Tag: Vampires (Page 5 of 7)

BOOK REVIEW – City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

August 19, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
by Cassandra Clare
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

**In no way is it my intention to diss on the author’s integrity, just wanted to put forth the idea that there are some questionable ideas she has with this series-nothing more. Her writing is otherwise addicting**

There was so much going on in this novel it made my head spin. It’s hard to wrap my head around everything that happened, which makes this a particularly hard review to write.

Clary is adjusting to the fact that the world as she knows it does not exist and that things are much more complex than she ever could have imagined. She starts to realize that while she longs for the normal life she once had, she can never truly get it back-everything is different now. She is an important part to this alternate universe she was never aware of and is begining to embrace and further her knowledge.

Simon is pursuing her more heavily, pushing their relationship farther than it has ever gone.

He is also still recovering from the incident in the previous novel, making him a little bolder than he once was. I have to admit-he annoyed the living snot out of me for most of this story. I just wanted him OUT OF THE PICTURE-whatever that meant. Near the end, of course, my feelings changed-yes, I’m fickle apparently. People can mature, and more so, they can realize something and do with the knowlege what they want. In his case, it matured him and helped his character development along nicely.

Alec and Isabelle were great. I really liked their part in the story and always liked when they were around. I loved that we got to see Alec in some scenes WITHOUT a scowl this time around-it did wonders for his character in my eyes. And Isabelle…well, I always loved her character. Bitchy or not, she always has something witty or funny to say, much like Jace’s character. She’s fierce, loyal, and surprisingly, very loving.

And finally Jace. We got to see a lot more of Jace, and a lot more with just his perspective and what was going on with him. He is such a deep character, and I really do like him a lot. He is so loyal and has so much love in him, he just never got to use it as a child and that is the saddest part of this story (aside from the author using any indication that incest is acceptable in this series…I find that creeptastic..and excrutiatingly sad). I think it’s clear he has daddy issues and that’s why he is snippy most of the time. It’s justifiable. Whenever he enters a scene, I know 9 times out of 10 I am going to laugh, so I always enjoy the story more when he is involved.

I wish Clare would just drop this plot problem and move on with it already. Obviously something is amiss with it, and I’d rather not have to keep waiting for the inevitable to happen. Please let it go! I want some Jace/Clary action! And no…I don’t revel at the idea of incest, I just know enough about the series from others that this idea doesn’t fool me. I don’t think she’d have so many loyal fans if this series ultimately ended on an incestual (is that a word? Well, it is now) note. I just don’t buy it. That’s right-I’m not buyin’ what she’s sellin’. So let’s hope for some plot revelations in City of Glass, because I can’t wait for more action, romance and drama to unfold.

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BOOK REVIEW – City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare

August 19, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)
by Cassandra Clare
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

GAH! That ENDING! That ending will be the undoing of me. What is it with authors and these cliffhangers?? I swear..if it wasn’t for the fact that book 5 is on my ereader as we speak, I’d go mad. *Long sigh* Ugh Ugh Ugh.

I don’t know what was going on with the first quarter of the novel, I don’t. I feel like I was an outsider rather than a part of the story. It was so foreign to me for Simon to be on the forefront-like, as in every scene was from his POV for a LONG stretch of time. Somewhere along the way, though, the story came back to me and I wasn’t so much of an outsider looking in anymore. I was a living, breathing character like the rest of them, watching from the sidelines as if I had a hand in the adventure. I became invested and intrigued again.

Once I was, I again, couldn’t put it down.

I liked the pace of the story. Now that the truth is out in the open, everything is in a whole new light and totally relatable, making this a favorite whereas I just couldn’t give the first two installments anything more than 4 stars because of the supposed “untruth”. I just could NOT get past that in COB and COA, but now I am totally for Jace and Clary, and can’t get enough of them. Maybe that’s why I am rating this so high whereas others are rating it lower than all the others. I just feel that nasty weight lifted off my shoulders and I can just enjoy what’s going on in the story and not whether they’re going to commit incest or whether there is a loophole. For me, that was what consumed COB and COA, because I just wanted to get past it.

Clary. That drive she feels? I get it. I UNDERSTAND it. The passion and loyalty she feels for Jace…the urgency? I can totally and finally relate to her after 3 or 4 books and I LOVE it. I can FINALLY get on board with this chick. She gives off emotion that makes you want to help her or sympathize with her, unlike in the previous novels where it was all just talk-just words. Words can’t make me obsess over a book. ACTIONS and EMOTIONS are what make me swoon, and that is why I love Jace. He has never been anything less than passionate.

The tortured hero bit….some say it’s overdone in romance….but not me. I eat that shit up. The tortured boy/man who has a weakness for whom he loves..yea, well the overused tortured hero bit is a weakness of mine and a total favorite. Hell yeah, I can live with that storyline. Keep it comin’. I devour it.

And Simon…oooohh Simon. How you have developed. I am now an avid fan of yours. Many times the author feels the need to drag out the love triangle bit, making one guy pathetic and grovel all the time. I can’t say she didn’t pull the love x 3 thing a bit too long in TID, but here in TMI, Simon is moving forward and he has great contenders to choose from. I really enjoyed him in COFA.

