back in again and immerse myself in the world for as long as possible. Books like this are true gems, and (saying this a lot, but the standard is so high this year!) I cannot wait for Saundra Mitchell's next books. Go out, read it, love it, and pass on the news, that 'The Vespertine' is the book to be reading right now.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This blurb doesn't do the book justice. It's rare, but it has happened before that I've gotten a little way into a book and realized that in a way, this book is going to change my life. All books change our lives in some way, but it's more obvious with some than with others. There were four things that made me pick up this book. 1) The cover. Some of the blood vessels are raised, and it kind of makes me squirm a little every time I pick the book up, but it's simplicity used incredibly effectively. And a nice break away from the Twilight esq covers that have flooded the bookstores recently. 2)Have you seen the recommendations on this book?! Simon Pegg, Stephenie Meyer, Audrey Niffenegger and Nick Harkaway. Wow. 3) The awesome self-deprecating 'About the Author.' I normally find these so frustrating and smug, and this was a refreshing change. "Isaac Marion was born in north-western Washington in 1981 and has lived in and around Seattle his whole life, working a variety of strange jobs like delivering deathbeds to hospice patients and supervising parental visits for foster-kids. He is not married, has no children, and did not go to college or win any prizes. Warm Bodies is his first novel. " Finally an author who has written a brilliant novel without the list of achievements that makes me feel completely useless. There is hope after all. 4) The first page. Go and read it. Now. The prose is exquisite. A blend of humour, morbid decay and depression; it suited my mood perfectly. But as the story progresses some of the idle beauty is lost as R starts to regain his consciousness and becomes more focused on the human world around him. That doesn't detract from the book at all, but having fallen in love with the style of the first stage of the book, it was strange adjusting as more people were involved and R began to interact with the living again. The book has so many different levels to it. On first sight, it's just a fantasy book about zombies, but it is so much more than that. It's a love story, it's an apocalypse story, it's a story about two men who are in love with the same woman, both of whom are dead. It's about desperation, re-birth and hope. It's beautiful, it's tragic and the writing is brilliant. It's disturbingly gross at the same time, Isaac doesn't shy away from the fact that R is a zombie, he is dead, he is surrounded by the dead and desiccating, and they eat people to stay alive. That does diminish over time, but there is no sugar coating when it happens. I've never been a fan of zombies; they scare the pants off me so I was hesitant about the content. But whilst the terror is still there, it was a very different view on zombies to the stereotype that you often see in films. But whilst there was a more human look on the inner workings of a zombie, instead of just looking at the mindless shuffle and groaning, there was still a terror element in the form of the Boneys. There did need to be another threat, and they work really well, and are incredibly well written and terrifying. That's another thing - there is no explanation how or why, or even when! And I'm so relieved. A lot of books try to really get into the breakdown. There's a curse, or a medical condition, or testing gone wrong. There was none of that here, just an acceptance that this was how things were, and always had been. Well, for the memory spans of the characters. And whilst things do change, there is no real cure, or again, explanation. It just happens. And it works. I've been really lucky with debut authors over the last few months, and Isaac Marion is no exception. And again, I've said it before, and I will say it again - with the standard this high in his first novel, I cannot wait to read his next offering. His writing is brilliant, and I feel incredibly lucky that I've found this book. It crosses so many genres that no matter what you enjoy reading, you should try this book: Fantasy, romance, an insight into existence? Go get and see for yourself.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... I've taken a lot of time over this review, read the book twice and given everything a lot of thought. Not just to wait until people would be less grumpy about spoilers, but also because this latest instalment from Cassie Clare has given me plenty to think about. I loved this book. I love the writing, I love the character developments, and the new level that everything has been taken to. Cassie Clare had been saying that these next three novels marked a shift in the series - a darker twist, and she more than delivered. I loved the tone, it was a bit of a shift down from the previous three novels. Instead of it all being high and terror and really high stakes all the way through, it was a tiny bit more relaxed. Instead of having to learn a ton of information about this new world we were plunging in to, the war is won, they've survived, they're back, and technically all should be good. So even though the stakes are still high and the stress was fairly killing me by the end of the book, it was nice to see some vaguely normal bits of life - like the gig, and the training and Halo. It made the contrast when it got all stressful that much bigger. In fact, it kind of felt like a cross between Gossip Girl and the Vampire Diaries during the engagement party - it was awesome just to see a slightly different side to their lives, instead of constant high stakes and death. Ah Jace and Clary, where do I begin?... It was so good to finally see some making out without the ick factor of 'hey we might be related' and the dirty sexy alley scene? I may swoon... Whilst I hated the problems between them meant they didn't spend all that much time together throughout the book, they sure made up for it when they were around each other. Cassie Clare is officially a Queen of Make-Out scenes. I also loved seeing the next chapter. So many series or books end after the big epic battle and the hero and heroine get together and they're going to go away and live happily ever after. But we're actually getting to see it, and to realize that it isn't necessarily happily ever after - but they're going to try damn hard to get there. Well Clary is, Jace can be a little frustrating with his whole 'I am too evil, I must punish myself by not seeing you' and I'm so glad that Clary totally calls him on it and points out that it's not actually all about him. I love that we get to see how strong they can be - as well as how sexy - and the showdown on the rooftop really showed how far they're willing to go to ultimately save each other. Although Clary is a poo for not running when she was told. The whole rooftop showdown was epic. I genuinely couldn't see a way out of it without EVERYONE DYING and I was absolutely terrified. It was nice to see Clary put to use some of her training - actually we got to see her do that a couple of times during the novel, and it made her less damsel in distress. Not that she's ever really been a damsel in distress, but she held her own quite impressively with some really ingenious ideas for weapons. I love Alec and Magnus together. I was sad that they weren't involved more, but I'm looking forward to more from them in the coming books. What I was most struck by was Clare's tackling of the idea of an immortal and a mortal in a relationship. We've had a lot of fiction where it's idealised, and the downsides aren't really explored, so to have those issues raised - particularly the jealousy over past relationships and how fleeting those mortal relationships are to an immortal was fascinating. And I'm so glad that even though it was more of a side story, that this was tackled. And I'm really looking forward to seeing more of them and this fresh dynamic now the issues have been raised, cos they ain't just gonna disappear. Also, South Carolina. That is all. In fact that's something I love about Clare's novels. She doesn't just focus on Jace and Clary. There are a number of really engaging and important characters, all with their own intertwining story lines, and to be able to juggle that many threads and keep all of them interesting so that the reader doesn't mind they've swapped to someone else's story, is a true art. I've always had a bit of a thing for Simon, and after this instalment, I love him even more; just throwing it out there... And even though he was a bum for dating both girls at once, I'm so glad that he and Isabelle seem to be working something out, and I want to see how that develops and whether it will work out in the end. Also, I want more of Isabelle please, she is awesome and there wasn't enough of her in this book. More please. As well as our regular characters, we were introduced to a few new ones, and I love Kyle/Jordan, and so glad that Maia might get her happy ending as well as Isabelle - they're both awesome and I hated the Simon hurt them. I love Cassie Clare's writing style. I love the voices, they are so clear you always know exactly who's talking and I love the humour and the sarcasm. Some of the conversations between Simon and Jace had me laughing out loud. It has been so amazing to start by reading Clare's short stories and fan fiction and reading each book that's been released, and they've all been good, but her writing has gotten even better the further we get into the series. I think this is the strongest book in the Mortal Instruments series and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here. Despite the fact that I was nearly at the end of the book and everything looked set for a relatively happy ending, I wasn't fooled - I knew something awful was going to happen I just wasn't sure what. And I wasn't disappointed. Oh good lord that was terrifyingly horrible and heart breaking, because this time Jace seemed more aware of what was going on, and was still unable to stop it. However, it does leave us with an awesome set up for the next few books. I'm intrigued to see where them becoming blood brothers leads next. It can't be anywhere good, but you can bet it's going to be awesome. There were so many new plots brought into play, and a few seemed resolved but will probably come back to bite us in a later book. It had all of the excitement of a new series without the frantic world building that often happens in a first book. Which was a brilliant combination. It was a fresh start, a whole new take on a world we've already been introduced to, but one that can still shock and surprise us. I'm also fascinated to see the references to 'Clockwork Angel' and the characters and relationships introduced to us there, and how the two series are going to overlap over the next four books. It's made me even more curious about Magnus than I already was. So a very exciting follow up to 'City of Glass' and possibly the strongest book in the series so far, I loved 'City of Fallen Angels'. I'm still a little more caught up in the Infernal Devices series, so I'm really excited that we get the next instalment for that series late this year too - Cassie is spoiling us! And now, I have to go purchase the audio book for COFA because it's read by Ed Westwick, and he makes me swoon. Edit to include the Audiobook: I've since had chance to listen to the audio book, and I tell you now, buy it. Buy it just for Ed Westwick's beautiful voice and the fabulous accents. Hear him do Italian, French and american. And they're all just divine. On a slightly more serious note, whilst I love Westwick's portrayal, Molly Quinn's didn't do so much for me. I love Clary as a character, but if I'd just heard her in the audiobook and not read the paper version, I would have hated her. She sounds so vapid and completely consumed by Jace just through Quinn's portrayal which I found really sad. There also isn't much difference between most of the voices Quinn does, which makes it less easy to follow. Westwick you get a really strong divide so you know exactly who's talking when. All in all, a bit mixed. Loved Westwick's parts but I'm not fussed on Quinn's. However for me that still isn't a dealbreaker and it's one of my most listened to audiobooks.

