"The Steel Queen"

“The Steel Queen”, by Karen Azinger, is the first book in a seven book series: The Silk and Steel Saga. I always get excited when I pick up the first book in a long series because if I like the story, then it doesn’t end for thousands of pages. However, you take the risk of only moderately liking the story. Then you are forced to decide between sticking with it to the end of those thousands of pages, or calling it quits after the first book and never having answers to the questions that drive every reader crazy; what happens to the characters, who does she end up with, do they end up discovering he is a back-stabbing traitor, how does it end??

I think I got myself into a little bit of a pickle with this series. The story piqued my interest enough that I know I will be bugged to just give up on it, but the writing drove me crazy and I don’t know if I can stand six more books. Here’s why:

This fantasy story really gripped me right from the start. I’ve heard it’s comparable to Game of Thrones, but I wouldn’t know since I’ve never seen that. The characters are three dimensional, and the plot is deep and thick right from the beginning. BUT the point of view switches between a handful of different characters and I found this to be a little too much. There is only a few pages, (really just like 2-3 pages), with limited information before it switches to a different person in a completely different part of the country. You feel like you are just barely getting to know the character, then it switches and you are left reeling. Once you catch on to who each character is and what is happening in their part of the story, then you see the bigger picture and understand how they all play out together. But this realization doesn’t hit for a few chapters, leaving the reader lost and more than a little confused at the beginning.

The story itself is rich and full of details that draw the reader in. However, the writing is repetitive and juvenile in some places.  You will read the phrase “good Castleguard steel” about 55 times. I think that there could have been more done with this book. A little more proofreading and attention to detail would have improved the quality by a mile. Also, one of the main characters, Katherine, is written as if life is so hard and she is so strong for overcoming her trials, but she really hasn’t had any trials. Every time an obstacle comes in her path, it works out perfectly in her favor in just a few paragraphs. This won’t stop me from reading the next book though. I’m hooked on the story and want to see how it ends.

WARNING: there are some sex scenes and analogies that I would not deem appropriate for younger readers, (or people who don’t like to read about rape).

Overall I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I am planning on continuing the series and will report back to let you know if it’s worth it or not. If you have already read these books, let me know what you thought!

I was given a free copy of this book from Reading Deals in exchange for an honest review.

The Infernal Devices Series

Shout out to my girl Kassidy for making me read these books. I had the misfortune of watching the TV Series and it disintegrated any desire I had to read Cassandra Clare's work. Kass told me to not judge a book by it's TV show (or movie for that matter) and I am eternally in her debt. She suggested I read the Infernal Devices Series before I read the Mortal Instruments series, so that is what I did.

The Infernal Devices Series, by Cassandra Clare, is a three book series set in the London's Downworld during the reign of Queen Victoria. The main character, Tessa Gray, has discovered that she is not human; but what she is, no one knows. She falls in with a group of Shadowhunters and learns that there is only one thing more dangerous than a demon - her own heart. She is torn between the calm and steady Jem Carstairs and the mysterious and un-readable Will Herondale. Each has is own unique attractiveness and both are hiding dark secrets. Tessa has to choose who has her heart while also overcoming one of the evilest and most powerful men of their time. 

I don't know that I have ever read a series that left me feeling so satisfied at the end. These books filled all of my literary needs. There was action, fighting, betrayal, loyalty, fantasy, friendship, and (most important of all) romance. There were a few times I thought the story was ruined but after I continued reading, the issue would be resolved beautifully. I laughed, I cried, I bit my nails, and I couldn't stop until the last page had been turned. If you enjoy fantasy books where the unimaginable becomes imaginable, then you have to put this series on your to-read list. The main characters are deep and all have strong back-stories that come to light one at a time. The supporting characters add to the richness of the story and each of their unique personalities helps create a more complex and intricate setting. I would suggest these to high-school age kids and older. There are a few swearwords dotted throughout the text and there is a hint of a bedroom scene in the third book but it is not detailed. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Check them out and let me know what you think! 

