The Iron King

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa is the first book in the bestselling Iron Fey series and explores an interesting take on mythical faeries.  I'm not talking wings and fairy dust faeries, but more like the dark, immortal beings known as the Sidhe.  In Kagawa's world, faeries and all things Fey, including their realm known as the Never Never, are contrived from mortal dreams.  The more stories are told about them, the stronger they are.  In the Never Never are characters from literary history such as the Seelie Court's King Oberon and Queen Titania, as well as the terrifying Unseelie Queen Mab.  

So when sixteen-year-old Meghan Chase discovers her four-year-old half-brother has been stolen, her entire world comes crashing down.  Escorted by the infamous Robin Goodfellow, better known as Puck, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Meghan enters the world of Faerie to rescue him.  This is not an easy feat.  

Once in Faerie, Meghan finds herself a guest of the Seelie Queen---while making enemies with their queen---wanted by the Queen of the Unseelie, captured by goblins, nearly eaten by a kelpie, making bargains with a sarcastic feline and attracting the attentions---both romantic and lethal---of the dark but handsome, youngest heir to the Unseelie throne, Prince Ash.  

And that's not even the best part.

Long ago, when human dreams were filled with magic and myth, the realm of the Fey flourished.  Over the centuries, the belief in otherworldly beings diminished and the strength of the immortal Fey in the mortal realm along with it.  Then humans discovered iron and began dreaming new dreams, giving rise to an unheard of race of faerie: the Iron Fey.

It is in their realm that Meghan must go to save Ethan.  Accompanied by her three companions, Puck, Prince Ash and the feline cait sith, Grimalkin, she sets off on a grand adventure to face the Iron King, one that would change her world forever. 

I absolutely loved this book and once I finished it, I immediately went out to get the second one.  Kagawa weaves a world of magic and adventure punctuated with bits of romance, rivalry and a lot of humor.  Yes, some components of the story came off a little cheesy, but as the story was so compelling, I just went with it.  

My rating: 9 out of 10.

Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead is the story of kickass, tough girl, Rose Hathaway and her vampire best friend, Lissa.  In the world Mead created, there are three types of supernatural beings: 

There are the Moroi vampires, which are living, breathing beings with a magical connection to the earth and the elements.  Twelve Moroi families are considered vampire royalty and Lissa is the last remaining member of the Dragomir line, making her the heir and princess of that family. 

There are the dhampirs, the half human, half Moroi guardians of the royal families.  

Then, finally, there are the Strigoi.  These are the villains of the series, and basically, they are the Moroi gone bad.  The Strigoi are almost what we'd consider typical vampires.  Undead, no direct sunlight, but they feed on the Moroi, not on humans.  

The story starts with Rose, a guardian in training, and LIssa on the run from the Strigoi.   They had left the Academy that served as home for Dhampirs and Moroi two years previously and, through their rare mental bond and pure luck, had managed to stay alive.

So, when they are found by the Academy guardians and taken right back into the dangers they left, life becomes complicated and dramatic.  Rose is pulled in all directions, trying to keep Lissa safe, detecting who is trying to kill them and fighting her increasing attraction to her older guardian mentor, Demetri.  Try as she might, there are some things even Rose can't conquer with a sarcastic comment.  

I have to say, I read this one because it was on a list of book-to-movie must reads for 2014 and I had no expectation of it being any good.  

Boy, was I wrong.  

I loved it. The dialogue was witty and snarky, the characters and situations were relatable, there was enough drama and intrigue to keep me guessing and I honestly did not see the ending coming.  

Still, the best part of all would have to be Rose herself.  Most main characters in this genre are charming, slightly innocent, and somehow either find themselves getting softer or getting tougher.  Not Rose.  No, she's already tough and really, the growth she goes through is really just admitting that she still has a lot to learn and her determination to do so increases.  She is the party girl who flirts with all the boys, slacks off in school and won't hesitate to punch someone in the face, especially if they hurt her friends.  Basically, she's a girl after my own heart.  

My rating: 8 out of 10.

 

Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is the tale of a young, boy-genius named Ender who was conceived by dictate of the government to be a military tool.  

At six-years-old, Ender Wiggin is taken away from his loving, but passive parents, his affectionate sister, Valentine, and his near sociopathic brother, Peter.  Ender is a Third, and therefore should not exist.  So when Colonel Graff shows up to take him away, it really comes as no surprise.  

