Month: August 2014 (Page 33 of 43)

BOOK REVIEW – The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

August 13, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

The voices agreed, laughing at me, mocking my quest. I didn’t deserve a soul; I didn’t deserve happiness, or peace. Why should I get my happy ending, when I’d left a swath of horror and destruction behind me wherever I went?

Hmm. I’m going to marry Prince Ash some day…and then I will be his queen. >.< Can I just be honest? Even after finishing this three nights ago, even after finishing another book last night by another author…when I logged on here to write this review, clicking on this book to express how I felt about the conclusion ^ to this series, I still got the butterflies and that feeling of giddiness that plagued me from the middle of book one on. Even after all THAT (three days and the start of a new series), I’m still hung up and in love with this series and the dedication that both Ash and Meghan had for one another. I’m going to have a massive book hangover for a while and it won’t be gotten rid of easily.

I’d destroyed everything I touched, even those I loved. I would end up destroying them, too.

This review is not going to be good for those of you who are planning on reading this series-I truly don’t believe it’s possible to write about Ash’s book without spoiling book three. It’s impossible. Especially my quotes-I chose the least spoilery ones, but for some, I just can’t pass up an awesome quote-sorry. So my warning is this: I will do as little spoiling of past books as I can, but be warned that while I’m going to do my best, it doesn’t mean there won’t be spoilers. In fact, there will be-but I will keep them to a minimum.

How am I going to protect her like this? How can I protect anyone like this?

Ash is on a journey to View Spoiler » After the heartbreaking and epic ending to book three, I had no clue what to expect with book four. I mean, how can an author top that? And the answer, as hard as it may be, is that you can’t. But I loved this installment-I loved every installment (aside from first 55% or so of book one (for the fifth time)) with all my heart, and this one was no exception.

“I’m not fearless,” I told her. “There are a lot of things that scare me.” Failure. My own savage, Unseelie nature. Being unable to save those I had sworn to protect. Having my heart ripped from me once more. “I’m not fearless,” I said again. “Not by a long shot.”

The hardest thing about this book was how dark it was. I literally felt as if my world was a symphony of dull grays and blacks and whites and even after I’d put the story down, I’d be in a hazy cloud of morose thoughts and tragic instances…it was even harder to imagine that this is what Ash feels every day, how negatively he thinks of himself. But more than that, how he realizes it’s true and not just a pity party-this guy has seen and done it ALL. He lives every day in a perfect shell of indifference and callous extremities, not able to show his inner turmoil or real feelings to the Winter Court….until he met Meghan. He can feel again and he wants to give everything to her, so that’s where the silver lining was in this book-there was light in the darkness and a reason for all the trials and incessant, painful memories and tortuous thoughts. There were even tests of faith and if I’m being candid, I kinda fell even harder when these scenarios happened. He is flawed. There is a world of darkness inside of him and it threatens to boil over any second but one thing that doesn’t happen…he doesn’t give up. And I love him all the more.

**That wouldn’t happen again. The loss of my glamour wouldn’t deter me. I was still a knight, her knight. And I’d return to the girl I’d sworn to protect.**

This book was more than a desperate attempt to View Spoiler » be with Meghan. « Hide Spoiler For Ash, it was a journey of self-worth, a journey of finally atoning his past sins and becoming a man worthy of a soul, worthy of the girl he loves…and ultimately becoming a man who can look at himself in the mirror and stand what he sees looking back at him, someone who can finally move on with his life and be happy. And I enjoyed his journey every step of the way.

I had once thought my armor invincible, that nothing could touch me…Until Meghan Chase had entered my life and turned it upside down. Reckless, loyal, possessing the unyielding stubbornness of a granite cliff, she’d smashed through all the barriers I’d erected to keep her out, refusing to give up on me, until I finally had to admit defeat. It was official.
I was in love. With a human.

For this final book, there were even a few characters that were *cough* reincarnated or *cough* brought back, and they added angst that while I had to grit my teeth at certain points, I thoroughly enjoyed what their presence brought to the table. For how else would Ash’s loyalty and love be truly tested? Did I mention how loyal he is? Hmmm…pretty sure I have. 😉 I loved the re-addition of a certain animal/character as well-his/it’s presence brought laughs and tension and it was both a comic relief and life saver that they made a big debut again. I loved Grimalkin as always and I came to respect Puck-a little. He has honestly driven me insane throughout the series but its been up and down for me with him and I’m glad it ended on a high note. He is loyal, caring, and funny, and I am glad that he and Ash had one last chance to get their shit out on the table-I can’t say it wasn’t hard, but it was well worth the wait.