"Kiss and Spell"

If you haven't read the first three "Ever After High" books, you need to. They are so much fun. "Kiss and Spell", by Suzanne Selfors, is a continuation of those stories. You don't necessarily have to read the first three before this one, but it will definitely help you understand what is going on if you do.

"Kiss and Spell" takes you back to the world of Ever After High where the children of all of our beloved fairytale characters are going to school together. This story is about the best chef in all of the fairytale kingdom, Ginger Breadhouse (Daughter of the Candy Witch). She has her own cooking show that is about to be cancelled which will take all of her dreams of becoming a famous chef with it. In one last attempt to increase the number of viewers, Ginger decides to bake a wish cake. It will grant whomever eats it one small wish. Except the magic backfires and turns Hopper Croakington (son of the Frog Prince) into a permanent frog. The longer he stays in his amphibian form, the more froglike he becomes. Ginger has to figure out how to turn him back before the frog in him completely takes over.

"Kiss and Spell" is a fun continuation of the Ever After High stories. This one was written by a different author than the first three, but you have to pay really close attention to notice the difference in writing style. Since these books are meant for youth, I don't think any of the intended readers will see a difference. The story is so fun and describes what it was like for Ginger to grow up with the Candy Witch for a mom who always put something nasty in her recipes. Kids will definitely be able to relate to the characters and the story includes some old favorites like Raven Queen, Briar Beauty, Madeline Hatter, and Apple White. The text is clean and easy to get through. 5 out of 5 stars. I would highly recommend this for anyone with fantasy-loving kids. Check it out and let me know what you think!

"The Reflections of Queen Snow White"

"The Reflections of Queen Snow White", by David Meredith, takes the traditional story of Snow White and adds on to it. Queen Snow White is now a grown woman with a daughter of her own about to get married. Prince Charming passed away and year ago and the queen is still mourning his loss, which means she has shut off the world, including her daughter. In a moment of desperation she goes to the one place in the castle that has been completely abandoned - the evil queen's tower.

Once she's there she finds a magic mirror that reflects images and memories of her past. The mirror helps her remember and face things that ultimately help her find herself again. She goes through the ugliest and best moments of her life through the reflections of the magic mirror. The reader gets to know a different version of Snow White through this book. Her past with the Evil Queen is dark and ugly and her life with Prince Charming is not as completely 'happily ever after' as we believe.

Although this is based off a children's story, this book is definitely not meant for kids. The author describes in detail the types of beatings and punishments that Snow White endured at the hands of the Evil Queen. Then goes on to describe, in detail, her wedding night with Prince Charming and some intimate moments after that. The story line is interesting and, like I said, the reader gets to know a different version of Snow White. The overall feel of the book was a little too dark for my taste and if you are looking for a clean read, then this is not the book for you. Otherwise, you can get your copy on Amazon now and take it with you on your next family vacation this summer. 3 out of 5 stars. I receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Check it out and let me know what you think!

"Throne of Glass"

I was so excited to try something new this time around. I had so much to say about the "Throne of Glass" series, by Sarah J. Maas, that I decided to do a video to tell you all about it. So I got my room all set up, I had to set my laptop on a stack of books on a stool so I could get the lighting just right, and then....my video won't load. :( Turns out I had too much to say about this series and my video was longer than Blogger lets you post. SO, after almost a week of trying to get that video on here, I am going to just write my review instead. (Add pregnancy brain to the equation and it's no wonder it has been so long since my last post).

The "Throne of Glass" series is currently comprised of 4 books, with the fifth one being released this fall. The first book, "Throne of Glass", is about a young girl in one of the worst prisons imaginable. One day she gets an irresistible offer to be taken out of the prison and become a competitor in a tournament to become the kings champion. Because she also happens to be the most famous assassin around. Celaena, has to fight some of the most ruthless men in the kingdom to win her freedom. All while trying to figure out what evil is lurking in the castle and claiming lives of unsuspecting victims.