This was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Oh my, do not read this book at night. Unless you have a baseball bat by your bed in case of emergencies, and possibly a fluffy animal to guard against the big scary things. I've been saving this book for so long now, waiting for when I needed it most as some (albeit terrifying) chicken soup. And I always worry when I save a book specifically, that maybe I'll it won't live up to my expectations, but this one most certainly did. Deanna Raybourn's classically beautiful prose is in fine form, a beautiful interweaving of a voice so completely pitch perfect for the time period and setting, and an engrossingly brilliant plot that sweeps you up and away with it. I loved Theodora as a character - such an independent and strong women, completely against the stereotype of the period, with a vivid imagination and a strong sense of self and the world around her. It makes her travels into the terrifying aspects of the castle and its secrets all the more frightening - for a women of high intellect and sound mind to be capable of believing these things, it really shows how hysteria can sweep a person away with it, although she fights with logic every step of the way. I also loved the Count. Raybourn creates such brilliant heroes, they're practically anti heroes despite the strong morale code that means they end up protecting our heroines. He's no tame man waiting for Theodora to command him, he's dangerous and savage, whilst retaining a cool detached elegance that makes him the most intriguing character to pick apart in the book. The romances that Raybourn constructs in her work are spot on. They combine the heat of seduction - a glance, a touch - and pair it with some of the most headstrong and feisty men that at first glance don't seem immediate hero material. Instead of reducing the passion and heat of the romance though, it heightens it, bringing it into a whole new level. Raybourn has a very brilliant way of making the absolute fantasy seem completely real and terrifying, and then turning it on its head and showing how humans can in some cases be just as terrifying, if not more so, than the myths and legends of wolves and vampires and terrors that walk abroad in the night. It was something that I loved about 'Silent in the Sanctuary' - no matter how many times I read that book, knowing full well how it turns out, I still get shivers when I read it. It's an incredible talent and one that marks Deanna Raybourn up as one of my all-time favourite authors. Not only that, but you can never truly tell who the villain is until she wants you to know. I love a book that I can't guess the end after a couple of chapters, and I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen. It makes for a much more satisfying story when you're left dangling at the author's whim. This book didn't capture me in quite the same way as Deanna Raybourn's 'Lady Julia' series, but it was still an absolutely stunning work, and one that I will come back to again and again. Very, very highly recommended.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Dark Road is quite utterly delicious. The new cover is divine, and it and the break away from the titles of the first three books in the series (Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor) signify the change and shift that has occurred since the end of the third book. I think this was what made me the most nervous about reading the book - Julia and Brisbane are now finally married. All that deep intense brooding and passionate illicit kisses are things of the past, and I worried that with the legitimacy of the relationship and the fact that Brisbane is no longer allowed to be aloof and run away, that some of the magic of the first three would be lost. I could not have been more wrong. This book marked a change, and it was most certainly a good one. To say it is better would be to undermine the first three books, and that is never going to happen (have I mentioned I love them?...) but Brisbane and Julia finally facing each other as man and wife adds a whole other layer that has so far remained untouched. They are facing each other as equals. There are still power struggles, but of an entirely new variety to those in the first three books. Yes Julia is still desperate to be accepted as an equal to Brisbane, and he is still incredibly protective of her, but I was forcefully reminded that as a first person narrative from Julia, we are only ever given her biased opinion. We never truly see a balanced perspective, and I was so glad when Portia gives Julia a stern talking to towards the end of the book and we finally appreciate (along with Julia) that she has been being selfish and not at all fair to Brisbane with her attitude and actions. It added another dimension that had not really been considered yet, and leaves an entirely new approach to move forward in the coming novels. Along with this is Raybourn's completely realistic approach to their married relationship, and I loved the deepening of the bond between them, the new levels of understanding, and the intimacy that they've never been able to achieve prior to their marriage. The writing is exquisite - I was staggered upon discovering that Raybourn is an American writer. The voice is so impeccably English, the language flawless, and the research so thorough it really feels as though you are there, whether she's taking you into an English drawing room, or through the heat of India. The change in scene was delightful, the new characters incredibly drawn, and I think this is where Raybourn's talent truly shines through - she creates a host of characters that are so real, and so believable - everything from the clothes and mannerisms to the motives behind their actions. I feel completely immersed when I read her work, and I adore it all the more for that escapism. There is a sense of quiet that pervades the book, but one that rests on a knifes edge, with tensions mounting throughout and leaving the reader nervous even when there is no obvious cause for concern. It is impeccably done, and I think something that has improved over the course of the books since Lady Julia's first foray into investigations. The ending left me quietly sobbing, and again it amazes me how well Raybourn elicits emotions from the reader. It is terrible, but it is also life, and the poignant passages born out of grief and sadness, are quite possibly the best in the book - an impressive feat. I could go on and on about how much I loved this latest instalment - it furthered the story, added new layers to the already complex relationships and set up new scenarios and pairings to be explored in the fifth book due out in 2011. If you haven't discovered Deanna Raybourn and the Lady Julia grey series, make that your last find of 2010 - it won't disappoint.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... My problem with this series of books is twofold. 1) That the series is still being marketed as L. J. Smith's work. Depending on what version of the books you get some explain that they're based on her work, but most leave it unclear, and I think it's unfair to lump these books on her reputation, because it just drags it down. 2) That there are now THREE versions of this story. Version A: The original book version of the Vampire Diaries, where the Salvatore brothers are born in the 1400's and are Italian. Version B: The TV series version which has the brothers born and raised in 1864 Mystic Falls. Version C: The Stefan's Diaries version which has the brothers born and raised in 1864 Mystic Falls, but then the events that happen both in Mystic Falls and after bear almost no relation to those that occur in the TV series. If they're going to market Stefan's Diaries as 'based on the hit TV series!' then at least get it right! I mean these discrepancies are so irritating to those who are fans of the TV show, that it just makes me not want to bother anymore with this particular series of books. I have no problem with books and TV series being different, I love the original Vampire Diaries books and I love the TV series, partly because of the differences. But something like this that just keeps getting things wrong - for example the original meeting between Katherine and Stefan, which was shown so early in the TV series, that the author must have seen it, is just infuriating. Once you get past that the books are alright. The writing standard has definitely improved and this book is the better of the three. The voice still is very modern, but at least the facts are correct - even down to little details like Commodore Matthew Perry and Pimm's being brought over from Britain. My second biggest problem with them (after the rant above...) is that they are so tiny. The Salvatore brothers are fascinating, there is such a huge wealth of detail and depth of emotions and levels and facets that could be explored, and yet the books are just skimming the surface, going over the barest details that hold the plot together. I want more. I want to get to know these brothers in another, but equally satisfying way as I am in the TV show, and it's just not happening. My third biggest problem relates back to my first. In the TV series Damon and Stefan have no knowledge of Klaus or his relationship with Katherine. So why in the book does Klaus send someone after them? It just doesn't make any sense! If you're going to have these as companion novels to the TV series then at least get them factually correct! Otherwise, this plot was much better, the events were much more interesting, and it was a portion of Damon and Stefan's lives that we've known nothing about prior to this. I'm holding out hope that this is a sign of better things to come. If the plot and writing continue to get better then we might get a really good book out of this some time soon... Let's just hope the next book takes into account the plot of the TV series and the backstory already revealed.