Author: Chelsea (Page 105 of 111)

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

BOOK REVIEW – The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

August 13, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1)
by Julie Kagawa
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Hopping on my bike, I started pedaling toward the one place I’d always avoided until now. A place where, I hoped I would get some answers.
If the damn fey wanted me as an enemy, bring it on. I’d be their worst nightmare.

Well…it’s definitely not Ash and Meghan, but it’s a damn good attempt at making me forget them (Not that that’s even remotely possible). Kagawa chose to go back to the beginning, back to where it all started. It was Ethan, not Meghan, who began this journey by being stolen away and taken into the Nevernever…it was Ethan who Meghan risked her life to save and changed her and her family’s life forever. And it’s now Ethan who is all grown up, ready to take on those pesky fey-and it’s his turn to risk his heart as well.

I knew better than to let her in. Once you see Them, they’ll never leave you alone. They’ll never let you go. Maybe if I’d been strong, she wouldn’t be here with me as our seconds tick away, waiting to die.

I can’t say that this was as enthralling to me as the actual Iron Fey books, but I still cracked a million smiles and found I was giddy despite myself. The story, as a whole, was much more consistent than the book that started it all and never really wavered in it’s path to the end. Kagawa has a clear cut journey in mind and it’s going to be without a doubt a heartbreaking passage for Ethan as much as it was for Meghan(People might fight that book one was VERY consistent in the Iron Fey books-let me clarify-book one just wasn’t a favorite of MINE, so I found it to be less of a constant for me). It may not be all the same characters, for they have established their own lives, but they are fighting the same fight and finding newer, more elusive villains to face and conquer. Sure, we got some glimpses of our favorite characters-I mean, Ethan is the brother of the old main character and Kierran….well…he’s quite entwined with Meghan and Ash, I’d say :P.

***Oh, yeah,* I thought, remembering something then, from long ago. *Grimalkin. He does that.***

The story was mesmerizing, vivid, and imaginative-just like all the books before-but there was something different. It was from Ethan’s perspective. So maybe that’s why when a beautiful display of lights was strung through a massive tree and throughout a joyous festival, I was surprised to see the colorful and clear, yet simple, description of this image through Ethan’s eyes. It’s like Kagawa knows how to handle even the male POV without flubbing it up. That’s not to say males can’t have pretty thoughts, but the way she phrased them, his thoughts, was admirable and what I might imagine a boy would be thinking. She’s not like these other authors out there today simply producing male POVs to cash in or because it’s by popular demand…she just…does. She doesn’t need a reason to be a badass-she just is. I think, I think, that’s why she stands apart for me. It doesn’t matter what hurdle is thrown at her-she jumps it-and comes out looking like a diva on the other side.

I trailed off, as the tree behind Grimalkin flickered, then blazed with light. Kenzie gasped as neon lights erupted along the branches, like Christmas bulbs or those fiberglass trees in department stores. There were no wires or extension cords; the bulbs were growing right out of the branches. As the tree lit up, a swarm of multicolored fireflies spiraled up from the leaves and scattered to all parts of the forest, drifting around us like stray fireworks.
I blinked, dazzled by the display. Around us, the trees glimmered silver; trunks, leaves, branches and twigs shining as if they were made of polished metal. They reflected the drifting lights and turned the woods into a swirling galaxy of stars.

I loved the beginning so much. I actually loved being in Ethan’s dark and depressing little world. His existence isn’t that of his sister’s all those years ago-no, he has no qualms about wanting to fit in or find a girlfriend or win the affections of those around him. He isn’t what you’d have expected from that adorable little boy all those years ago. He has been stolen by the unknown foes of the modern world and has lived to tell the tale about it-but his life has been irrevocably changed. Not only can he see the evil (and some just pesky) fey that no one else sees, causing him all kiiiinds of trouble, but he has also lost his sister to one. She made a deal (unbreakable in the Fey world) with a certain dark prince to save [Ethan] him….and he came to collect-right in front of [Ethan]him and his mom-and then she fell in love with the winter prince. And he will never forgive or forget what happened-he will ALWAYS hate Prince Ash. Dun dun duuuuun.