Suddenly, Ender finds himself whisked away into space to Battle School where he will learn to fight for the fate of the human race against a third alien invasion.  There, Ender learns leadership, command, and battle skills.  He quickly establishes himself as the top soldier of the school and acquires all the prestige and isolation associated with that standing.  

The teachers, in an effort to quickly train Ender to be the best he can be, further his isolation from the rest of the group, causing him to work harder than anyone else.  There is no time to coddle Ender in any way.   He is the one they need, the only hope for saving Earth.  And if he can't do it, mankind is lost. 

Ender's Game surprised me.  As I've said before, I'm not usually into Sci-fi.  This book may have changed my mind.  Other than the ages of the characters not feeling realistic to how the minds of children work---even brilliant children---and the ending being tied up in a nice, neat, melancholy bow, I loved almost everything about this book.  The ant-like aliens were a little much and the hive mindset was fairly cliche, (this is why I don't do Sci-fi much) but I would easily read this one again, even if I probably won't continue on with the series.

My rating: 8 out of 10. 

The Witness

The Witness by Nora Roberts is about an awkward girl named Elizabeth Fitch, who one night decides to be daring for the first time in her life, and finds herself the sole witness to a brutal mob execution.  After an attempt is made on her life while in Witness Protection, Liz flees for her life and falls off the grid.  

Years later, she surfaces again as Abigail Lowery in a small town in the Ozarks and catches the eye of police chief, Brooks Gleason.  It takes some doing, but Brooks finally wins her over, discovering her secrets along the way.  Now, the only problem---besides an arrogant town jerk and his delinquent son who thinks money equals respect---is making sure the mob doesn't find her.

I guess I'm having a little trouble with Nora Roberts' work lately.  It's not that it's bad in any way, (can she ever truly be bad?) but it doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be.  i think predictable is the best description I have for it.  

I loved the character of Brooks Gleason and I adored his family.  Abigail was a little harder to relate to , being as she's so awkward, but I still found her entertaining.  The story line was fantastic and I loved the ending.  it was brilliant.  

However.  Throughout the entire novel, the theme of Abigail's trust issues and Brooks' eagerness to absolve them were repeated incessantly.  She's scared.  I get it.  Move on already.  

What I would have loved more of is what was actually happening with the mob?  She made such a big show over how scared Abigail was but, other than the beginning, she didn't really show the reader why.  Were they still looking for her?  Had they forgotten her?  Did they just assume she was dead?  All questions I would have loved an answer to.

Still, it was written by Nora Roberts and I have yet to read anything she's written and deem it less than good.  Usually it's some synonym of great, but for The Witness, good will just have to do.

My picky rating: 7 out of 10.

Under The Dome

Under The Dome by Stephen King is a gigantic (and I do mean gigantic.  Have you seen the size of that book?)  statement about the corruption that can come from power.  Especially when you're a big fish in a little pond like Big Jim Rennie, or Junior, his murderously deranged son.

 

When a dome suddenly descends upon the small town of Chester's Mill effectively caging them in, the town occupants are cut off from the outside world.  This gives Rennie the prime opportunity to assume the power he's always wanted.  But not everybody in the town supports Rennie's rise to power.  Drifter line-cook Dale Barbara, or Barbie, and newspaper editor Julia Shumway are two of his most prevalent opposition. 

 

As fresh oxygen wanes and temperatures rise, the town divides into factions, secrets are divulged and, in true King fashion, destruction ensues. 

 

All right, the truth is, I am not a King fan.  His writing style is not to my taste and I have a personal problem with statements he's made in public, so I don't make a habit of reading his books.  I say this because I truly did like this book and I want you to understand that it earned its rating wholeheartedly with me.

 

There were so many moments where I would have to put this story down and just gape in jaw-dropping horror.  So many "What the f***?" moments. But that's King.  There was a lot of description to slog through, and since I'm more a dialogue and action propelled girl, it became somewhat tedious.  I also found the ending to be a let down after a lot of awesome buildup.  But, getting up to the end, well, let's just say there is a reason Stephen King is so critically acclaimed.

 

If you're a King fan, or even a sci-fi/horror fan, I highly recommend this book.  Even if you're not but you want to escape to a disturbing new reality for a while or need a change of pace, this is the book for you.