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Edit: I've since discovered that Stefan's Diaries are written by a ghost writer - although in the kindle edition that I read there is no indication of this. Therefore I retract my comments about L.J.Smith's writing not being as good as it was in the original Vampire Diaries series. It also explains a lot of the other problems I had with this book. I will leave the review unaltered, but please take it as my problems with the ghost writer's writing standard - not L. J. Smith's. Woah, woah, woah - hold up for just a minute. Why have we suddenly decided to have Stefan and Damon originate in Mystic Falls? I'm a fan of both the books and the TV series of The Vampire Diaries (as I will tell anyone who looks at me the wrong way, never mind asks.) And I liked the differences - it helped to set them apart, so that I didn't get grumpy when the TV series deviated from the books. They were both separate and good in their own right. So why has L. J. Smith suddenly decided to write Stefan and Damon not as renaissance Italy gentlemen, but as civil war southern gentlemen? (Continuing with how the series has portrayed them.) And not only that, she's taken the dialogue of scenes that are shown in the series, but altered them so they don't quite match. I feel that if she's going to take the idea of Mystical Falls and 1864 and use those, she should have at least done it thoroughly. I'm in two minds, half of me is furious that this isn't Stefan's diaries as written by him in Italy, and half of me drooling over the fact I have something else to read that's connected to The Vampire Diaries during this ridiculously long hiatus. However, nothing can distract from the very modern language used throughout the book, which seems awkward given the time period this is set in. In fact the writing standard as a whole, which I've come to expect to be very high in Smith's books, is not nearly as polished. The book is filled with potential, and yet it feels like the bare bone of structure of a story. A rushed novella, which could have been a fascinating tale in its own right. It just feels as though without the knowledge you have from watching the TV series, this wouldn't have held together. Characters aren't properly introduced, and there's no depth or meaning or motives behind some of the actions. I felt decidedly let down by it. However, I am curious to see what Stefan and Damon get up to in their time before returning to Mystic Falls to plague Elena, so I'll keep reading the series; but in my mind it doesn't read like some of the prose L. J. Smith has delighted us with in the past - instead it's like reading some fan fiction for the TV series.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Anyone who is an avid reader of Julia Quinn's books will know that it was only a matter of time really before the Smythe-Smith's had their own series of books, particularly given the number of cousins readily available. And I am so glad that this has finally happened. The thing I love most about Julia Quinn is that she has now written so many books in a specific time frame in the 1800's, that she has virtually an entire London ton of characters to draw upon. Depending on what book you read different scenes or balls will happen from different points of view, characters that were mentioned briefly in a scene three books back will suddenly be given a book and a romance of their own, and when you read a new book even though it is a new character that you're getting used to, it feels like you're coming home because they themselves are surrounded by characters you already know and love. There is a tried and tested formula for Julia Quinn books, which I have absolutely no problem being repeated in each book - it makes me happy. I know what I'm getting. I know that there will be an amusing hero and heroine, they will meet, they may not necessarily like each other at the start, but there will be CHEMISTRY and SPARKS. They will spend time with each other, some of it inappropriate. There may be kissing, a moment of clarity when they realize they love the other one, but remain utterly convinced their love cannot possibly be returned. Then we get a twist of circumstance or a misunderstanding of some kind which peeves them or forces them apart. Then all is resolved, much sex is had, a proposal, and everyone lives happily ever after. I don't care that they always follow this pattern, because it is a good pattern and it works, and there are enough differences in plot and character to make each book individual on that basis alone. Her writing is brilliant and witty, and her characters so clear and well rounded that it really feels real whilst you're reading. There are a few modernisms that creep in, but on the whole the books really make you feel as though you are in London in the 1800's at a society ball, or taking tea with friends. So this book follows the pattern. It has the most brilliant heroine - I love her, she's funny but has a strong core, although she does get a little irrational towards the end, but in a funny completely understandable way. The hero is swoon worthy, although he didn't make me go weak at the knees as much as some of the Bridgerton boys have... The big thing for me was the life and death peril in the middle, that was new. And even though I knew everything had to be ok, it was still quite frightening real - and I have to admit that this is the first Julia Quinn book to actually make me cry. Shush don't tell anyone. There were lots of little cross overs with other books, particularly the Bridgerton's which made me smile insanely, and Lady Danbury featured! I love it! I love Lady Danbury like you wouldn't believe. When I am old I want to be JUST LIKE HER. So yes, it was good, it probably wasn't my favourite, but it was very much up there, despite the lack of knee weakening over the hero. But that's not his fault. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series, I believe there are going to be four books in total pairing off the girls, and I cannot wait.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Oh my word I love this book so much. Seriously, anyone who hasn't yet discovered Holly Black's work is missing out - and the Curse Workers series is, in my opinion, her best writing yet. There are a few things that make this series so awesome for me. 1) Cassel. I spend most of my time torn between wanting him to pin me against something, and wanting to wrap him up in blankets and feed him soup. 2) The world. We're in modern day America, and curse workers are terrifying mobsters whose powers are illegal but sought after. Being a curse worker is a blessing and a curse, and it's fascinating to see how different people respond to their gift - and the range of workers there are. 3) Blowback. It's so good to see people with these amazing magical gifts who get some sort of blowback for using them. Cassel seems to transform into weird things and blacks out. His brother Barron loses memories of his own - his grandfather loses limbs. With a price to pay on every little curse, it makes the stakes that much higher and more interesting when people are forced to use their powers. 4) The fact that Cassel (and most of his family) are all CON ARTISTS. There are not enough books that have this as a plot line. I love it. Words cannot describe my love. I love the way that Cassel's mind works, the cons and tricks he pulls off, the sheer awesome as you watch all the pieces slot into place. It is magic, plain and simple. I love Cassel. He is on my list of fictional characters I would love to kidnap. The book is in first person point of view, (and from a female writer, yeah that's right doubters who think women can't write male perspective, read this!) So you really get into Cassel's head. I think this is the only way that the reader would be able to identify with him, as it's only in his head that he allows himself to show anything other than a cool unruffled front. As it is Black has created a believable bad boy, who the reader can identify with and frequently want to wrap him up in blankets and feed him soup. This guy just doesn't catch a break! If it's not the Feds it's the crime bosses. And if it's not them it's school, or the girl he loves who has been cursed to love him back. And if it's not all of those combined, it's his family black mailing him to get what they want. How anyone could survive all that is beyond me, but somehow he does, and usually emerges mostly unscathed. He's snarky and the banter and wit between him and the other characters had me laughing out loud. But on the inside, whilst the funny is still there, he's more calculating, and you see a greater depth to him that he doesn't necessarily let on is there to anyone else. Luckily the friendships that had begun to sprout during the first book have really taken off, and I loved seeing the dynamic between Sam and Cassel as he learned to trust someone other than himself. And the sheer blind faith that Sam puts in Cassel, even when faced with such lines as "I want to frame someone for my brother's murder" Sam just asks "Ok,why?" I think I might be a little bit on team Sam as well. Even Cassel's family, who are some of the most sneaky people on the planet, somehow are likeable. Some of the time. I'm constantly torn over Cassel's mother - one minute she's the most selfish person in the world, and yet Cassel will still do anything to protect her, and the next she's actually sort of being a mother. The same goes for Barron, I love and hate him in equal parts. The only member of Cassel's family I genuinely trust is his Grandfather. Which is good, cos the poor guy needs someone he can go to. Due out in paperback on 16th June 2011 But in some ways the family are one of the most interesting aspects about the series. I love novels that centre around families - particularly weird families. In a few months when Demon's Surrender comes out, you'll see me wax lyrical about Sarah Rees Brennan's take on family. I love seeing the dynamics, the need to protect your flesh and blood even if they're the ones ultimately hurting you - and then the bigger picture of the mob as a family. And seeing how those relationships can take over your life. And speaking of relationships, his one with Lila is one of the most messed up things. It's heart breaking to watch. It was so good to see more of her as a (relatively) normal girl than we had in 'White Cat' - even if half the time she was being so weird I didn't trust her. And given the end of 'Red Glove' I'm even more excited to see what happens next in the Cassel/Lila saga of epicly thwarted love. I cannot wait for the next book. This series is one of my favourites, and is becoming stronger with each instalment. The third book in the series "Black Heart" is due out sometime in 2012, and I'm so excited already, I may just have to go back and re-read the series and try to calm down.