Month: August 2014 (Page 38 of 43)

BOOK REVIEW – The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa

August 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2) by Julie KagawaThe Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review:

I have fallen in love with The Iron Fey! I was swept away in the story and found myself becoming even more attached to Meghan and Ash and what the future had in store for them.

No matter how much I wanted a normal life, there would be a part of me that longed for this world, for the magic and wonder of it. It had seeped into my soul and shown me things I’d never thought existed. I couldn’t be normal and ignorant ever again, knowing what was out there.

Meghan has honored her end of the bargain and followed Ash to the Unseely court. She is now being held as a prisoner by Queen Mab while Ash is out searching their territory for the supposed Iron Fey. Meghan’s world gets turned upside down when Ash returns. The man she loves treats her as though she doesn’t even deserve the ability to look at him let alone speak to him. With each hurtful remark and cold stare Meghan’s heart breaks more and more. From here the story becomes even more captivating! I do not want to go into the book further than this but I’m happy to say that I had a hunch where the story was going to go from here and I was thrilled it panned out how I thought it would!

Even if I turned ninety, lost my mind and forgot everything else, the memory of the Winter prince would be a shining beacon that would never fade.

I love Meghan so much. She is strong, determined, and fierce. At the same time, she is alarmed by everything that is going on around her – whether it is the creatures that Mab is tormenting for ages or her concern if Puck will ever come back to her or her fear on whether Ash can break the stronghold the Iron Queen has on him. Her decisions and actions are admirable and I loved being in her head! There was only one part where I wanted to shake herView Spoiler », but I’m going to blame that madness on all of the stress she was under.

View Spoiler »

I love, love, love Ash. We get to fully understand the court he came from and why he is the way he is, which is heartbreaking. His struggle to become more than what the law states he is allowed to be seems even more dire now than ever before. Even when he was being the world’s biggest douche, my loyalty to him never faltered because I kept holding out hope that he would eventually let Meghan in all the way.

View Spoiler »

The end of this book was everything I wanted it to be! It was honestly ridiculous how emotional I was over the last 8 pages of this book! This series just keeps getting better and better!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
the iron king julie kagawa
The Iron King #1
Reviews:
 Jen
Chelsea
Anna		winter's passage julie kagawa
Winter's Passage #1.5
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		the iron daughter julie kagawa
The Iron Daughter #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
Anna
the iron queen julie kagawa
The Iron Queen #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		summer's crossing iron fey novella julie kagawa
Summer's Crossing #3.5		the iron knight julie kagawa
The Iron Knight #4
Reviews:
Chelsea
iron's prophecy julie kagawa
Iron's Prophecy #4.5
Reviews:
Chelsea		the lost prince julie kagawa
The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten #1
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		the iron traitor julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Traitor:Call of the Forgotten #2
the iron warrior julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Warrior:Call of the Forgotten #3

BOOK REVIEW – Winter’s Passage (The Iron Fey #1.5) by Julie Kagawa

August 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – Winter’s Passage (The Iron Fey #1.5) by Julie KagawaWinter's Passage (The Iron Fey #1.5)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl…until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron Fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck—Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon—who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter—a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat….

Review:

I’m so glad I continued this series! This novella was everything I wanted the 1st book to be. It had more Megan and Ash, more dire situations, less description of the scenery, less descriptions and appearances of the creatures (I’m just not a huge fan of creepy creatures) and lots of actions and words from Ash that made me completely melt and sigh out loud. Although he still gives his fair share of trying to curtail his feelings about Meghan, even though it seems fruitless.

Ash – My feelings for you don’t matter in the Winter Court, Summer and Winter will always be on opposite sides, and nothing will change that.