The next three books are as follows: "Crown of Midnight", "Heir of Fire", and "Queen of Shadows". Once Celaena gains her freedom she is thrown into situations that involve way more emotions than she has let herself feel in years. She finds friends in unlikely places and discovers new relationships. An irreversible tragedy occurs that turns Celaena's life upside down and suddenly friends become enemies and she has to travel to a different land. She meets someone (my favorite character) that helps her realize her true potential and guides her on her journey to fulfilling her destiny.

These books are full of rich characters, an interactive storyline, and twists and turns that will keep you guessing. There are assassins, princes, witches, demons, Fae warriors, and so much more. The setting of the story is unique as well. Sarah created an entire world where there is a mixture of old-fashioned, modern, and fairy-tale. You will live, eat, and breath these books. It satisfied my need for action, comedy, thrill, and of course, romance. This is on my top 3 favorite series list, and it will earn it's spot on your list too. High school age and older is who I would recommend reads this. 5 out of 5 stars. Check this out and please take the time to let me know what you think. I'm dying to know!

   

Disclaimer: I tried to keep this review as "spoiler proof" as possible. Each of the titles of the books will lead you to a more in depth description if you would like. :)

 

 

"The String Quartet"

I know that I had the "Throne of Glass" series posted as my 'coming up next' book, but I have so much that I want to say about that series and it's going to take me a while. So I am throwing this book in before those ones. "The String Quartet," by Dan Hupalo, is written for elementary to junior high age kids. The story follows four 8th grade students through their adventures traveling between worlds. A magic cello and the quartet's powerful music is what powers their adventures. The group of 13-year olds has to learn to harness the magic to save a friend, and ultimately a kingdom.

The story itself is pretty good. The author has good imagery and his writing flows, but someone desperately needs to do some editing. There are countless amounts of spelling and grammatical errors throughout the text. Which, in a book meant for children, is a big no-no. They are still learning proper grammar themselves, so throwing in a book that is incorrect would only be confusing. There are also a handful of swear words included, and I don't agree with 13-years olds swearing. That was a deal breaker for me. I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. If you are looking for an appropriate book for your child, don't pick this one.

If you have any books that you are thinking about letting your child read, but you aren't sure if it is really appropriate...let me know! I will check it out for you and tell you how it really is. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reading Deals in return for an honest review.

"The Time Chamber"

If you are looking for a fun book for kids, or coloring book lovers, or both, then I found it for you. Your welcome. "The Time Chamber," by Daria Song, is a children's book and coloring book combined. It tells the story of a fairy living in a cuckoo clock, who decides to leave her clock to explore the little girl's room that she lives in. It is full of beautiful pictures that are left blank for the reader to fill in with whatever colors they choose. There are also hidden objects in some of the pictures that add a little extra fun to the book.

"The Time Chamber" is more about the pictures then it is the literature. The story is cute, but it's not one that you will want to read over and over again. The coloring pages on the other hand are magnificent and are very detailed. This is not a coloring book for little kids. It is for older children or even adults who would be willing to spend the time coloring in all of the little spaces. I actually got excited when I opened the book. It would be so much fun to spend the time and make this book yours. The pages are thick and high-quality, so it will last a long time. If you have an art-lover (like my 10-year old little sister) then this is a great gift idea for them.

I received my copy of "The Time Chamber" from Blogging for Books for this review. You can get your copy here and learn more about the author here. Let me know what you think!

"The First Ones"

I received a copy of "The First Ones" from the author, Ageless. I love stories about vampires, especially love stories, so I was excited to read this one. This story is set in a world where humans actually know about vampires and take precautions to protect themselves. The vampires were sent to earth to be a punishment to mankind, and they won't be taken away until humans can prove themselves. 'The First Ones' are the first vampires that were created and they have special abilities and are more powerful than the other vampires. The main character, Thereticus, meets a human who instantly mesmerizes him and ultimately steals his heart. She is special and could change the future for both humans and vampires.