“Are you sure about this, ice-boy?” he asked. “I know you think you can handle anything, but this is some serious stuff you’re going to face. Crazy Ash just doesn’t have the same ring as Don’t-bother-me-or-I’ll-kill-you Ash.”

I can’t believe I’m saying this…but this is the end. No more tremulous journies for Ash, Meghan, and Puck. This concluding paragraph actually kind of pains me to write-it has been a good week and a half of nothing but these characters and it hurts more than I can imagine to finish this series out. Melodramatics aside, I feel a tad empty. And that’s the mark of a good novel/series. It etches itself into your brain cells and keeps your thoughts and emotions tangled up in a crazy web of constant turmoil…and you just want more more more. So….did I hear something about a final novella? Anyone?

(switch to Meghan POV)

“You’re here,” I murmured, reaching out to touch him, hardly believing this was real. “You came back.” Ash’s breath hitched, and he put his hand over mine.
“I came home.”

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Iron King #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Anna	Winter's Passage #1.5 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	The Iron Daughter #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Anna
The Iron Queen #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Summer's Crossing #3.5	The Iron Knight #4 Reviews: Chelsea
Iron's Prophecy #4.5 Reviews: Chelsea	The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	The Iron Traitor:Call of the Forgotten #2
The Iron Warrior:Call of the Forgotten #3

BOOK REVIEW – Half Bad (Half Life #1) by Sally Green

August 13, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Half Bad (Half Life #1)
by Sally Green
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

I cry sometimes. I don’t know why, but it keeps happening. I’m just looking at the stream, say, which runs through the dark brown mud and yet is clear and bright and soundless, when I realize that I can taste tears. There are so many they run into my mouth.

Okay, I think this is going to be more of a mini-review-which, in all reality isn’t fair to this book at all. It’s more the circumstances of: A) A new computer system and keyboard here at work and B) Just not enough time to intricately dive into why the story ticks as it does, so it’s almost just better to scrape the surface.

“…No one buys this baby toys or presents, because everyone knows it isn’t wanted. No one gives Mother presents or flowers or chocolates, because they all know she didn’t want this baby. Nobody wants a baby like this. Mother only gets one card but it doesn’t say ‘Congratulations.'”
Silence.
“Do you want to know what it says?”
I shake my head.
“It says, ‘Kill it.'”

This story was pretty badass, if I’m being honest. I do believe what the reviews say is true, though: While the second half was very good as well, the beginning just had something far more sinister going on and I couldn’t help but to really love all the trials that our main character went through. I think this is the part where I claim to be a masochistic monster who only enjoyed the moments where Nathan is ridiculed and almost, to a point, tortured by his other classmates. I will admit there is a tiny monster in me who, while cringing and tearing up, finds extreme satisfaction in seeing how a person responds to the struggles in their life and what emerges from these horror stories-I’ve always found these generally make the best stories, don’t you think? I mean, how else would Nathan overcome the urge to either be a white or black witch? I want him to consider being that bad, bad black witch that everyone so fears-it’s kinda cool to think that he might become a monster (hey, like me!) and then ultimately have to fight that reality to overcome the evil lurking inside him. But I just don’t see that happening…for more reasons than one.

I just say, “Can I have permission to go to the bathroom, please?”
He doesn’t say anything, so I throw my jeans on the floor, get on my knees and say, “Can I have permission to go to the bathroom? Please?”
He doesn’t say anything but drops to his knees with me and hugs me. We stay like that. Him hugging me and me stiff with anger at him, wanting to hurt him too.
After a long time I hug him back, just a little.