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... Reading a Lady Julia novel feels like coming home; if your home was filled with crazy people, intrigue, murder and the occasional high terror. I adore this series of books and find every opportunity to wax lyrical about them or shove them at unsuspecting friends. They are all kinds of awesome. The writing is intelligent and beautiful, the characters incredibly drawn and remain three dimensional and multi-faceted no matter how many books are written - in fact I think they become even deeper the further we go. The research is astounding, and it truly feels as though you are a part of Julia's world from the first page. And this book was no exception. The cover - oh the cover! The blurb! And from the first page it felt like sinking into a warm bath. Relaxing, welcoming, and as though everything was alright with the world suddenly. I loved seeing a plethora of old faces - no matter how briefly Daddy March! And was fascinated to see how Portia was taking to motherhood, and Plum to the enquiry business. And Val - I've missed him so since the first book, so I was particularly pleased to see him too. And then there were new faces, some I hope to see again, and others I'm fairly sure we won't, but all of them intriguing. However, as much as I love the host of characters surrounding them, I was particularly pleased to see Julia and Brisbane again. I loved watching their romance spark in the first three books, and have been fascinated with Raybourn's skilled portrayal of the couple in their marriage. None of the spark is missing, and it hasn't diminished the individuals in any way being finally united - in fact it's raised more questions and issues, and I've loved to see how they've been tackled and over come. It was so good to finally see Brisbane acknowledging that Julia is just as capable as him of strong emotions and intelligent thought - and whilst he must have realized on some level, to see him truly acknowledge it and bring her further into his work and his life was brilliant after four books of him steadfastly pushing her away. It was fascinating to see them back in London again - oh London how I've missed you too! Whilst I loved the travels and seeing the places the cases took them to, I did love to come back to London, the setting of the first book, and their first meeting. It raised old and new issues and ghosts, and stripped some characters back so that we saw them raw for the first time, and learned a little more about their pasts. However, they never once lose their individuality, and I love seeing how far Julia has come, how much she has grown as a person, and particularly that she doesn't lose it all now that she has Brisbane. She continues to grow, to infuriate and intrigue me, and I love watching her journey through each book. She is a fabulous narrator - skilled, witty and intelligent, and it's a pleasure to be brought back into her life. They made me laugh with them, and weep when everything seemed at its blackest, and truly lose all composure when all was finally revealed at the end. The book takes you on such a rollercoaster of emotion, and I loved losing myself in it for a few hours. I cannot really talk further about the book without ruining it - and that would be a cruelty too far. All I can say is that I adore these books. They are my all time favourite series - one I come back to again and again, and this latest instalment is a beautiful continuation of the story - one I hope to continue reading about in Rome... There are no words, for Deanna Raybourn has used all of them already. All there is left is to say that if you buy one book this month, or even this year, let it be this one - or the first in the series "Silent in the Grave" if you haven't yet discovered Lady Julia.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book was a little bit hit and miss for me. Some of the things were personal preferences, and others were just problems in general. However despite that, I really enjoyed bits of the book. I love the premise - it was a great idea, and the Steampunk aspect was genius. The clothes, the machines, the whole atmosphere was great. There were a few things that felt a bit unrealistic but I will get to those in a bit. I loved Finley, I could identify with her and I liked her, apart from when she was being really whiny. I liked that she was our way in to this new secret family as it made the explanations a lot easier to take as they were given to her. I also loved the premise of rich teenage duke saving the country. I would have preffered him to be a bit older, because whilst the revenge was a great reason for him to be doing all this stuff, he still just seemed a little young. However over all I loved him and he made me swoon - always a good start with a boy. Jack, ah Jack. I have a soft spot for bad boys and I have to say I particularly loved this one. He reminded me a lot of Damon from the Vampire Diaries (never a bad thing) but I will admit that I wasn't fussed on the love triangle aspect - I'll get to that later on. Emily and Jasper both took me a while to get into. I'm not sure what it was but I just didn't warm to them straight away, so it was a slow build with them. There was so much recommending this book to me, but there were some problems that just made it fall a bit short. For example, personal preference, I'm not sure if this is a regular feature in Steampunk books, because I haven't read loads in this genre, but I really disliked the short 'knickers' that Finley seemed to favour. I'm a purist, and I love historical fiction, and whilst I love most of the changes that comes in Steampunk, this one seemed a little too far. It felt too modern and like the whole Victorian era was just a backdrop, not a time period that needed to be considered in clothes or speech. I really struggled with how modern the dialogue was. Again, I understand this is a different branch of Victorian esq time, but I still feel that some of it should remain untainted - and one of those things for me is the speech. It was too modern, too informal to really ring true. There were just too many inconsistencies - for example Finley races around in short pants, spends time chaperoned with men, and then gets all 'oh it's improper' when Griffin shows her his shoulder. Right then... I struggled with some aspects of the writing as well. The well worn mantra of 'show not tell' seemed to be virtually forgotten at times. I wanted to scream at the number of times Emily's hair was described as 'ropey' literally every time she was on the page, and again at the number of times villain or villainous was used. They were little things that should have been picked up on in editing and hadn't been - and there is nothing worse for me than things that should have been caught in the editing process. I disliked Sam completely. He was such a toss pot that even when he'd apologised to everyone I still didn't like him. Because we hadn't seen the past friendship between him, Emily and Griffin there was no comparison, he was just a jerk, and I couldn't understand why they were just putting up with it. I also disliked the love triangle. I love Jack, in fact he was one of my favourite characters in the whole book - something about a weakness for bad boys - but whilst his attraction to Finley was fine, her constant 'oh but he's a bad boy and I shouldn't like him, and I will only like him if it turns out he didn't do all those naughty things' really peeved me. Don't try to change the bad boy! It's part of his charm, and just wanting to change him indicated it was infatuation and nothing more with him. I think it just felt like the love triangle was thrown in there because there has to be a love triangle in everything now. And it's really not necessary! However Finely and Griffin should be getting it on - all the time. I love that romance and spark. It seemed genuine, it was really well written, and I loved the two of them together. Yes sure, we need Griffin to realize that he liked her and the jealousy was a good vehicle for that, but I really just wanted the two of them to get more time together without all of that with Jack. One of the biggest let downs however, was that I could see the plot twist coming pretty much from the start of the book. Considering they're all supposed to be geniuses of some description, it took them an awfully long time to work it all out, whereas I had it worked out pretty much from when Sam met Leon. And I don't like working it out that quickly! I love the intrigue and mystery and being led on and fed clues as the author wants to dish them out. It just made me feel a bit bored because there weren't any big surprises. However, please don't take my whinging as a sign that the book is bad or that I didn't enjoy it. I loved it, it was simply that I loved it so much that the downsides were that bit more disappointing, because I wanted it to be perfect. I loved the world, I loved the premise, and for the most part the characters. I'm presuming based on that ending that there will be a sequel, and I cannot wait for that either. There was something about this book that just made me squee inside. That made me race to get to lunch at work so I could find out what was going to happen next, and stay up far too late to finish it. I waited for this book for months and it was definitely worth it - I'm sad about those things I've pointed out, but otherwise I loved it and highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and steampunk, or is looking for a good book to get into the genre.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book was even better than the Gallagher Girls series for me - and I love that series. This book is, quite simply, in a league of its own. The characters are brilliant - there wasn't a single one that I didn't gel with - but then again I am a complete sucker for con's - be it in books, tv or films. There's something ridiculously thrilling about a team being put together, the plans, the plotting, the highs, the lows, the genius that I can only dream of. And the hot boys - there are always hot boys. And the sexual tensions is swoon worthy. I mean seriously, so many books these days don't draw out the S.T for very long - it feels like they're almost afraid of the reader not being interested unless there is making out right now. And I am totally a fan of making out with swoonworthy boys, but there is something about the subtle looks and touches, the moments where they might and then they don't - it draws you out like a violin string and makes you shiver, because everything becomes so much more intimate and every movement is filled with that much more meaning than it would if they just made out. The thing that makes this book so brilliant though, is the thought, time and planning that go into the heist. This isn't just a bunch of kids getting away with something so far-fetched you can't believe it. Carter knows her stuff - hell she could be a con woman herself her detailing and plans are that good. It's part fab young adult fiction and part handbook on how to case a joint. Not that I'm recommending you try that - but if I ever did, I'd want this book to come up with a battle plan. I loved all the names for the different types of cons - particularly the nod to the Princess Bride. "Do you know where we can get a six fingered man at short notice?" And Kat herself, she's brilliant. When I grow up I want to be her. She's a genius, she's a thief, and she's one of the sassiest and smartest girls I've read in a book in a long time. But she's not all super brains and perfect - she has her doubts, her worries, her moments of jealousy and insecurity, and most of all she is not super perfect because she does things that show that she's out of practice, that show she's not quite on par with how she used to be. And I really want to see her how she used to be... My only complaint was that in a few places it was all too rushed or there wasn't enough information given for me to fully know what was happening. This only really bugged me when the characters had an 'ohhhh' moment, and didn't let me in on it. They'd let me in in the next chapter or section, but for those brief moments I'd feel like I'd missed something, and frantically re-read the passage before it to work out if I was just being particularly dense. On the whole though, I completely loved this book. It was just what I needed, and I'm desperate to get my hands on the sequel which has just come out - 'Uncommon Criminals'.