I definitely give the author points for imagination on this one. The story itself is very creative, but the way it is written takes away from the story line. There is a lot of repetitiveness throughout the book, and some discrepancies with the story. Some of the details don't match up from one page to the next and there are some spelling and grammatical errors. Which is distracting for the reader, and like I said, takes away from the story line. I definitely think that this author has a lot of potential, but I wouldn't recommend reading this one. I would wait for some of her future works when she has had a chance to work out some of the kinks. 2 out of 5 stars. If you do feel like reading this one, you can get a copy here. Or read more about the author here. Let me know what you think!

"The Isle of the Lost"

My 10-year old sister and I like to swap books back and forth. She actually has really good taste in books, and I love almost everything she gives me to read. This time the book she loaned me was "The Isle of the Lost", by Melissa de La Cruz. She had been telling me for a few weeks to read this one and I kept putting it off thinking that I had more interesting things to read. Once I started it though, I couldn't put it down!

"The Isle of the Lost" is about the children of Disney's villains. Cruella De Vil, The Evil Queen, Jafar, Maleficent, and so much more. The villains have been banned to an island by King Beast (Beauty and the Beast) as punishment for all of their crimes in the various fairytale stories. On top of being banished, the island has a magical lid on it that blocks out all magic, so no one on the island has power any more. No one suffers as much as the children though, who have to deal with cranky evil parents that are power hungry yet powerless.

Maleficent is always telling her daughter, Mal, that she isn't good enough. The Evil Queen is always chiding her daughter, Evie, for not being the fairest of them all. Carlos, Cruella De Vil's son, has to live in a closet where he cleans all of her fur coats. These descendants of the evilest characters of the land want a way off the island so they don't have to suffer for their parent's crimes any longer. So they set off on a quest to find some magic to burst the bubble they live under, encountering more than they bargained for along the way.

This book is so much fun! Usually all that we think about from fairytale stories are the heroes. No one ever wonders about the bad guys and what happens to them. This book takes a totally different perspective on fairytale and shows what consequences come along with being the villain. It is a fun and easy read and would be perfect for anyone elementary age or up. I would highly suggest reading this with your child if you are able. It would be fun to take to your kid about the characters and how they develop and become friends by the end. Even if you are not a kid and don't have one, I still suggest this book. If you like fairytales and fantasy then make sure you check this one out. 4 out of 5 stars. Let me know what you think!

"My Fairy Grandmother"

Let me just start by saying that this book is adorable. "My Fairy Grandmother", by Aubrey Mace, fulfills every little girl's dream to be special. When 9-year-old Kaitlin finds out that she is a descendent of fairies she is absolutely thrilled. A part of her knows that it is most likely not true, but the greater part of her (the part that wants to be special) believes every word that her grandmother tells her. Viola, the grandmother, has an amazing past and she has been waiting for the right moment to share her heritage with her granddaughter. So when Kaitlin and her mom, Megan, come for a visit she decides that it's time to share her life story with her son's daughter.

Viola is part fairy. Because of this she has certain gifts, one of which is a heart-breakingly beautiful voice. The gifts don't come without some consequences though, and when the wrong person hears about her voice, he decides to kidnap her and make her his own personal songbird. After years of captivity she has to use one of her gifts to escape and save her only friend in the process. The book switches back and forth between the current story of Megan and Kaitlin visiting Viola, and Viola's past being told as if it were happening right then. I'm glad it was written like this because it makes Viola's story that much more engaging and I found myself not being able to put the book down until I finished a section of Viola's past. 

This book was a complete surprise. I kept putting off reading it because I thought that it would be just some cheesy little kids book about a grandma with wings and a wand that makes her granddaughters wishes come true. I could not have been more wrong. It's actually a very engaging story that takes the fairytale of fairies to the next level and makes it seem very real. It is a light and easy read. This is what I would call a 'vacation book', because it's perfect for relaxing. It would also be a really neat book to read with your kids. Check it out!