Nathan is inherently good. He is half white and half black, so therefore he is the center of attention and labeled ‘unfit to be a member of society’. One of the reasons he is so negatively frowned upon is that his father is a murderous, evil black witch who kills all in sight-Nathan’s mother is a white witch, so that makes him half white and half black. Only his family is nice to him and defends him. It was beautiful to see the support he received from his family, namely his older brother. I loved that he was always there for his little brother when he was being ridiculed by the other kids at school. It really warmed my heart to see that support. And then…there’s Annalise. She is the beautiful, perfect, and popular white witch-and she likes Nathan. In fact, she is Nathan’s only friend. It was sweet to see them connect and fall for one another…but utterly sad because there is no way for them to be together. Her brothers make it a point (this is where my monster emerged) to Nathan that he needs to stay away from their sister…and they didn’t use words. But isn’t the best kind of romance…the forbidden kind?

“Are you sorry you met my sister?”
And I know as soon as he says that, the way he says it, that he hasn’t finished. It isn’t over. He has no intention of stopping there. And nothing I can say will make any difference. All I can do is hate him.

I don’t know. I just didn’t really know what to expect from this novel and I went in almost completely blind and it took me forever to read because I bought the hardback-and I do think that always hurts my reading experience, but I also found that I immensely enjoyed most of it and can’t wait to see what happens to Nathan…his father is the most evil witch known to man and he has Nathan on his radar. And what about Annalise? Can she be trusted? Should he be fraternizing with his enemy by blood? I just don’t know. So, because I can’t stand to type another word on this keyboard, I will wrap this up. This was a fun look at a different type of paranormal-the kind very rarely explored with both good and evil witches (not the kind in capes, pointy hats, or riding brooms, mind you) and a darkness so all encompassing that I hardly saw any light within in the story-but it was there…albeit in small doses.

I do have a secret, though. A secret so dark, so hopeless, so absurd that I can never share it with anyone.

BOOK REVIEW – Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter

August 13, 2014 / Chelsea / 1 Comment

Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles #1)
by Gena Showalter
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

I wish…yeah, I wish.

Well, there was a lot of good in this story…..and there was also some bad. I didn’t need the Alice In Wonderland references to be obvious or even close to the original telling. Truth be told, I didn’t care for AIW as a child, but I still find it fascinating when an author chooses to re-vamp an old fairy tale (was that really a fairy tale? It was so creepy) so I chose to give this one a go on the recommendation of my brilliant British friend :P.

One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything I knew and loved was gone.

I think it needs to be said up front that there was hardly an association with AIW, it was more of an inspiration for this story. The girl’s name is Alice, though she likes to be called Ali for short, and the chapter titles are things like ‘Off with her head!’ Now, that was plenty awesome for me-see, that was just a fun little poke at what we all knew and….liked, and it was a great way to direct the story in the way it needed to veer. As someone in another review that I read stated, I started to see the characters emerge as their inspirations near the end-i.e. the Queen of Hearts and all her little cards (soldiers, you know what I mean). It was fuzzy, and had I not read that random review I might not have noticed, but it was there-even if it was merely a glimpse.

I glanced at the rabbit. The round thing in its hands now had hands of its own-clock hands, tick, tick, ticking away. It had come to warn me, I realized. Not about a car wreck, but about the zombies. The time had come; they were here.

Alice loves her family dearly. She has her normal mom, her super awesome sister, and her crazy, neurotic, non-existent zombie-seeing father. They all respect him, but think he is nutso-I mean, you can’t see anything, so why is he always acting so shifty? Then one night, Alice spots a rabbit shaped cloud and she points it out to her sister as they ooh and ahh….then that fateful night, after seeing the rabbit cloud (See it? See the reference?), they have a horrible crash after her father spots ‘zombies’…and Alice sees them too-but its too late.

“It’s too late now,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Alice, so very sorry. He’ll be coming for you.”

Fast forward and Ali is living in a world with no color-it was her fault that she bribed them all to go out after dark for her sister’s first ever recital, it’s her fault she used her birthday as a bargaining tool….or so she thinks. She has been living with this guilt all summer, and then she has to start at a new high school at the end of the break and everything changes.

As a story, this started out so strongly. She meets Kat, the queen bee with the ‘in-crowd’ socialite friends and the aptitude for talking a mile a minute…and then she sees a boy with violet eyes leaning against a locker and they can’t stop staring at each other-he with a fierce snarl and she with mesmerized doe-eyes…but it’s not what you think. It scarcely ever is. He is the bad-boy leader with a pack of loyal bro’s (and I suppose ho’s as well), and they are always in fights, always causing problems, always have bruises and…always disappearing?