Meghan made a contract with Prince Ash in the 1st book. If he helped rescue her brother from the Iron King, than she would allow him to deliver her to his Queen. I kept hoping that this little itty bitty tiny detail would somehow be forgotten but alas it wasn’t. The book starts with Prince Ash showing up on Meghan’s doorstop ready to collect his end of their bargain. You get to follow Meghan and Ash’s journey to the Queen Mab’s palace and oh what a journey it is! Their journey was emotional, suspenseful and again when I reached the last page I was left with the incessant need to start the next book immediately!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
the iron king julie kagawa
The Iron King #1
Reviews:
 Jen
Chelsea
Anna		winter's passage julie kagawa
Winter's Passage #1.5
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		the iron daughter julie kagawa
The Iron Daughter #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
Anna
the iron queen julie kagawa
The Iron Queen #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		summer's crossing iron fey novella julie kagawa
Summer's Crossing #3.5		the iron knight julie kagawa
The Iron Knight #4
Reviews:
Chelsea
iron's prophecy julie kagawa
Iron's Prophecy #4.5
Reviews:
Chelsea		the lost prince julie kagawa
The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten #1
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		the iron traitor julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Traitor:Call of the Forgotten #2
the iron warrior julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Warrior:Call of the Forgotten #3

BOOK REVIEW – The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

August 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie KagawaThe Iron King (The Iron Fey #1)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY—ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth.

For Meghan is the daughter of a mythical faery king…and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:

***3.75 stars*** I enjoyed the first 12% and LOVED the last 42% but everything else in between was not my style. Even though I didn’t enjoy almost ½ of the book I’m DEFINITELY continuing on because that last 42% was gripping, enchanting and left me with the urge to figure out what in the world is going to happen to them. I became attached to the characters, ok maybe I fell for one of them ;), and I am absolutely more than intrigued to continue reading about them.

Megan Chase is getting ready to turn 16 and her life has never been just normal. Her father disappeared when she was 6 years old, her stepfather seems to forget she even exists and her little brother honestly believes that his stuffed toy Floppy talks to him. After Megan starts seeing “things” her world gets turned upside down. Her best friend Robbie isn’t who she thought he was and a situation forces her hand to travel to the faery world to rescue someone she loves. I loved everything up until this point and this is where the book turned strange for me. The world building, creature descriptions and situations were colorful, livid and I felt as though I was there in every scene with Megan. BUT I didn’t enjoy it like I should have. The world was strange, the creatures were creepy and the situations in the middle of the book made me feel blah. I wasn’t intrigued by anything that was happening. I had heard and read great things about this series, so I trudged along and then something finally happened; I became immersed in the book again. Around 58% I became glued to my book!

I enjoyed the character Megan but I loved Prince Ash, Robbie and Grimalkin. Prince Ash came across as such a cold hearted jerk. But I knew, just knew, that I would eventually fall for him right along with Megan. Prince Ash is loyal to his word, can be compassionate when he wants to be, and his words and attitude make you want to punch him, run away from him or fall into his arms. Fortunately the last one won out more and more 😉 I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Ash and I hope that his facade and heart continue to thaw out. And then we have Robbie. I wasn’t a huge fan of Robbie in the beginning. He came across as blunt and I just didn’t get his type of humor. But somewhere through the journey I started to love Robbie. He is endearing, has a good heart and truly cares for Megan. And lastly there is Grimalkin. He is a cat. I NEVER thought I would enjoy a cat in a book but I did! I loved his “whatever” attitude and his commentary on what was happening around him. Whenever he popped in, you just knew you were going to be completely entertained.

Overall, the beginning and end of the book was more than enough to make me want to follow Megan through her future journeys and read hopefully A LOT more about Prince Ash. I can’t wait to see what happens!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
the iron king julie kagawa
The Iron King #1
Reviews:
 Jen
Chelsea
Anna		winter's passage julie kagawa
Winter's Passage #1.5
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		the iron daughter julie kagawa
The Iron Daughter #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
Anna
the iron queen julie kagawa
The Iron Queen #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		summer's crossing iron fey novella julie kagawa
Summer's Crossing #3.5		the iron knight julie kagawa
The Iron Knight #4
Reviews:
Chelsea
iron's prophecy julie kagawa
Iron's Prophecy #4.5
Reviews:
Chelsea		the lost prince julie kagawa
The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten #1
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		the iron traitor julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Traitor:Call of the Forgotten #2
the iron warrior julie kagawa the iron fey
The Iron Warrior:Call of the Forgotten #3

BOOK REVIEW – The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3) by Jessica Sorensen

August 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3) by Jessica SorensenThe Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3)
by Jessica Sorensen
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

Review:

Jessica Sorensen creates a beautiful world full of heartache, hardships and tragic pasts. Lila and Ethan are no exception to this and their story was heart wrenching.