"Ever After High"

My adorable 9-year old little sister, Emma, asked me to read these books and put them on here. She, like myself, is a very avid reader and we try to share books back and forth whenever we find something that will span the age gap between us. She lent me her "Ever After High" books, by Shannon Hale, and they are actually surprisingly good. It is a series consisting of three books that are written about the offspring of all our beloved fairy tale characters. Snow White's daughter, The Huntsman's son, the Evil Queen's daughter, Prince Charming's son...all of these characters that we grew up with have kids of their own who will one day take over for them and live their story. Meaning Snow White's daughter, Apple, will do exactly as she did and get locked up, then live with dwarves, then eat a poisoned apple and be brought back by her prince. Each child carries on the story by doing exactly as their parents did.

The first book, "The Storybook of Legends", gives an intro to all of the characters and then focuses on the relationship between Apple White and Raven Queen, the Evil Queen's daughter. Apple is so excited to live her mom's story and get her happily ever after, but Raven doesn't want to become evil like her mom. Raven rebels and decides to write her own destiny. The danger is that no one knows what will happen to Raven and the rest of the characters from her story, what kind of life will they have if it isn't already written out for them?

The second book, "The Unfairest of Them All", is about the rivalry between the royals - those who wish to follow their destinites, led by Apple White- and the rebels - those who wish to write their own stories, led by Raven Queen. The whole school is divided and friendships are tested as the students are forced to pick a side. The chaos reaches it's climax and the silly and loveable Madeline Hatter, the Mad Hatters daughter, is the one to face the consequences for the way everyone has been acting. With Headmaster Grimm threating to banish Madeline, the royals and rebels must learn to work together to save her.

In the process of saving Maddie, a beast from Wonderland is accidently let free into Ever After High which leads us to the third and final book, "A Wonderlandiful World". With a Jabberwock  on the loose spreading it's Wonderland magic everywhere, everything is going topsy-turvy. Chairs are amassing together for payback on the humans and windows are just up and leaving their walls, all will be lost in this madness unless the Wonderlandians (the characters from Wonderland) can brave their way through the ever changing school and kill the dangerous Jabberwock.

These books, though written for kids, are really good. The author has a beautiful way of writing that makes the characters come to life and practically fly off the pages. Each character is so detailed and so unique, you feel like you are right there at Ever After High with them. And they are not childish books, I'm 22 years old and I could hardly put them down. The way they are written is simple enough for someone in elementary school to read and understand, yet complex enough to catch and hold the attention of adults. Plus, I must say that it was fun to be swept away to a world where all of my favorite childhood stories existed together. No matter if you are 10 or 40, I recommend this series to you. Especially if you are looking for a book that you and your child can read together. Let me know how it goes!

The Hush Hush Saga

Do you have a favorite book that you don't like to tell people about? Almost like it's your little secret and you get to enjoy it and keep it all to yourself? I know you all have a book like that, so don't pretend not to. I almost didn't put this on here because that is what these books are to me; my little secret that I revel in and enjoy in private. However, the Hush Hush saga, by Becca Fitzpatrick, is too good to not be shared.

It sweeps you away into Coldwater, Maine, where fallen angels have come to reside. Patch, an especially mysterious and dangerous fallen angel, has taken a special interest in a girl named Nora. The series follows their story as Nora ignores her internal warnings to stay away from Patch, and slowly finds out more and more about him and the world he comes from. She gets mixed up in the dangers revolving around Patch and nearly loses her life on multiple occasions, but it's not enough to keep her from being sucked back into Patch's world. They even go so far as to erase her memories so she'll forget all about fallen angels and nephilim in an attempt to keep her safe. But nothing can erase the tie she feels to Patch, and emotions she can't explain pull her towards a boy she can't remember until her memory returns and she realizes it was Patch all along. The series ends with an epic battle between the nephilim and the fallen angels and, of course, some plot twists that you will never see coming. 

This four book series has excitement, action, and romance dripping from almost every page. It doesn't matter how many times I've read it, I still get sucked in and can't put the book down. I would highly recommend this book for all ages. It does have some intimacy in it, but it's nothing that I would call inappropriate. So there you have it, I've outed my little secret. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I do, and don't forget to let me know what you think!