“In my defense, I’ve lost a lot of friends doing this, and you look so fragile. So…breakable. Forgive me.” His voice dipped low, became a mere rasp. “Please. I love that you ask a thousand questions a day, and I don’t know what I’ll do if you’re not around.”

What I normally would have dubbed ‘cheesy dialogue’ came off as cute, refreshing, and hilarious as Kat and Ali would banter back and forth and she would take on everyone that pissed her off-namely, her ex-boyfriend (and loyal cronie for Cole), Frosty. Lol-nice nicknames, I guess. I liked the way they interacted and I found that it would bring a smile to my face when Kat would enter the picture-both her and Ali had a way of talking that just cracked me up and, while some would say that is not how real people talk, reminded me of how me and my friends are or would be. It was cute, funny, and easy to relate to-albeit different, for sure.

I wasn’t offended. I liked her honesty. “What should I have said?”
She batted her lashes at me and lowered her voice to a smoky rasp. “Cole, you big strong manimal. I know the boogeyman thinks you’ll jump out of his closet, but I think you’re-Hey, are you listening to our private conversation, Marcus?” she ended in a shout. “Yeah, that’s right. Run.”

And Cole, I realllyyyy enjoyed Cole. I thought it was heading in a great direction with him, and it did, it really did, but I wanted…more. Like, no it wasn’t even insta-love or even drug out, it was just placed in the middle and kind of stagnant for a bit. The beginning and end with him were great-I just would have liked to get a little more emotional depth from his side throughout the story. Otherwise, I loved his character. He was sweet, protective, bossy….I did love his character (what was I thinking?) but I just didn’t love how their relationship progressed and I wanted more of his character development.

“You look beautiful, by the way,” he said, stunning me.
Pretty words meant to soften his “for now”, I’m sure. “I thought I looked tired.”
“Beautifully tired.”
“In my plain white button-up meant for winter? Doubtful.”
“I don’t mean your clothes. It’s you.” He sifted strands of my hair through his fingers, tickling my scalp. “There’s something about you. Something that sets you apart from everyone else.”

And finally, the age-old faux pas of telling, not showing. Or even maybe withholding information-I don’t know-but what I DO know, is that I would have liked a liiiittlllee more here and there-this author definitely didn’t do it a ton, but every once in a while I was like ‘Come oooonn, a little MORE, please!’

Surely I’m not the only one who takes “don’t look now” as “there’s no better time than now.” I looked.
“Bad, Ali!” Another slap to my arm. “Bad, bad, bad, Ali! Have you no self-control?”

So, all in all, I really enjoyed this story. I am excited for book two and can’t wait to see more from Cole and Kat, my two favorite characters. More than once I saw myself in Kat or in Ali, their mannerisms seeping snark, overexaggerations, and trailed off thoughts….. (:P) So, I will leave it at that-this is something I would rec if you want a fun, quick ride with not much thought involved-it flows easily enough and leaves room for much more fun to happen……..I can’t wait to read book two.

Maim…Kill…Destroy…

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

BOOK REVIEW – Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

August 13, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
by Sarah J. Maas
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

While I will probably always be in the minority on this one, I do have my reasons. This book was totally action-packed, crazy, fun, and even quite the angst fest when it comes to the relationships brought forth and…I just wasn’t completely obsessed or engrossed. Now, for most books this is exactly my cuppa tea, but for some reason, and I think I know what that reason may be, I just couldn’t let myself fully immerse into the story. Have no doubts, I will be very excited when book three comes out in September, but for once I am glad I have a longer wait for the third release. It’s not so much because the story was lacking, which it was not, it was more that I had a hard pill to swallow and with time it will just become what is rather than what was pushed on me.

He took a step toward her, but she held her ground. “Believe me, Celaena,” he snarled, his eyes flashing, “I know you can look after yourself. But I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn’t, but I do. So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care what happens.”

I think my biggest problem was that all the signs were pointing one way (DAMN YOU love triangles) and I just was too stubborn to accept what was coming. Now, this story is so much more than romance, and I love that, but I was still very turned off that a certain someone had his widdle heart broken. This is no spoiler, there is nowhere you will look that the fact isn’t plastered everywhere, this was, in fact, NOT a love triangle. No, Celaena chose to end her relationship with the prince because of the fact that she was, and always will be, an assassin. And he will ALWAYS be royalty. She just didn’t see how it could work. But let’s be totally honest here-her and the guard, Chaol, are, I’ll begrudgingly admit this, meant for one another. They both have heartbreak from former ‘loves’ and devastation and hurt in their past, and more than that, they know what it’s like to defend, and protect, and to live a common life. But it’s MORE than that-they have a connection. It was sweet, pretty adorable, and they fit together like two puzzle pieces separated from the same board…but I still don’t like it lol.

