Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

My rating: 3 of 5 stars How I got it: I own a copy...

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful; too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

3.5 Rating...

Okay, so when I finished this book I didn't know how I felt about it. There are some massive pros and cons that I would love to get into, but then I just hard a hard enough time deciding if I liked it or not. I decided to let it mellow in my head for a wee bit, and as time wore on, for some dumb reason, I actually started to enjoy it. But not love it.

The writing is probably my biggest pet peeve. It wasn't very well developed. Some chapters were completely unnecessary, the dialogue was wobbly, and there was just this odd sensation of the author rushing through important parts. She'd drop a sentence to cover one complex action. I don't know if I was reading it too fast (I read pretty fast), but a couple of times I was sure the author had made a slight error in where characters were standing, etc... Plus, a few odd plot questions I had...


I had a hard time getting to believe her characters, especially the main character, which is the last thing I ever want to experience in a book. Eventually, and by some miracle, things began to pick up in the book and for the characters and, tada, I didn't hate them anymore. I really want to remark on the authors attempt, and fairly good job, at re-writing fae lore.

By the end of the story I was having fun. It wasn't edge of my seat, hold me breath, can't put it down even for a moment fun, but it was fun. I liked the witticism that the book came with, and how, with time, it grew on me a little more. When I finished it I didn't hate it the way I was sure I would. And a small aprt of me is actually interested in reading the rest of the series.

So yeah, it was... fun, :)

Review: Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How I got it: I own the entire series now, :) Author love...

I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . .

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.

So happens the second in the Fever series by one of my new favorite authors, Karen Marie Moning. This book was a great addition and twist to the first, and I think a personal improvement for the author. The plot is such; Mac is a young girl from the states who is trying to solve her sister's murder in Dublin, Ireland, and afterwards enact revenge on whoever was responsible. The paranormal catch is Fae, both dark and light, who are responsible for not only the death of her sister but also some unspeakable evil that has plagued the human world for all time. (Spicey, I know). The cast of players also includes V'lane, a Seelie Prince who is determined to sleep with her, and Barrons, an arrogant bastard and my clear favorite. It is unclear who is on the same side as Mac or if they even have sides at all.

First to the writing... I believe this is Moning's first attempt at a series that is not heavily romance, which I applaud her for. She has a wonderful writing voice, and I think her only setback is her tendency to laden the plot and characters with characteristics found in a romance. For example, her main character Mac is a little prissy and too pink for the book's taste, if you ask me, and Moning can't just break her down into being a heroine rather than a Southern Belle who gets her panties in a twist if her nail polish isn't right. Otherwise I really love her writing, the book is written in first person and the language really runs nicely with the plot.

I love the world-building. I'm not sure exactly what is original and what is not, at times. This is my first fae series so I can't distinguish between Moning's creativity and what she has borrowed from already established lore. Regardless it's all very rich and I've really enjoyed how structured it is and how well it compliments her characters. Her characters are a lot of fun as well. Mac gets on my nerves still, but she's a lot more tolerable in this book than she was in the first. Maybe I'm not a very forgiving reader?

I think this book would do well with readers who are interested in the subject or have already been swimming around in some YA paranormal series and want to dip their toes into something more adult. This is a "no fluff attached" series, so tread carefully. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and more of her writing. This is a definite read for people who love the paranormal genre and want to discover a new series.



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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How I Got it: Own a copy, :)

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

First of all, if you saw this book on my currently-reading shelf for a while, that is not because I did not enjoy the book, rather this was part of crazy time in which reading was almost impossibly for me.

So let’s talk about this book. First of all I can’t talk enough about how fun this book was to read. I love laughing out loud when I read something and I love characters who are generally witty and adorable. This book had both, so even in those few minutes a day when I could sneak in a few pages I was rewarded.