 

My rating: 7 out of 10.



Homecoming Masquerade

Homecoming Masquerade by Spencer Baum was a rare gem among the rocks on my Nook.  In a world where vampires are the social elite and the rich send their children to an academy with the hopes that one of the girls will be Turned at graduation.  It is a popularity contest, among other things, and the girl with the most monetary support wins and will spend the rest of her eternity as a vampire.  As for the other girls, the penalty for losing is death.

 

The participating girls show up to the Homecoming dance---a masquerade---wearing black to signify their entrance into the contest.  For this year's senior class, the real contest really comes down to the manipulating Kim with her daddy's terrifying influence and money, and the newcomer, Nicky Bloom. 

 

However, Turning is not Nicky's aim.  Somehow she is exempt to vampire compulsion and she, along with her friend, Jill, use Homecoming as a way to get Nicky support to fulfill their ultimate goal of getting close enough to a vampire that they can kill them---and thereby take down the entire vampire race and restore the ruling order to humans.

 

This was actually an entertaining read, although not a whole lot happened, if I'm being honest.  While the dialogue could be a little stiff for some characters, the brilliance of Nicky Bloom was intriguing, as was the conniving pettiness of Kim. The story took place all in one night, but flashbacks gave the reader insight into why the characters are the way they are.  I suppose it could be considered boring because it does read like there's a lot of backstory, but I still liked it. 

 

Baum was able to portray a world where vampires, though greedy and extremely dangerous  and self serving, (politicians, anyone?) were not feared, but respected, while still holding on to the people's overwhelming need to remain human.

 

My rating: 6.5 out of 10. 

Black Moon

Black Moon  by C.L. Belvill was a free story off of my Nook.  Though it is listed as a book, it reads more like an erotic novella about a woman who finds herself in the middle of a supernatural war. 

 

After slipping into a heavily guarded compound, Isabella finds herself running for her life.  And then saved by the gruff and handsome, Donovan.  From there, things move fast and the two go from strangers to lovers to soulmates in a matter of pages. 

 

This story was okay, I guess. Some of it was a little hokey and the plot definitely needed to be fleshed up a bit. (Or a lot.)  It moved too fast to be plausible, even with the supernatural connections.  Honestly, it was so short that I really don't have much more to say on it. 

 

On the plus side, it was interesting and had a decent flow.  However, if I hadn't already committed myself to reading the next two books (eventually) I probably wouldn't. 

 

My rating: 4 out of 10.  (Guess I read one below 5 after all.)

A little background information...

Okay, so one of the things I decided to do this year is review every book I read, including some of the ones my book club did last year.  I like to think on them a little bit before writing them, so they don't always get done right as I finish reading them. 

It's a fun thing to do for me, sort of like writing a book report in school---without the terrifying act of presenting it to the class.  All those eyes staring at me.  Forget it.

Still, I want to make sure I'm honest.  These reviews are as much for me, to hone my writing skills, as they are for the author and especially the readers.  I'm not going to lie because I'm worried about hurting feelings.  I will never bash another author.  I try my best to counter any critique or criticism with an attribute of either the story or the writer themselves.  Especially as I start reviewing indie authors that I have connected with via Facebook, I would like to make it clear that I will do my best to present any book I read in a positive light (hopefully the story makes that an easy task) but I wont' compromise my opinion. 

HOW I REVIEW: I like to start my reviews out with a quick summary.  Some are longer than others as they may require a bit of backstory, or I can't say too much without giving away significant details.  If it's a trilogy or one that affects me in a significant way, I will write SPOILER ALERT at the top of the post so you're forewarned.  I'll do the same when I write a synopsis of a story.

After the summary, I like to follow up with my opinion.  What I thought, what I liked, what I didn't like.  What the author did well, what I thought they could improve on---not that I'm an expert, but everything can improve on something.  Usually.

Eventually I'd like to look at book-to-movie comparisons, analyzing specific characters or even giving my two cents on an author as a whole (this will include a lot of research).  I'll most likely do this with authors I already like, but I'm always open to suggestions for reading and reviewing any book you may like.