“You hurt her,” he said, his voice hoarse from a day without water, “and I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands.”
There were thirty of them, half fully armed, and they all turned to him.
He bared his teeth, even though his face ached. “You so much as touch her, and I’ll gut you.”

The relationships formed, severed, and reformed in this story were actually beautiful. Chaol and Celaena together made sense, and they really would do anything for one another. I loved Chaol’s cute jealousies and willingness to stand in front of Celaena when things got tough (though, she really doesn’t need ANYONE’s help-she’s still a badass, as I stated in my first review). I loved that he would risk his life to alter her path or sway the king in a deceitful direction. And more than that, I have to say I loved their story-mild hate to reluctant allies, to friends, to lovers. Though, we all know they always had feelings for one another.

There had never been any line between them, only his own stupid fear and pride. Because from the moment he’d pulled her out of that mine in Endovier and she had set those eyes upon him, still fierce despite a year in hell, he’d been walking toward this, walking to her.
So Chaol brushed away her tears, lifted her chin, and kissed her.

What I DIDN’T love was having to see Dorian’s heartache, no matter how small, as Celaena and Chaol stole sweet, secret moments, and hidden dances, and….you get the picture-he saw it all. But what I guess I adore about the prince is that he was enough of a man to let them be and to not cause any problems-but he still made it clear that Chaol better never hurt Celaena, because no matter whether their relationship is terminated, he still loves her and, he also, would do anything for her. The friendship that formed between him and Celaena was adorable, meaningful, and led me to believe they will continue to be very close-close enough that I am appeased with the amount of Dorian time in the near future, because he is my favorite character. We even started to see a different side to Dorian, a side that no one knows, and can never know, about-but what will he do with his secrets? Because if the king, or anyone else for that matter, finds out, he will be dead.

Now, something BIG happens in this book. In fact, LOTS of big things happen in this book-it was highly action packed with lots of world building and secrets and relationship forming that hardly a page went by where we weren’t holding our breaths from the recent developments. But, something happens that changes the course of Celaena and Chaol’s life forever…and I couldn’t help but scoff a tad when we got the extended reaction of Celaena. I mean, come on, give me a break. Yes, you are UPSET, of course you are. But the way she acts, the way she continues to handle herself, the way she snaps was a bit melodramatic. Sorry, just my opinion. And all I can say is that neither of those boys would do anything to hurt her and continually stand by her side no matter how many times her tongue lashes at them, and it made my heart expand even further for them (though, Dorian gets the brunt of it most of the book, so I still love him the mostest)-now, this isn’t a series solely built around dramatic relationship angst, so therefore I can’t say that she is mercurial and a tease and all the things you’d expect when I say she lashes her tongue at them, no she definitely has a mind of her own but in no way is she going back and forth between boys and being a drama queen (aside from her prolonged reaction to a certain event, mentioned above). So, if this would be a deterrent, fear not, the relationship drama is kept to a minimum-there are bigger things (like lies, deceit, and the control of a kingdom) at stake.

Chaol believed in trusting his instinct. He didn’t think humans had survived for so long without developing some ability to tell when things were wrong. It wasn’t magic-it was just…gut feeling.
And it was Chaol’s instinct that told him who this was about before Dorian opened his mouth.

All in all an expertly woven novel that keeps you guessing from start to finish, never leaving any room to be bored or even upset-things move so quickly that you are left with just enough romance, drama, action, and peril….and I think many will fall in love with this series. Assassins, magic, fighting for their kingdoms, romance, and betrayal laced throughout each individual….there is not much more that’s left to be said-this book has everything.