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201... This book is like marmite. And insane. But mostly the marmite. Now I love marmite, and I love this book, but I can also see that there is going to be a strong divide between those who love it, and those who don't. Me personally I think it's brilliant, it's a fabulous satire, and tackles virtually every subject of contention and problems for young people. Sexuality? Check. Controlling parents? Check. Sex? Check. Peer pressure? Check. Beauty? Check. I could go on, but you get the idea. The premise is genius. Having studied Lord of the Flies at school, one of the big talking points was always, how would this situation differ if it were girls stranded instead of boys. You have your answer - they'd sort out a fishing system, an irrigation system, a weapons system and still have time to beautify without cannibalising each other. Genius. I found the characters easy to identify with and completely realistic - despite the more than ridiculous situations. That in itself is quite impressive given that I've never been anything remotely resembling a beauty queen, yet I not only liked the girls, I could relate to them and their perfectly normal (mostly) problems and fears. There are a broad enough range of characters that there's someone for everyone to identify with, so even if you're not fussed on one, the plot skips around and gets to know everyone without settling on one for too long. You get to meet a variety of different characters and watch them mature, and by the end I loved all of them, despite not being so fussed on any of them apart from Adina at the start. It's a brilliant commentary on the stereotypes we're all forced to inhabit in some form or another, and watching how the girls develop, how they survive, and how instead of falling down and dying as is expected of them, they thrive, they expand, and turn feral in their search to survive and to find themselves. The writing is brilliant, and hysterically funny. A note of caution, if you read this book on public transport people will look at you funny when you start laughing out loud. It's a step away from Bray's first trilogy of books, but it's just as good, just as detailed and just as brilliantly conceived. It reminded me a lot of Jasper Fforde's books - he likes to use the same level of insane situations, footnotes and general indescribable insanity. So if you love his books read this, and if you loved this book I recommend trying Fforde. It's not all light and fluffy though, it can get dark and twisted and there are plenty of deaths to go around. In fact, it makes it almost more horrifying when it gets darker - Taylor in particular comes as quite a shock. However, the stumbling block for me was the abrupt flicks to adverts or forms filled out by the girls, or footnotes to explain all the product placement and people and bands. To start with this idea was genius, and I found the footnotes particularly hilarious. (On a side note, the footnotes are a nightmare to get to on the kindle!) However, the further you get into the story the more I found these jerks away from the plot to irritate me. At the start they were great for setting the scene and offering a satiric commentary on the society the girls are coming from. But as the plot developed I started to resent these jerks away, as I just wanted to carry on reading and find out more. The biggest marmite element of the book is MoMo B. ChaCha. He's crazy. The guy impersonates Elvis, has a stuffed animal as an advisor and adores Captains Bodacious (awesomely hot pirates) as his favourite TV show. I think he's brilliant. He's the crazy cherry on the top of the insanity cake. However I can see how he might be a step too far for some people. I was so excited about this book, and it completely fulfilled every expectation and beyond. It's a brilliant satire, hysterically written and offers an interesting commentary on all the many aspects of growing up that girls (and boys) go through. It had everything I could possibly want. Sequins, cat fights, hot pirate boys, crazy people, and girls standing up for themselves and growing into the people they were born to be. SPOILERS BELOW I loved the ending. By the time the girls are rescued I almost didn't want them to be - they'd thrived so well on their own that I didn't want them to go back to the oppressive society and families they'd come from. It was great to see that they didn't lose that new found sense of self through the rescue and the faux pageant. And the epilogue made me squee inside. It was perfect, it was cheesy, and it was happy. There aren't all that many books that come with uncomplicated pure happiness as an ending. And you can call it cheesy and cliche all you like, but personally I loved it, and it was perfectly fitting for the book.