The book is modern fantasy and follows a young girl ‘waking up’ into the world she’d been made to forget. Miss Clare pulls in a lot of classic fantasy ingredients, putting a fine spin on them all and adding some new ideas into the mix. Everything she added felt natural, as well. I wasn’t reading about characters in a setting that reminded me of a square peg in a round hole.

Clare has a unique writing style that is sometimes simple yet effective, and other times surprisingly intricate. I was really pleased to see that she could really bring out all the stops when it came to writing this novel, and instead didn’t keep it going at the general pace she’d started it as.

Her plot twists were interesting, in a way that I liked them. Usually if something happens in a YA novel, it’s the same old sh*t, different title. Hers were pretty fun, and I enjoyed finding them because I knew they’d be unique.[ I was proud of her for making one of her characters gay. I personally will not go into my views on the matter, but it’s nice to see a young adult author willing to address it.

Not to mention who the main fella turns out to be. I don’t know if I like who Jace is or not. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see what happens, but right now the idea of him being that gal’s sister hasn’t really resolved itself yet. (hide spoiler)]

There are, of course, things I didn’t quite understand. First of all some of the twists sit heavy on me and I’m still wondering how she’s going to address them. At times her writing style is a little too simple, to where I feel like she didn’t get a fair chance to edit a certain section before it was published. Also, some of the characters I felt I was supposed to have natural, negative feelings towards just because that was the author’s intention, and t hen their personalities would change or other’s opinions of them would switch around, and I was a little confused as to how that could happen so quickly.

This is a really fun book for readers of all ages. If you like to have fun and laugh, dig right into this one. It’s a series, which I love, so I can’t wait to read the next ones. The world-building was enjoyable, the writing very nice, and the character memorable. I am super looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and I understand she has written another series similar to the world she created for this one. I am happy she has become so prolific, but at the same time I hope that she keeps the quality of her writing and the wonderful characters and world she h as already created.




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Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How I got it: Borrowed it from a friend, but want my own copy now!

When MacKayla's sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death - a cryptic message on Mac's cel phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Ma is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae...

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysteriou Jericho...while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands....

My mother upon seeing the book on my desk: “Is that a sex book?”
Me, as I look: “What? No.”
Mother: “It says moaning.”
Me, staring: “No, it says Moning. That’s the author’s last name.”
Mother: “Oh…” Pauses. “It still looks like a sex book.”

Sex book it is, my dear friends, at least a little bit. Karen Marie Moning, a resident romance writer, steps out of her box, so she claims, to create a urban fantasy series that has readers, this one included, itching to read more.

Mac, the main character of the novel, flies to the grand city of Dublin after the murder of her sister, when city police run out of leads and drop the investigation. While picking up the pieces of her sister’s last weeks alive, she discovers what she truly is, and what might have lead her sister to her death; she’s a sidhe seer, a person who can see the fae. Soon she discovers the mysterious, and gorgeous, Jericho Barrons. Although they can’t seem to stand each other’s company, they need each other. She needs his expertise in the fae world to close the case of her sister’s murder. He needs her ability to sense the fae to find a long sought after dark book.

Ah, yes, this book is lots of fun. Along with the great world building, and the witty and fast paced writing, Moning’s plot keeps the characters rolling. Barrons is just this sexy beast that you want to glomp, and cheer on when he has his frequent and high spirited comments towards the main character. He has to be one of my favorite male main characters of my reading so far this year. He’s mysterious, crafty, hot, and he owns a book shop. How is that not exactly what readers like us desire?

The main character herself is something to be desired…

This book almost caught four stars because of the author’s writing around the main character. Moning is a romance writer, but this book is by far not a bodice-ripper. This is urban fantasy, and she should have stuck with that when she started down that road. I imagine that partway through this book Moning had this sort of conversation with herself, “Wow, look at this plot. Damn, look at these characters! I have something going here, urban fantasy, I think. But I usually don’t write this… What should I do? Run with it and have fun? Nah, I’ll shove some crap in there because I just can’t help myself.”