BOOK REVIEW – Iron’s Prophecy (The Iron Fey #4.5) by Julie Kagawa

August 13, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Iron's Prophecy (The Iron Fey #4.5)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

“Well,” Puck said cheerfully, forcing a rather pained smile, “it’s just like old times, isn’t it? You, me, ice-boy, the future of the Nevernever hanging in the balance…we just have to wait for Furball to show up and then it’ll be perfect.”
“He is already here, Goodfellow,” came a familiar voice behind us, sounding bored and offended all at once. “Where he has been for much of the conversation, waiting for you to see past the end of your nose.”
“Yep.” Puck sighed as we all turned to face Grimalkin. “Just like old times.”

An absolutely perfect and unforgettable ending to the Iron Fey series. There isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said-I’ve gushed about Prince Ash so much that I don’t think my friends could stand to hear his name one more time without gagging…..but what can I say? He is absolute perfection, the top of the top and the best of the best of book boyfriends…and he is absolute perfection.

“I am yours to command, my queen,” he whispered, making my heart clench in complete, helpless love. “I will obey, even if you order me to cut out my own heart. Even if you order me to the hell that is the Winter Court Elysium.”

This novella didn’t teach me anything new about the fey world and it most certainly did not open any new doors or add any more problems that our favorite little trio would need to solve…but what it DID do was open up the door to the new spin-off series about Meghan’s little brother and, gasp, her son. It gave us one last little adventure about all our of our favorite characters and let us see how adorable their real relationship is: no more angst, no more forbidden love. Just the two of them living their hard-earned lives together and enjoying being in each other’s presence-with no more drama.

It reminded me of our first dance together, my first Elysium, when I’d seen the cold, dangerous son of Queen Mab up close for the first time and was completely lost. Call it fate, destiny or just blatant hardheadedness on both our parts, from that moment on, there was no turning back.

Buuuuuuutttt Kagawa doesn’t ever exit quietly. Though Meghan and Ash are within each other’s arms, where they want to be, a certain prophecy will change their lives forever. I won’t spoil what it is, though I think I saw the prophecy at least three times on other reviews and it might be on the synopsis, but it involves Meghan’s pregnancy….the pregnancy that she isn’t even aware of. This is great news right? Or is it the ultimate demise of all of the Nevernever?

Sighing, he lowered his head, his lips brushing my ear. “I’ve never been able to stop you, my queen,” he murmured, “but I do want you to know that I might be a little overprotective tonight.These are your people, so that makes them mine as well, but my first and only duty is to you. Always.”

I’m sad to see these characters go: I think Ash has started to become one of my all time favorite characters. He is fierce, he is protective, he is loyal, he is without a doubt one of my top book boyfriends now. And as I said before, I am beyond sad that these people are moving on while I sit and crave for more of their banter and adoration-but I feel like this was the perfect send-off for me. It was the perfect end to Ash and Meghan’s tremulous journey and it was an amazing look at what their life has become. And now, it’s time to pass the torch. It’s time to let Ethan, her younger brother, take the reigns and help his sister out-it’s his turn to save the world, and it’s his turn to find love and become apart of the Fey world again…whether he wants to or not.

“How are you doing this?” I continued, frowning at him. “And if you say ‘I am a cat,’ I swear I will throw you off this balcony.”

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Iron King #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Anna	Winter's Passage #1.5 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	The Iron Daughter #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Anna
The Iron Queen #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Summer's Crossing #3.5	The Iron Knight #4 Reviews: Chelsea
Iron's Prophecy #4.5 Reviews: Chelsea	The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	The Iron Traitor:Call of the Forgotten #2
The Iron Warrior:Call of the Forgotten #3

Jen	Chelsea
Arielle	Cassie

Jen	Chelsea
Arielle	Cassie

BOOK REVIEW – The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

The voices agreed, laughing at me, mocking my quest. I didn’t deserve a soul; I didn’t deserve happiness, or peace. Why should I get my happy ending, when I’d left a swath of horror and destruction behind me wherever I went?

I’d destroyed everything I touched, even those I loved. I would end up destroying them, too.

How am I going to protect her like this? How can I protect anyone like this?

“I’m not fearless,” I told her. “There are a lot of things that scare me.” Failure. My own savage, Unseelie nature. Being unable to save those I had sworn to protect. Having my heart ripped from me once more. “I’m not fearless,” I said again. “Not by a long shot.”

That wouldn’t happen again. The loss of my glamour wouldn’t deter me. I was still a knight, her knight. And I’d return to the girl I’d sworn to protect.