So to sum up-a great romance with oodles of drama, suspense woven into every chapter, Simon’s interesting love-life, tortured hero, tortured hero, tortured hero (Oops! Did I say that already?), a creepy villain, a return, and a pretty cool ending. I retract my earlier statement-these endings are f***ing awesome. So to those who didn’t enjoy COFA- that sucks, but I really enjoyed it and found it to be one of my favorites in the series. I personally can’t wait to start the LAST novel available to us until 2014…and I can say with absolute certainty that it will probably end with a doozy as well. 🙂

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BOOK REVIEW – Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

August 14, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)
by Richelle Mead
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*2.5 I’m being generous because the writing was decent stars*

Okay. 2.5 stars. I know-harsh. That is such a harsh rating from someone who tries to see the good in literally every story and rates most books 4 stars. But, ultimately, there are multiple reasons why I couldn’t give this book more than 2.5 stars.

I have seen this book off and on for years at bookstores, always catching my eye and urging me to take a closer look. I have a process when it comes to this book- A) pick it up B) read the blurb on the back C) Put it back down while sighing and dubbing it ‘meh’. Now, why this book hadn’t piqued my full interest before now is beyond me-it clearly has a strong following and people tend to love it. Hell. I think I would have loved it had I read it 6 months ago. But something has happened in this last six months that has changed me as a reader. I have found some truly astonishing, truly gripping novels that have tattooed my soul and haven’t let me think clearly for months. Sure, I’ve read some great books in that time. However, after reading these excellent novels, I know what a true 5 star read really is, and it has altered my mind indefinitely on the rating system I used to know as simple. It is so much more difficult now.

So onto why I rated this book thusly. Probably the ultimate reason I could not immerse myself into this story, is the characters. I have read many, many dramatized YA stories with characters that you want to strangle, yes. But, Rose….Rose was…a special case. At one point I wanted to stab her. She is a prime example of the character development in VA. She was vapid, shallow-a character that merely scraped the surface of her being. How many times can one character alone ask a guy if he ‘wants to see her naked’ or explain how ‘hot’ they are? I had a very hard time connecting to her as a person. Many of the characters had interesting lives they led, but how would we know? The author, who
can
write beautifully, didn’t let us in, fully. Instead of playing out a whole scene or letting us get deep into the character’s persona, we got the ‘explain all’ method. I would be excited for a scene to transpire, and then halfway through, she would end it with “and then we drove home. Hours later we…” and so on. I am not a fan of this writing style. I like to see scenes played out to their full potential-not shortened and summarized. She wrote as if we, the readers, knew what was going on-telling us instead of showing us. Again, this is not a knock on the author-she wrote flawlessly. She just didn’t execute scenarios as I would have thought they were meant to be.

I feel as though I was disconnected from the story the entire time, because half a day would go by in a single page. I am the type of person who, if I feel I am not being told everything, starts to lose interest or care less about the characterization in question. At certain points I was so disconnected I felt like I wasn’t even reading, I would start to fade out and think of other things without even realizing it-like what I wanted to eat kind of things. Which is no stretch-I LOVE to eat. I just don’t want to think about that whilst in the middle of a supposedly important scene. Half of the story was lost because I would find myself skimming to get through a part that dragged onward with no ending in sight. I would peruse along looking for key phrases to ‘trigger’ my interest, and I STILL felt like I got the whole story that everyone else read-just by skimming.

Keep in mind that it was never my intention to make this sound so negative. My friends I BR with were intrigued enough to continue on and still encourage me to do so. And I will. I trust that I can get into the next installments-I just won’t put other awesome books on the backburner to continue. I gave this book a 2.5/3 solid star rating because…I rate books with horrid writing at 2, and I can’t with good conscience rate this a 2 solid star. Like I’ve said, my opinions towards books/book ratings have changed dramatically, and I wish that was different. But it can’t be. A climactic scene that doesn’t get my heart racing or make me beg for more? Not a good sign, seeing as how that’s my favorite part of a book. So I will continue this series someday, maybe sooner than I think, but it is not a favorite of mine and I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed. For those of you reading this review, my advice would be to READ IT. GIVE IT A CHANCE. Just because the character development didn’t do it for me, doesn’t mean you all won’t love it. I love books, and I am one to encourage others to give books a chance, and this is no exception-it just wasn’t for me. 🙂

BOOK REVIEW – Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning

August 14, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Darkfever (Fever #1)
by Karen Marie Moning
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

I think this is one of those reviews where less is more. There was so much going on at all times in this book and we had so much we had to learn and take in. I still don’t quite understand everything I was told, which will come more easily, I’m sure, in the next installments.

I think the basic thing I need to address is the likability of the story and the characters. As a story, I did find myself inexplicably drawn to everything that was happening. I would put the book down and then feel myself reaching for it after only five minutes of it’s absence, despite the fact that I had no clue what was going on.