I didn’t mind his presence that much; it was another figure I hated, another faery who sometimes waited in the shadows for his queen to return, who never came into the house. He was a legend, too, even more so than Glitch, as one of the three who had taken down the false king and stopped the war. He was also the only normal fey (besides Grimalkin, apparently) who could survive in the Iron Realm. The rumors of how he’d accomplished such an impossible task were long and varied, but the reason behind it was always the same. Because he’d fallen in love with the Iron Queen and would do anything to be with her.

I kinda liked that little twist^^^. I guess I just never imagined little Ethan holding a grudge-Hell, I figured all was okay in the world. But the minute we get in his head, we begin to see just how much he despises that world and the people residing in it. (Which prompted, as you might have guessed: “Awwww, poor Ash!!! He didn’t do nothin’..he just fell in love with a human giiiirrrllll!!) But I have to admit-it was absolutely heartbreaking to see his struggle with losing his sister. He misses her dearly, though he acts tough and tries to discount that fact, and mists up regularly at the thought of being so alone and without the person who had always been there for him and was a shoulder to lean on. It broke my heart.

“Ah.” Puck sighed, shaking his head as we headed into the forest. “This brings back memories.” He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Don’t they remind you of a pair, ice-boy, from way back when?”
Ash snorted. “Don’t remind me.”

I think it’s clear I loved Ethan’s POV, and I believe I know where the story might be heading. There is a dark path Ethan is embarking upon, and I don’t where it will end…just what’s possible. Many people didn’t like Kenzie. I don’t know how I feel about her-but as for book one, she was fierce, determined, loyal, and sweet. She hasn’t done enough to evoke any real emotion out of me, but something near the end did make me tear up a teeny-tiny-bit. So, I think she has tons of potential-and the emotion she drags out of Ethan? It was a force to be reckoned with and definitely something I can identify with. So, I will wait a bit to read the second because I’ve seen nothing on a third book….yet, but will not wait long…because book two looks to be darker than the first-and far more sinister than I imagined (Kagawa, you evil genius).

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

Author: Chelsea (Page 105 of 111)

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.

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…

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.

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.”

BOOK REVIEW – The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Hopping on my bike, I started pedaling toward the one place I’d always avoided until now. A place where, I hoped I would get some answers.
If the damn fey wanted me as an enemy, bring it on. I’d be their worst nightmare.

I knew better than to let her in. Once you see Them, they’ll never leave you alone. They’ll never let you go. Maybe if I’d been strong, she wouldn’t be here with me as our seconds tick away, waiting to die.

***Oh, yeah,* I thought, remembering something then, from long ago. *Grimalkin. He does that.***

“Ah.” Puck sighed, shaking his head as we headed into the forest. “This brings back memories.” He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Don’t they remind you of a pair, ice-boy, from way back when?”
Ash snorted. “Don’t remind me.”

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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.”

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW – The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Hopping on my bike, I started pedaling toward the one place I’d always avoided until now. A place where, I hoped I would get some answers. If the damn fey wanted me as an enemy, bring it on. I’d be their worst nightmare.

I knew better than to let her in. Once you see Them, they’ll never leave you alone. They’ll never let you go. Maybe if I’d been strong, she wouldn’t be here with me as our seconds tick away, waiting to die.

Oh, yeah, I thought, remembering something then, from long ago. Grimalkin. He does that.

“Ah.” Puck sighed, shaking his head as we headed into the forest. “This brings back memories.” He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Don’t they remind you of a pair, ice-boy, from way back when?” Ash snorted. “Don’t remind me.”

Share this:

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“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.

Hopping on my bike, I started pedaling toward the one place I’d always avoided until now. A place where, I hoped I would get some answers.
If the damn fey wanted me as an enemy, bring it on. I’d be their worst nightmare.

***Oh, yeah,* I thought, remembering something then, from long ago. *Grimalkin. He does that.***

“Ah.” Puck sighed, shaking his head as we headed into the forest. “This brings back memories.” He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Don’t they remind you of a pair, ice-boy, from way back when?”
Ash snorted. “Don’t remind me.”