“Are you sure about this, ice-boy?” he asked. “I know you think you can handle anything, but this is some serious stuff you’re going to face. Crazy Ash just doesn’t have the same ring as Don’t-bother-me-or-I’ll-kill-you Ash.”

(switch to Meghan POV) “You’re here,” I murmured, reaching out to touch him, hardly believing this was real. “You came back.” Ash’s breath hitched, and he put his hand over mine. “I came home.”

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BOOK REVIEW – Half Bad (Half Life #1) by Sally Green

I cry sometimes. I don’t know why, but it keeps happening. I’m just looking at the stream, say, which runs through the dark brown mud and yet is clear and bright and soundless, when I realize that I can taste tears. There are so many they run into my mouth.

“Are you sorry you met my sister?” And I know as soon as he says that, the way he says it, that he hasn’t finished. It isn’t over. He has no intention of stopping there. And nothing I can say will make any difference. All I can do is hate him.

I do have a secret, though. A secret so dark, so hopeless, so absurd that I can never share it with anyone.

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BOOK REVIEW – Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter

I wish…yeah, I wish.

One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything I knew and loved was gone.

I glanced at the rabbit. The round thing in its hands now had hands of its own-clock hands, tick, tick, ticking away. It had come to warn me, I realized. Not about a car wreck, but about the zombies. The time had come; they were here.

“It’s too late now,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Alice, so very sorry. He’ll be coming for you.”

“In my defense, I’ve lost a lot of friends doing this, and you look so fragile. So…breakable. Forgive me.” His voice dipped low, became a mere rasp. “Please. I love that you ask a thousand questions a day, and I don’t know what I’ll do if you’re not around.”

Surely I’m not the only one who takes “don’t look now” as “there’s no better time than now.” I looked. “Bad, Ali!” Another slap to my arm. “Bad, bad, bad, Ali! Have you no self-control?”

Maim…Kill…Destroy…

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BOOK REVIEW – Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

“You hurt her,” he said, his voice hoarse from a day without water, “and I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands.” There were thirty of them, half fully armed, and they all turned to him. He bared his teeth, even though his face ached. “You so much as touch her, and I’ll gut you.”

Chaol believed in trusting his instinct. He didn’t think humans had survived for so long without developing some ability to tell when things were wrong. It wasn’t magic-it was just…gut feeling. And it was Chaol’s instinct that told him who this was about before Dorian opened his mouth.

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BOOK REVIEW – Iron’s Prophecy (The Iron Fey #4.5) by Julie Kagawa

“I am yours to command, my queen,” he whispered, making my heart clench in complete, helpless love. “I will obey, even if you order me to cut out my own heart. Even if you order me to the hell that is the Winter Court Elysium.”

It reminded me of our first dance together, my first Elysium, when I’d seen the cold, dangerous son of Queen Mab up close for the first time and was completely lost. Call it fate, destiny or just blatant hardheadedness on both our parts, from that moment on, there was no turning back.

“How are you doing this?” I continued, frowning at him. “And if you say ‘I am a cat,’ I swear I will throw you off this balcony.”

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**That wouldn’t happen again. The loss of my glamour wouldn’t deter me. I was still a knight, her knight. And I’d return to the girl I’d sworn to protect.**

(switch to Meghan POV)

“You’re here,” I murmured, reaching out to touch him, hardly believing this was real. “You came back.” Ash’s breath hitched, and he put his hand over mine.
“I came home.”

“Are you sorry you met my sister?”
And I know as soon as he says that, the way he says it, that he hasn’t finished. It isn’t over. He has no intention of stopping there. And nothing I can say will make any difference. All I can do is hate him.

Surely I’m not the only one who takes “don’t look now” as “there’s no better time than now.” I looked.
“Bad, Ali!” Another slap to my arm. “Bad, bad, bad, Ali! Have you no self-control?”

“You hurt her,” he said, his voice hoarse from a day without water, “and I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands.”
There were thirty of them, half fully armed, and they all turned to him.
He bared his teeth, even though his face ached. “You so much as touch her, and I’ll gut you.”

Chaol believed in trusting his instinct. He didn’t think humans had survived for so long without developing some ability to tell when things were wrong. It wasn’t magic-it was just…gut feeling.
And it was Chaol’s instinct that told him who this was about before Dorian opened his mouth.