DNF (70 pages in) - Not losing more of my time with this. Terrible writing, and the boring characters don't help. Even the action scenes are not fun to read.

DNF - Why so tiring? I love all her other books :/

I'm getting annoyed by those books and the "sharing" part but i'm to curious to stop XD

** spoiler alert ** what do you mean 9 guys sharing one girl? for real? it better be a joke.

DNF @ 70+ pages There are various problems i had with the book. 1. Even though the 1st chapter really captivated me, the rest was sooo tiring. I prefer to get to know the characters from their interaction with their enviromment and other people. Actually have them to live through various situations and not just have most of it described fast. 2. The escape plan was completely stupid. How come, a prince and an assassin both young were able to find her but guards and seasoned man of the kingdom couldn't is a mystery to me. Especially with that kind of plan she had. Lia was terrible at deception. I really can't get my head over the fact, they hadn't uncover her yet. 3. I do not get the whole 2-3 chapters of Lia, one chapter of the prince and one of the assasin and then repeat. 4. I didn't get that far, but i got that insta-love feeling from both the male characters that annoyed me.

Excellent book and story. I loved the new characters. I only took down one star, because of the Maron chapters (which were a big part of the book). They tired me a lot. I would prefer more scenes between Chaol and Aedion and certainly more of Caelena.

Even though i usually stay away from books that might scare me, i couldn't say no to one of Michelle Muto's book since i loved the previous book by her. So here we are me trying to read it.. ...and be totally creeped out. I stopped reading 2 times because the images in mind were so strong (talk about a good description!) that i felt that i was in the Siler House along the others. It was like walking into it, listening to it and let's not talk about Riley. The creepy murderer kid in the mirrors. I haven't look in a mirror in my house for like 3 days xD. Okay yes, i'm easily scared but either way i think it really creepy and scary. Michelle Muto, knew exactly what to say and what to make her characters feel to get to you. Let's talk about the writing a little, because something happened that i was really impressed with it. The book is written in 2 POV's : Jess and Gage. It's the first time, that i feel like the whole writing style changes to fit the character. Gage was more straightforward, more boyish while Jess was easy, calm and slower. It showed the difference not only in their minds but in their personalities too, i was really impressed by it. Oh what i would have give to be in Allisson's mind too! Anna dressed in Blood was good, but Haunting Season was a lot better. It scared me and still i couldn't stop reading. It was like watching those old horror movies (there is even a sex scene in which it didn't disturb me at all like it happens most of the time!!) but instead reading it and feeling everything enhanced.

I had previously do a spotlight and a guestpost for the pre-release of this book and there was no way to say no, on reviewing too. It's the usual YA Epic Fantasy book, and after finishing Cinda Williams Chima's The Seven Realms series i felt empty. And i'm so happy that i did. Because it was as good!! There are great characters, mystery, action with and original, compelling world and a really interesting system of magic and how the world thought and work with it. There was a sense on the academy lessons and expectations and the characters in it felt real. The romance (because of there is some in it) didn't take the whole book, instead it appeared in the right places and time without being boring, fast and annoying. It actually felt closer to the real world. You didn't missed the lack of it but it wasn't too much either when it appeared. I couldn't really pick favorite characters here, simply because i liked each and every one for different reasons. I liked the open minded and straightforward Renee but i liked the fair and clever commander too. Each person in the story from brother, father, teachers and friends felt it belonged in the story. They had the part to play and they played right. In the end i just wanted more of it. It was one of my best reads in 2012 and a really easy 5 stars from me.

Reviewed by Nina I don't know exactly what made me accept the book. I remember telling that the cover was not so great and that the opening line of the description was so cheap. I don't like when they describe books or movies with analogies. I believe that every piece of art is unique. But the point is that I accepted it and that it didn't disappointed me. The book is simple. The language is easy and your time flies happily. Even though Keatyn is a rich girl, she is a cool person, easy going and not spoiled. As for the other characters, I liked how her mother was modern, how cute her sisters looked and how Keatyn was able to move through different worlds. There were also her other rich friends, who I totally disliked, so spoiled and selfish, except some. I know I already used the term, but the story was indeed easy. I was able to find out who the bad guy was and what was going on with whom, from the start. I didn't mind the sex scenes or the fact that Keatyn was talking for the clothes she was wearing in every occasion. During the end, the book became complicated and it started moving too fast. What I liked there, was the work everyone did in order to keep Keatyn safe. If there was something I didn't like, that was the amount of boys liking Keatyn. I get she's pretty and cool, but this makes the rest of us have less hope. Bottom line, I loved it. It was amazing how the story was able to drag me out of my life and into Keatyn's life. She's a strong character that I think we can all take lessons from her. I cannot wait to read the next one of the series.

3.5 stars How can you say no to a book with a cover like this? It seems magical and fairytalish and beautiful. So even though i didn't have time, i just said yes. And lucky me, the story is as captivating and magical as the cover. It takes you in from the very first page, full of twists, romance and even some action. The mystery around Anastasia and the world surround her is just so original and clever that you just can't stay away from it. The easy writing helps a lot, with description that give life to the scenes. One thing that i really admired the author for, was how when you have a character that has nothing in common with you but you still manage to make them so believable and real that the person who reads totally connects with them. And i'm talking of course about Anastasia. One of the most lovable character's i've read about. I did had two main problems though. One was the fact there was that "stalking while sleeping" which is creepy and doesn't make sense to me. It really got my bad mood up when i read that part. Still, the most important part was the repetitive on how beautiful and sexy Finn was. No idea how many times i've read those words. The things is, that the descriptions are so alive and vivid that you don't need a reminder after the first time. It's actually like seeing him while the author describes him, so everything more on the obvious is like too much and sometimes annoying too. Great read! Going to the next one immediately!

The book had a pretty decent summary and looked cute but I have to admit i did not expect to fall in love with it. Even though the story it's not something super original or new, the writing makes it one of the best stories with "ghosts" i've ever read. The strongest aspect of the book is the feelings that portrays. Guilt, love, friendship, disappointment, dreams. The writing and the way all those feelings are described gave life to the story in a level i did not expect. I loved how the supernatural side of it, wasn't that important. It was just there to help the story and not the story itself. There were times i completely forgot that there was something out of the ordinary there. I was in pain with Nicole and while she is a girl entirely different than me, i had one of the strongest connections with her that i ever had with a character. I was literally in her position and i believed every single thing was happening or she was feeling. Her scenes with both her parents and Dale were all freaking amazing. There were times she was just the observer but thanks to the author, you could completely not only understand but be one with the rest of her environment too. The progress of her relationship with Dale was so natural. It wasn't love at first sight. Or even friendship at first time. It took lot of events to go where it was headed, and as a result everything felt more real. And in the end it was actually one of those books, that teach you something.Not just there to have fun with. Second chances, respect for yourself....now i'm not telling you more. I feel it will work differently for each one who reads it so go ahead... Thumbs up for another awesome book!!! It's a yes from me!