No, it wasn’t a favorite of mine, but it was on the cusp of being something very….special. The ending not only surprised me, but made me want to forget that I wanted to read something else after it-I ended up going straight through to book two. I think that says something about the story.

Or maybe it’s the magnetism of the characters. Despite what I’ve heard (and read) of Mac’s vapid tendencies and inner monologue, I found I still enjoyed being inside her head. She was funny and determined, not to be so easily deterred by the brooding Jericho Barrons. Speaking of Jericho…frankly, he is the reason I am so drawn to the story. I don’t know what his deal is, but I have to find out. The whole time I just wanted him and her to kiss, to release the sexual tension that subtlety built between them. It drove me crazy-so here I am halfway through book two already-Just because I want more Barrons.

So, there isn’t much to say aside from the fact that I was pulled in and bought the story enough to move forward with the series. There is just something about mysterious characters in a faraway land (or so it seems…Ireland?? Pretty far away!) where you don’t find out enough about each person, but just have to know more. I am both excited and anxious to see where this series will go.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Darkfever #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Bloodfever #2 Reviews:	Faefever #3 Reviews: Jen Anna
Dreamfever #4 Reviews: Jen Anna	Shadowfever #5 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Anna	Iced #6
Burned #7	Feverborn #8

BOOK REVIEW – Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost

August 13, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1)
by Jeaniene Frost
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*4.5 Color Me Surprised Stars*

My chin stuck out. Pride or peril, take your pick.

I’m not going to say that this was the most groundbreaking and extraordinary book I’ve ever read, but it had something I have been missing for a while now-a male lead that, while undead, was still the most loyal, sweet, endearing, and attentive guy I have read about in a while. Sure, I had to substitute his platinum hair for brown immediately….a discussion that was at the forefront of the buddy read thread since we couldn’t focus on anything but that dreadful hair color for quite a bit, but Bones managed to weasle his way into my daydreams as I sat mindlessly at work attempting to finish up so I could just get home and read. And that, my friends, was all I really wanted at this moment-a sweet guy that could take my mind off of every day life if only for a moment.

Cat is half human, half vampire. See, her mother was raped 22 years ago by a vampire, therefore setting Cat up for the ‘job’ she currently holds: killing every vampire she can get her hands on. She wants vengeance for her mother’s fragile state of mind about things that go bump in the night, and also that fact that she is part ‘monster’. Then one night she approaches Bones for her latest kill, and soon her world doesn’t seem quite so black and white as she had once imagined.

You stare straight through me as if I’m not even there. You look at me…and you don’t see a man. You see a vampire, and therefore accord me less substance”

Overall, I would have to settle my inner debate that I liked Cat. At first, I loved her. Then she started to grate on my nerves, because how many times does this awesome ~~vampire~~ guy have to save you, treat you admirably, practically drool all over you (in a non-clingy and very passionate and sweet sort of way) before you realize that he is loyal and not the monster you think his kind to be? That he is perfect for you because he has nothing but respect for you? I just hated seeing her continually hurt his feelings, and it started to become a problem for me. I liked at first that she wasn’t quick to jump in the sack with him-it’s nice to see a heroine not go all mushy right up front, but then after about 50% of the book, I was like, ‘Dude, okay. We get it-you are strong and not easily manipulated-NOW KISS HIM, YOU FOOL!!!’. Then as the story started to wind down, she started to become pretty badass, I will admit. I started to love her again, because that strong will was necessary. So, ultimately, I respected her as a character. (PS, I TOTALLY understand where Cat gets her stubbornness-Damn, but her mother annoyed the living daylights out of me)

“I’m saying I’m a moody, insecure, narrow-minded, jealous, borderline-homicidal bitch, and I want you to promise me that you’re okay with that, because it’s who I am and you’re what I need.”

It can be said that I’m a sap, that I cry at the drop of a hat, and in real life-maybe. But for books, I do have a little backbone when it comes to the tears and hysterics. FOR MOST BOOKS. Now, I knew what was going to happen at the end, because my curiosity knows no bounds and I always research just a little too much, but I STILL started to get a little misty eyed when things unraveled at the closing of the book. And I’m so happy I did-I’m so excited that I cared enough about these characters to give a damn about their well-being. It’s an accomplishment, and I will most definitely be moving forward to the next book tonight. (It should be noted that this is under my ‘tearjerkers’ shelf-I’m getting so blurry about the lines that decipher what needs to be on these shelves….for instance, this should probably be under my ‘cliffhanger’ shelf as well, but I’ve not been accurate on that shelf for a while-I don’t even know what a mild cliffhanger is like anymore because almost every book seems to have a cliffhanger now-ARRRGHHH)

So, no, this wasn’t the most earth shattering story I’ve ever read, but it made me happy. All I wanted was an escape from reality and a fluffy story where things aren’t so complex that I need to ponder them after I’m finished with each chapter, and that’s exactly what I got. A solid, fun group (or pairing) of characters in a somewhat perilous story where no one is safe…and sometimes that’s all you need.