I can smile on the outside, show the world how happy I am, since that’s what’s important, even if I’m dying on the inside.

Lila is a self-destructive mess. She was raised with parents that were unloving and had the amazing gift of making one feel more worthless than a tiny spec of dust. She has a secret from her past that helped mold her into the train wreck that she is today and her parent’s reaction only helped to exacerbate the situation. Then we have Ethan. His home life and secrets from his past hinders him from being able to be happy and move forward with his life. I wanted to root for them and I wanted to see their happily ever after. I wanted to fall back in love with this series. I really wanted that! Unfortunately, the same thing happened in this book that also happened in the previous book. The beginning was amazing and then I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over and over again.

Sadly I’ve realized that Jessica Sorensen isn’t for me right now. The further I get in a series from her, the further I dislike the characters. The ending of this book has convinced me that I will not continue this series. Her characters are continuing to make the same mistakes again and again, and therefore are going through the same struggles all over again. It’s very disappointing because I truly enjoy the way she writes and the characters she creates.

Our Reviews: (The secret of Ella and Micha – Jen) ★ (The Forever of Ella and Micha – Jen) ★ (The Temptation of Lila and Ethan – Jen)

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BOOK REVIEW – The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

August 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie StiefvaterThe Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)
by Maggie Stiefvater
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads


In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her raven boys.

Wow. There are so few words to express how I feel about this stunning and brilliant series. When I first picked up The Raven Boys I knew it was going to be a toss-up on whether I would enjoy it or not. What I didn’t know was that I was going to get swept into a world where magic is real and anything is possible. I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with the oh-so-proper Richard Gansey III. And I didn’t know just how great it could possibly get.

This book focused a little more on our mercurial and mysterious bad boy Ronan. At the end of book one we discovered that our beloved Chainsaw, the raven, came from Ronan’s dreams. Yes, Ronan can quite literally bring things back from his dreams.

It was a fascinating way to end book one and it continued into book two with maximum force. More than once his nightmares made me look around the dark room and stare pointedly at shadows in the corner. That is correct-while it’s amazing to bring fun things back, his nightmarish creatures can also be brought back to the real world-and they want nothing more than to destroy Ronan.

Secrets and cockroaches-that’s what will be left at the end of it all.

While I did find being in Ronan’s head to be a bit refreshing after being stuck in Adam’s morose mind (I STILL don’t like him-he was even whinier in this one!), I still think that being in Gansey’s and Blue’s heads made me by far the happiest. I love how Gansey and Blue have come full circle since Gansey’s astronomically horrific first encounter with Blue at Nino’s. We are starting to see how they are fascinated by each other and have subtle jealous or longing tendancies for one another. I also love Gansey’s subtle protectiveness of Blue, er, Jane. (He calls her Jane because he likes the name Jane lol). What I am both looking forward to, though, and dreading….is what will come of their blossoming love for one another. It will most likely end in heartbreak and sorrow, because if you remember Neeve’s cryptic words, once blue saw Gansey’s spirit on St. Marks Eve, he was doomed to the fate of death before next St. Marks Eve. He has one year to live, and because Blue saw his spirit that night, he is either her true love, or she kills him.

If you never saw the stars, candles were enough.

And let’s not forget….since Blue was a child, she’s been told that if she kisses her true love, he will die.
Her first kiss, will be his last.
 There’s an adorable prelude of what’s to come for Blue and Gansey in this installment, and it rendered me breathless and anxious for more. I can’t wait for more stolen moments between them, because I am kind of living for them at the moment.

When she blinked, two tears appeared like magic on her cheeks. The fast tears. The ones that were in your eyes and down your chin before you realized you were crying.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, addicting, and brilliant, Stiefvater has created a world that I am happy to come back to after being away. She’s made it so I can’t stand to put the book down and when I do, I think about it constantly and wonder what will come next and how it can all possibly end. I absolutely adore this series and I am so sad I have to wait until (maybe-it’s an estimate and with no blurb) September to read the next installment! But until then I will hold what I’ve read dearly to my heart, because it’s an absolutely breathtaking series with so much to offer.

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