Though i was not big fan of the covers, the summary had a pretty decent sound and really hooked me so i couldn't say no. There was just something that made me really want to read it. And god, i'm so happy i did. The writing is fast and clean. Easy to read, with not much but enough to create every single in your mind perfectly. I totally fell in love with the descriptions of places and people. The story is really intriguing too. Especially when you start reading. There is a mystery around the characters and around the plot, and the author teases you with small things all the time that you seriously can't get the book down before you are completely done with. Full of action and so alive, that sometimes it was like watching a movie running in from of my eyes. At the same time, this was the problem too. I felt that i was away from Sora (our main heroine). I couldn't really connect with her. Everything goes so fast, and there aren't many bonding scenes in either that i couldn't completely get in her shoes. On the other hand, when we are from Crash's POV, you feel completely connected to him. It's like you are him. All the characters are really likeable or at least respectably. Sora is innocent but on that completely stupid degree. No she is quite clever and she learns fast, but there are still moments where she has no idea what's happening and what to do. Which, it actually makes sense since she hasn't really traveled before. Crash is perfect. You know pretty much nothing about him, even when you are in his mind his thoughts are so careful written that the mystery of who he is stays until the end. And despite the fact, he an assassin and cruel at times, he has something that make him stand out. My love of the book was Dorian though. He is so funny, and it's like he is bringing a light to both the company and the story. Cat's Eye is the start of a really original idea and story, with lots of action and excitement. I just finished it, and i only want to read it again. I can't see how i will be bored with it like ever.

Reviewed by Nina The book is part of a tour too. It sounded interesting and the cover is so sexy, that I knew from the start that I had to read it. And, boy, how much I enjoyed it!! The whole story takes place in New Orleans. I searched the city online, since I was going to spend the entire book in it, and Oh My God!! The city looks amazing, so beautiful and different. I mean French-Creole architecture and birthplace of jazz, there is nothing else I need. Luckily, the author transfers you in it. There are not many descriptions, because we are more focused on the characters, but there are vivid and smart dialogues that move very fast and they give you a sense of reality while reading. The characters are very nice. Despite following Allie's point of view, she manages to give us a complete image of all the rest. Allie is not a bad person herself. Thankfully, she's not idiot or nerve breaking. Her best friend, Jess, on the other hand is a little too happy and easy going. I didn't like her that much, but something happens in the book and we don't see her much after a point. Then there is Levi, the guy on the cover. I don't think there would be a girl who hates him. He's the best guy you can find. Caring with a hint of a bad-boy attitude. And super hot, according to Allie. Minor characters include Levi's friends, Owen and Jared, completely different from each other, it's too bad we don't see them much or learn more about them. And Hailey, Owen's sister. I really liked her, because she's not very down-to-earth and she always seem to light the mood when she's around, but she can be serious whenever it's required. During the end something happens, that determines your opinion about everyone. I'm sorry, I can't say more, because I'll spoil the whole story, but some events might lead you to change your opinion about both main characters, Allie and Levi. Bottom line, I loved it. I loved how fast it was. It's too bad we don't see much action, though. And the length of it was small too, 255 in e-book pages. I really hope to learn more about the characters and the supernatural society in the next one. I can't wait.

I want to start by saying how amazing this cover (the grey one) is! It's not the simple model, but something that combines many things from the book and makes you wonder. And i want to say that the book trailer of the book is probably the best book trailer i've seen. I'm really not a fan of book trailers, but Forsaken's was so well made. It reminded me of a movie, and actually made you interested in the book! On the inside of the book now. I haven't read a lot of dystopia to tell you the truth. And when i've read Hunger Games, you might remember i was really not impressed and not only that but i did not manage to even finish the 3rd book. I didn't get past half Incarceron either. Dystopian books are out of my safe zone and i'm always a little harsh with them. Still Forsaken looked so interesting that i couldn't really say no. And i'm so happy that i got it! I loved it from the very first chapter. Lisa M. Stasse creates a thrilling world, and i was at the edge of my sit the whole time. The world made sense to me, in the way i won't be surprised if at some point at the future we turn out like that. So that was something, that made me connect easily with the book. The island and the wheel actually scared me. There were no real monsters, just how people can turn out when they are afraid and alone and having nothing to live for. But how also, strong friendships can be made. It was action packed but realistic. Alenna is a new to the world, so she can't fight like a super wow warrior. She is afraid, and thinking about hiding. But she is also clever, and well natured. She cares about the people around her and she will risk her life to save them. I didn't just like her as a character, but it was so easy to connect with her. She was a person that i would totally choose for a friend. And it felt so right, when she was making mistakes. She was so normal! Of course there is romance in the book, but the scenes appear when they need to appear. I think a boy (who is not into the romance parts) can easily read the book, because there is some sort of balance in everything. It's neither all killing or action, but neither all love stories and kissing. It has everything in the right amount. New or old to the genre, i think you will enjoy it. For me, while other books gave me doubts about the genre, Forsaken made me love not only the story but the genre too. Now i just have to wait for the next book which it seems really far far away.... P.S: Alenna is one of the most beautiful names ever!

Reviewed by Nina I know that it's going to sound shallow, but what really intrigued me into reading the book was the cover. I, actually, saw the cover, then said "yes" to my participation and then I read the summary, which, by the way, is really interesting. First time there is a character creating fire and there are not other characters in the book, who can manipulate the other elements. Now, about the book: Firstly, there are the characters. Arson is one of those loner guys that don't have friends, he comes from a weird family status, since he's living with his grandparents and he is one of those brave guys who can stand every bad reaction from the others and still don't get angry and start kicking butts, or in this case burn them till they're ashes. He has a big problem with his powers, since there is none around who can teach him how to use them and he does his best to hide his secret. As I said, brave. Emery is the weird masked girl. Reading about her was easy. She is pretty simple, one of those girls you can easily hang out with, but then there is the mask. Most of the times I was totally forgetting it and imagining I nice pretty girl, but that was wrong. The mask serves a purpose and it's really sad when she finally says her story and you - in this case Arson - learn why she's so obsessed with it. Minor characters are Emery's parents, which you follow around quite a bit, but their lives and their actions serve a purpose and lead Emery into taking some decisions that change both, hers and Arson's, lives. And then there is Arson's grandmother. Well, her, I hated her. I don't care about her psychological problems or whatever else, I just wanted to grab her head and smashed it at the wall. Learning the things you learn at the end might make you sympathize her, but not me. Secondly, there were not many descriptions. You are following around the characters and you get some, but not like the ones I'm used to. What I noticed was that the author was making many great metaphores. Lastly, the plot. In the beginning and most of the part of the book, things are semi-simple. There are many "waves". Things are calm, then something rocks the water, then something tranquil again. And then we are reaching the end. I'm serious when I'm saying that during the last chapters my eyes were wide open and my mouth was hanging there completely numb from all the disclosures. Bottom line, despite being really fast that makes it difficult to put it in a straight line and some bad characters, I liked it. I liked the plot and I could justify most of the characters actions, because they seemed really human. The end leaves you with so many questions that I can't wait to read the next book. So, who doesn't want to read a young-adult paranormal novel written by a male author? I, for once, was really curious.