MY RATING SYSTEM:  First of all, I would like to remind everyone that taste in books, as in everything else in life, is completely subjective.  Just because I don't care for a particular story or author (or especially if I do) does not mean anyone else will feel the same.  What I say in these posts, how I rate a book is completely my opinion.  I don't want anybody to take it personally, and I'd like to remind any and everyone that when it comes to books, I can be incredibly picky (and stingy). 

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:  I rate books from 1 to 10, as per the rating system we started in my book club.  I am consistently rating books harsher than my friends, so when reading my thoughts or recommendations, please keep that in mind.

10: For me to give a book or books a ten means they must be pretty spectacular.  I'm talking Best. Books. I have ever. Read. spectacular.  I have to connect with these books on such an intimate level that they stay with me as cherished friends whom it would kill me to lose.  They basically have to be perfect (to me).  A rating this high doesn't come along all that often.  Recently, however, I seem to have stumbled upon a treasure trove of wonderful, heart wrenching stories.

9: This rating goes to those that are just slightly below spectacular, but are still fabulous.  Maybe something's a little cheesy or a character ticked me off in some way.  Maybe the ending wasn't quite what I expected or it feel just short of that extra something it needed to be a ten.  Still, this is also a rare rating for me and means that books to receive it are extremely special to me.

8: This is my average rating for books I really liked.  They're still stories I would eagerly recommend to friends or suggest to any avid reader.  Yet, on my list of absolute favorites, they just don't quite make the cut.

7: Some of my most treasure stories have this rating, written by some of my favorite authors, so it's nothing to be ashamed of.  Usually, if I give a book a seven, it means I enjoyed it immensely, but maybe I felt a character could have been more developed, there was a hole in the plot, dialogue was stiff or the ending disappointed me. Maybe a theme didn't feel quite right.  It may seem lower to some, but to me, low is really five or under.

6: I tend to give this rating to books that were good, but typically in a genre or writing style I'm not particularly fond of.  They may also exhibit one or more of the above-listed faults and therefore don't qualify for a higher rating.  That being said, in order to receive a six, the book must still be well written, have a strong storyline and intriguing characters.  I would also need to be willing to recommend it to any readers who enjoy that genre, style or author.

5: This is the highest of my lower ratings.  It is subject to all the former judgments and, try as I might, I just can't get myself to say that it was more than "okay."

4 to 1: These are my truly low scores.  This, to me, says poor quality.  I really did not like the story, and the lower on the scale, the worse I believe it to be.  It also means I can find very few redeeming qualities with the work, so I can't say I would recommend it at all.  Luckily, I haven't read a book lower than a five in the last two years. 

Now that you understand where I'm coming from, I hope that provides you with a little insight into what I truly think of the books I read.  It is important to me to give each story its due and, as I do with people, I try to see the best in everything.  However, there is a difference between being optimistic and sugar-coating.  When it comes to book reviews, you won't catch me doing the latter. 

Thank you for reading and please, keep at it!

Gone Girl

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is a two-sided story depicting a marriage---and a disappearance---from the husband, Nick's point of view, and the wife, Amy.  When Amy goes missing amidst the debris of what looks like a terrible struggle, Nick becomes the prime suspect while still proclaiming his innocence. 

 

As the police investigate and Nick does some digging of his own, the reader is welcomed into the mind of missing wife, Amy, and gets an idea of what the marriage is really like via her diary.

 

But not everything is as it seems.  Neither Nick nor Amy has been entirely forthcoming.  As their deep dark secrets come to light and the real truth unfolds, Flynn takes the reader on a roller coaster ride, keeping us on our toes as we try to find out who did it.  And why.

 

Personally, I really liked this book.  Which was actually a surprise to me because it's probably not something I would pick up off the shelves on my own.  This is why bookclubs are amazing tools for making you read outside of your comfort zone.  So, Gone Girl was a pleasant surprise and aside from the ending (which accounts for the slightly lower rating), I wasn't disappointed at all.

 

The characters were all well developed, illuminating how a person can change throughout a relationship, that people's views on who a person truly is are not always accurate and that everyone has secrets.  you will be guessing "what next?" until the very end.

 

Without giving too much away, I would like to commend Flynn for creating a character (I won't say which) that is so patient and diabolical, so conniving and utterly brilliant that I was in awe of the workings of their mind (even if I was a bit appalled) until the very last word.

 

My rating: 8 out of 10.