Not only was she trying to push sex driven scenes, but she was also trying to turn the main character into something she’s not. I’ll be blunt, Mac is nothing but a superficial Barbie. When I thought she should be trying to catch her sister’s killer and save the world, she was worrying about her favorite nail polish being discontinued. And I have never, ever, in my life read a character that was nothing more than a skank towards herself. I don’t know if Moning just couldn’t handle writing first person, but in several places Mac had to go off on a rant about how she looked AND how perky her boobs were and how all the other boys just wanted her. Really? She wasted so much time describing her outfit for the day instead of the other characters, the setting, etc… It set my teeth on edge.

I have been promised, however, that Mac becomes a kick arse heroine by the end of the series, and that book two is much better. I did see something of a transformation in her, but I still must shake my head at Moning and ask her how daft she could have possibly been.

But this is something of a sex book, like I said, only… erm, not the usual sex. V’lane, a death by sex fae prince, can apparently just walk up to her and send her over the edge. You heard right, poor Mac gets laid without even getting touched. (Poor thing.) But aside from the inhuman man whore, there was such a variety of evil, grotesque looking fae that it was like being on some hellish, fictional safari. Fun, fun!

I am really, really excited to read the next book. I have fallen in love with most of the characters and all of them have promised to be loads of fun in the future. I love the plot, and the intricate details of the plot promises the rest of the series will be just as awesome.




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Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How I got it: I own a copy.

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what’s normal when you’re a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who’s becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn’t ready to let her go—especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary’s only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil—and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings—and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City’s Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Note: The following review is assuming that you’ve already read the first book in The Mortal Instrument series.

Cassandra Clare brings back her wonderfully witty characters in the second book of her much loved series, The Mortal Instruments. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I sat down to start this book, as those of you who read the first book are well aware how amazing the series started out.

Let’s grab a short recap if it’s been a while since you’ve read the series. Clary, our main character, was pulled into the rude of Shadowhunters and blatantly shown that mythical creatures no longer belong on the pages of children’s books. She learns she’s not human, or a Mundane as Shadowhunters call them, but rather the daughter of the murderous Valentine, who seeks to gain control over everything his dark mind can reach with the help of his home grown demon army. By the end of the first book, not only does Valentine have the Mortal Cup, the first Mortal Instrument, but we also find that Clary and Jace, the handsome, rogue Shadowhunter she developed strong feelings for, are brother and sister.

City of Ashes comes as the much anticipated next book in the series. Readers not only want to delve back into the plot, but they want to see the continuation of their favorite characters.

It becomes known that Jace is Valentine’s father and from there the trust is lost in him. His adoptive mother finds his presence painful. People who have known him for years question if he is truly ignorant of having been Valentine’s father all this time. The Inquisitor, a woman on edge with a personal vendetta, accuses Jace of fraternizing with the enemy and locks him up in the City of Bones for trial.

But Valentine, up to his tricks, won’t have that happen. The man is looking forward to having his son by his side when he begins his war. His involvement in Jace’s life only strengthens the beliefs of people like the Inquisitor that the young man is not on their side.

Clary feels torn between the people she loves most in this book. Simon, her childhood friend, expresses deep feelings with her while battling with the fear that he is getting pulled into her world a little deeper than he had wanted. Jace seems to have his own opinion on the matter that Clary is his sister. Her mother is still in a coma that doesn’t seem to be breaking, she has no affection for her father, a man she would have preferred staying lost, and she clings to Luke, the man who is like her father and he only link to her past when she wasn’t fighting demons to keep her life.

I’m not going to tell you how amazing this book is, because if you thought that way about the first book, the second will just confirm your suspicions that this series wreaks of awesome. You will laugh, scream, scowl, and smile while reading this book, and Clare will not for any reason give you a time to rest in between. Many, many questions arise by the end of this book, and then the book ends, with a shock, and leave you sitting their whilst waving and laughing.

It is such a tease.



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