I loved the cover, i loved the summary and i loved the title. So i really couldn't say no, on reading it. And here i am, with another self-published book that i really liked! A rather small and fast pace book which is also really easy to get into it. At start it remind me of Red Riding Hood movie and later a little of the whole "over the wall" from Game of Thrones, but in the end it was something entirely different. I also liked the difference in the scenery with the storms, the snow and everything like that. It gave a darker vibe. The characters were easily likable. They weren't so special and you won't probably remember them for all of your life, but they match perfectly the story and each one of them has a role to play. They also fit really well together and make sense. Gabe and Lia are easily my favorite. Their actions some time predictable but never making the story boring or anything. The one i didn't like, was Lia's sister. She is young of course, but she seemed so stupid at times. Poor Lia had to do everything! The story had its surprises (one i didn't see coming at all!), and kept me in from the very start. While it's not that special it has something! Something that when you finish you want to read more. And i really do. I wished for 2 things: 1) for it to be longer and 2) for the characters to had a little more depth and get to know more of them. I really think they are characters, than can make a difference and i would like to know them better :D

Review by Nina ( http://splashofourworlds.blogspot.com... ) This book was a request by the author to be read and reviewed. Needless to say that until the book reached my hands, or my inbox since it was in electronic form, I had totally forgotten what I've read on the synopsis. At first, I thought it was a teenage book from those that talk about proms and first kisses. But I was so happy when I proved wrong. First thing I noticed were the chapters. I mean they are not like those you see mostly where they are just numbered. These chapters had titles. Titles that had a meaning, other times they were ironic, other there were just phrases from the chapter. But always they were giving you a hint and they were intriguing you to read further. Secondly, I would like to mention how misleading is the cover of the book. I really like it, but there is a major problem. Leo is black. Well, his father is black and his mother is white, and he's supposed to be half black, I don't remember how the author describes it and I don't want to attempt and describe it myself. But the boy in the cover is white and I was so stuck into the idea of a white Leo, that after that I couldn't imagine him as black. And that sucked a little. Thirdly, there are the characters. They are all so great. Yes, they are all troubled and each of them have their own problems. Yes, sometimes their reactions are not the ones you expect and there might be some times when you are going to hate them for their decisions, but you cannot but sympathize them all during the end. Or almost all. The book itself is awesome. I was not expecting half of the things that happened. The author has the ability to keep your attention all the time. There were descriptions that I was not believing in my eyes as I was reading. She makes you travel in a cascade of feelings that make your experience of reading unique. For instance, when Leo was happy, I was happy. When he was sad, I was sad. And when he was in the Academy, I could feel in the air around me the authority and the strictness. The end was awesome, I was not expecting it. Well, I had the first part figured out, but there was more to it. I don't know if by being a psychologist helped the author write as it is, or the things she heard or read, but the whole story seemed somehow real and familiar. Bottom line, I loved it. I totally recommend it. I think it was unique and lovely. I don't know if it appeals to all of you, but it was totally different from what I've read so far and far more adult-like. So, basically, what I'm trying to say is that if you want to read it then you should be sure you want to, because it's not some novel you can read lightly.

To comment on the obvious thing, which is the cover. I have to say that i really like how creepy and spooky it is. It doesn't really match the book, but still it's really nice. I have to give congrats to the author, for making get out of my mind with guesses on who Even really is. Good thing they didn't mention it at the summary. At first i thought he was some kind of angel, then i though a vampire, etc etc...i'm not telling you who or what he is. It surprised me and gave such an amazing turn to the book, that i literately starting screaming "yes yes yes" aloud. It's one of the best twists i've ever read. My mind didn't go there at all and i loved it. And when the book ended, i wanted even more. Julia is an amazing narrator as well. I thought i will have problem, with her being all sad and stuff. But everything she did had an explanation. I could understand her. And no matter how bad she was, i liked how she doesn't trust Evan. She asks questions. Wants to know what happens. And at the same time, she sees how her life was and tries with small steps to fix it again. There is also a triangle which i thought will annoy me. But gosh! It's one of the most beautiful and actually make sense, triangles! So well done..it's not bad vs good guy or something like that. The boys don't even hate each other. It just seems so real. "Here" is a captivating story and i'm so happy i picked it up. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. I never expected to love not only the characters but the story that much.

Angels eh? A theme overused the year that passed but does Until Next Time stand out? I believe yes. For starters, i have to mention the amazing beginning of the book. The prologue is both the start and the middle of the story and it got me excited immediately. It's both a little spoilery (enough to make you wondering about it but not giving you away a lot either) and a good introduction on who the characters are. So yay for an awesome start! Matt and Emily are angels who their work is to live different lives at earth and help the people. And their first life is back in 1810. That was an interesting placement for me since i was expecting them to be in our years and i do have a thing for those old times. So their adventure starts, and both of them find difficult to adjust on what they are doing, especially when they don't even remember each other. Another great surprise here! Now you see, the concept of Angels getting into humans to help them or for a special mission is not something new to me but it was still different. The fact they are going back home when needed and even talk with their teachers and see each other, gives a unique feeling to the book. It's like a good break with explanations between all the events. I will admit when this happened at start, it was confusing to going back and down again. After some chapters i got used to it though, and i enjoyed it. If i have something that bothered me that would be how "recent" the book feels. Even though we are at 1810, the characters are acting more like in our days than back then. The girls alone are too free and open minded. Even the way they talked, feel out of time. And at times i was totally forgetting in which period i actually am. In general i can say it was a quite interesting read, and definitely worth its time.

Reviewed by Nina What I first noticed on the book was the title, it caught my attention, and then the cover which is identical to the title and so beautiful, that I didn't need more persuation into reading the book. Last time I saw my Boss, aka Yiota, she asked my opinion about the book, but her question was out of the blue and I didn't have the time to prepare myself and answer her correctly. So here's my answer. I'd like, also to say that this was the first Steampunk novel I've ever read. There are many things that I liked. Firstly, I liked the whole world, it wasn't something entirely different. It felt like I was watching a movie about old London, with the difference than there are some automatons or robots, and that there are some technological achievements that are newer in years. Secondly, I liked the story and the characters. The story was a simple mystery that mixes both historical -real- figures, with the fictional characters. It also has some magic in, but nothing too fancy. The characters were different. They were acting different, they were thinking different. And that was good, because you had the opportunity to see many reactions in the same situation. And lastly, I liked the writing. It was simple and understanding. We are able to see both lives in high society and the simpler one. The author doesn't write in point of views, which was good, because we are able to see all of the characters in equal parts and learn about their stories. Also, she doesn't stay too long in scenes, as a result the book is balanced, she cares about the romance as she cares about the action scenes, not more, not less. Among the things I liked was the way the story flows, and how she manages to make all of her characters interesting. Sure there were some moments that I wanted to hit Sam for being so foulish, the fact that I knew who was The Machinist long before the characters find out and the cliche love triangle, that made it little boring, but other than that, it wasn't tiring at all. Bottom line, the book was really good, I liked it and enjoyed it a lot, so I guess it's 4.5/5, it just misses the half point for the boring and already seen stuff. P.S.: This is my first review for the new year. I don't think it counts for you, but it matters to me. So in case I forgot to already said it, Happy 2012 with many books, movies, games, etc to fill your life!!

DNF Not a bad book. It's actually funny but it really doesn't get me into the HP world :/ It's too different in some ways than Rowling's. Maybe i will try it another time.